Yes, I've been a member here for about that long now. Since joining, my musical productivity had gone up, I've built an amateur recording studio for guitar and even released my first amateur studio recording (all amateur, of course :P). I've made some new friends and tons of colleagues both inside and outside of this site. So, overall, I'm happy to have joined and plan on continuing to be as active a member as I can.
Outside of music, my life has seen some significant ups and downs. I started working in food service again almost three months ago as my second paid job ever. I'm concentrating on staying healthy by eating right and taking supplements to target trouble areas (depression, satiety, etc). I'm turning 21 in a few weeks, which means that starting then I can buy a drink at the bar/grill where I work with the employees' discount ;) But, I'm also out of school again with only 12 college credits, so I'm wondering if I should go back to school or start working full-time and focusing on my career.
As much as I love music, the money just isn't there for me right now. I can't play any instruments well, which means that if I can't find somebody else that would record my music, I'm basically sunk. I've outgrown listening to MIDI playbacks except for when it's necessary for the composition process. My only option right now is to accept donations from people who like my music and want to see me produce more. That's not set up yet; working on it x.x (this is not a request to send donations, do not send me any money except through the appropriate channels).
That's about it. Feel free to comment if you have any advice for me. And, again, I don't care what I might have led you on to believe, this blog is not a request for donations. I will not accept any donations, so don't bother trying to make them.
Thank you, everybody.
-Noah Fraioli
Comments
you know, a glass of beer with friends makes things much better. You're almost there.
If you've got the strength and of cource money, to continue studying, do so.
And if that fails, you can still build a personal carreer with what you've got. College is always there for you. I recently met a mother of 3 children that's about to finish studying bussiness management. in her 50s. ;)
I'm in the category of people that (will) try to make something for a living outside music. It's valuable to my life, but that's about it. No grand plans for the music industry for now, and to be honest I'm ok with that.
Your story is my story, and I suspect, the story of many. I long ago decided I did not want to live in poverty, so chose a career path instead of attempting to compose for a living. At the end of the day, one must be able to eat, buy clothing, and have a roof over one's head. Best luck to you whichever path you choose -