Updated: May 3, 2023
As I wait to get my album back from the mastering engineer, I've had some time this week to work on some side-projects that may someday become elements of a live show! I spent a few months earlier this year working on a way to use CV signals to control a series of motorized devices. The project is going well, and I hope to have more detailed updates available on my Patreon soon! There are a lot of moving parts, and it has involved learning lots of new technical skills and applications.
As a carried my box of parts over to my desk this morning, it dawned on me- A person like me would never be able to work on a project like this in any other place or time. I have no idea where or how I would be able to relatively quickly get very specific electronic components without a resource like Amazon. I've also been frequently using Chat GPT3 to help answer some niche electronics and programming questions as they come up... I know there are probably other ways I could get this information, but it would be nowhere near as fast or convenient for a random artist in the middle of Ohio to work on a project like this without things Amazon or AI research assistant programs like Chat GPT.
Part of me thinks these are the conditions for creating something genuinely new. Ideas don't happen in a vacuum. New things get made when the conditions in the world are right for someone to make them. Everything has to be set up so that someone can connect the dots, see the need- then have access to the tools and information to make it a reality. I'm pretty excited about this project, and I think it has a lot of potential. I have not been able to find anything like this out there, and it's something I really want to see exist in the world of electronic music. If you want to know more, subscribe to my Patreon for access to QUIVER updates! I've been documenting my progress daily, and I'm working on finding better ways to share everything so that it's digestible and interesting to read 😁 Check it out! https://www.patreon.com/user?u=91562271
Lately I've been sorting through some demos and drafts for tracks on/related to The Queen of Time. Some are actually quite good- I like some of their energy, and a few of the cut songs have a lot of potential. This bonus material isn't quite ready for release, but maybe someday? Keep an eye out 👀 (possibly on patreon?)
Honestly, I'm just trying to fret my nerves before everything gets finalized for release. My goals for this project are modest. I hope to establish a presence I can build on and maintain professionally. I know I'm not poised to make the billboard top 100, but I do hope the work gets seen.
Building up an online presence is a necessary part of being any kind of artist today, and it's a lot of work... I much prefer writing songs and making paintings and doing other crazy stuff- but if I don't lift my head up long enough to tell someone about what I'm doing, no one will ever know, right? And, obviously, I want to make things that other people can see and experience (that's part of why people make art).
I've been trying to swallow my nerve and actually get back on social media, but I'm really struggling to find motivation. I honestly don't enjoy social media very much, so it's hard to understand what actually makes a good post? It's also difficult to know what kind of audience will be reading whatever I decide to write there... Something about the extremely public/ transactional nature of it really stresses me out. I'm much happier without it, but I understand it's a necessary part of being a creative professional... Sooo keep an eye out for me on social media, I guess! 🙃
- Apr 13, 2023
This week I've been focusing on getting all the little details sorted out before I start advertising everything and going live for real...
I created an actual online store, (via spreadshop) and stocked it with all the lovely merch you can find in the merch section of this website (plus a few more goodies).
I made an account on buymeacoffee.com - a platform for supporting artists and creators directly with small donations (as if you bought them a cup of coffee.) Seems chill 👍 I've heard nothing but good things. There's also a way to do commissions through their site- so perhaps someday I'll set up a little thing where you can toss me a couple bucks to do a fun little digital drawing of you or something.
I created a Patreon page. It's still pretty empty while I figure out exactly what I want to offer on there, but the page exists! Huzza!
I have lots of unreleased material, demos, and drafts that I'd love to sort through and organize into a wonderful Patreon package- so keep an eye out for that someday... 👀
I made a very empty bandcamp page. Once the release is ready, I'll be uploading all my tracks there for distribution, too! Speaking of distribution... I've been doing a lot of research on all the different distribution platforms out there, and I think I'm going with CD Baby! (Huge thanks to Aris Take for this very helpful breakdown comparing the ins and outs of all the different online distributors.) This means that as soon as the mastering is done and everything is ready for release, you can expect to find the music on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, TikTok, Instagram, Shazam- basically anywhere you could ever care to look!