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another child on the way so that will be mostly the focus for 2023
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finish as many new courses as possible in Q1. Will mean a bit less music making and a whole
Lot of video recording and editing. But really looking forward to finishing more in depth courses
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assemble a modular for live use. Finally came up with a specific plan and purpose for a modular in my life so it’s time. I’m traveling to Berlin for a week and will spend my time at Schneidersladen to test and assemble a full system.
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after Q1 and the little one is born the plan is to create a bunch of sample and preset packs. As it’s fairly easy to combine with the newborn etc. Can spend short amounts of time to create a few sounds. Also want to try record and finish some more music during that time.
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releasing new music on labels
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near the end of the year begin with the creation of an album. One of the major goals
Complete 2 5-minutes finger drumming sets based only on punk and metal samples and gig a few times.
I try to be open to everything new, not to take everything too seriously and to be more relaxed.
To buy second hand bargains instead of new gear.
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One more year of study—honours degree. Flipping between being excited to start diving deeper into research and wondering why I’ve willingly signed up for another year of emotional turmoil. The last three years of study have been incredible in retrospect though, so I’m sure I’ll be pretty happy I did it at the end of it.
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Get a proper art installation of my own out there in some form. I’ve worked on other people’s projects, and had minor things shown as part of uni, but I’d love to have something of my own in a gallery or other public space.
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Set myself up for the possibility of teaching (adults, no way I could handle teaching kids) in 2024. Also something I keep flipping between being terrified and excited about.
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Write some pop bangers with a good vocalist.
- Release the EP I finished this year and get started on the next one
- Set myself up for live streaming and do some performing from my studio
- Nail down a workflow for live sampling my guitars, bass, and piano with my Octatrack
- Get to work on another guitar instrumental album
- Get my guitar building business back on track after a tough year health-wise
- Not worry so much about trying to get people to listen to what I make, and just focus on composition, recording, and getting stuff out
Here’s to 2023 everyone – maybe by jotting these goals down here I’ll be more likely to reach them! And I’ll second @Floppydisk_Pirates – taking things less seriously and chilling are high on the agenda.
Better hi-hats, better snares, better kicks (ffs!), better mixdowns, better deep bass wall shaking, better vibrations, better harmonics, better claps, better patterns, better tracks, better variations. That’s about it for now. Any questions?
Oh, and I will have to buy some stuff. Monitors, new desk, etc…
pretty sure I am gonna listen to a lot of KLF and re-read a lot of RAW, because 23
Try to keep my job long enough to get the annual bonus so I can throw it all way on more gear.
Continue learning how to use the MPC One, and do at least one complete song project on it
Best wishes to you, my friend - hoping it all comes through as you plan!
- Same big goals from 2022, but to get it right this time.
- I wanted to buy a home and get a new job this year, and accomplished both! However, I kind of regret buying this place and the job didn’t turn out like I’d hoped… and then I got laid off a few weeks before Christmas.
Creative endeavors:
- Release my fifth (bedroom-)studio album, which will also be my first double album.
- Get back into my synesthesia art project and maybe even find an audience that’s into this stuff.
- Become an absolute Digitone master before I even think about buying any more gear.
- Finish the novel I’ve been writing on and off for, uh, 14 years.
I hope this goes as well for you as it’s gone for me. At the beginning of the pandemic, I made a conscious decision to try to spend more time with my brother, and we’re better friends now than we’ve ever been. You can’t choose who you’re born with, and for some, being close with family just isn’t in the cards. But if that’s not the case – there’s a bond there that’s very much worth building up.
Thanks for the words. Good luck with the new house and job hunting, and finishing the book!
Man…that sounds like hard times 
stay strong and keep going!
This year
Pay off my mortgage
Dust off my bike and use it.
Get my diabetes under control
New tattoos
Use gear and post more on Bandcamp
My hopefully realistic plans
Finish my post grad in audio and video production
Get a full time position in work
Complete an Octatrack live set I can perform out
Release some music
Join the leisure centre with my family and go swimming together weekly
Convince my friend to play badminton
Don’t be a dick
I think I already added something to this thread, but I want to say this instead.
My plan is to be kinder to myself. Not to pressure myself at all.
Let the music come whenever.
I’m fine as is, and everything IS,the way it is.
more sport (go skateboarding again, finally start bouldering)
continue reducing sugar and alcohol
holiday trips with my girlfriend
less anxiety
being more grateful and relaxed
getting better at programing
getting better at playing guitar, bass and piano
getting an overview over my unreleased music and trying to get all these tracks packed into consistent albums
make many new tracks
I feel like in the last bit of 2022 I had a few breakthroughs in working with Ableton (partially because we moved house and I can’t be bothered to unpack my hardware lol), and all the various bits of music stuff I’ve learned and played with over the last 20+ years finally started to come together to make music that sounds like the stuff I listen to. I want to try and continue with this momentum and get better at arranging/finishing tracks and self-release an EP this year.
It seems a bit of a shame to leave the hardware boxed up but I’m feeling so productive with Live right now that I’m just going to roll with it and see where it ends up, then maybe reintroduce some hardware once I’m better at finishing tracks. Love my Elektron gear, it taught me a lot about having fun making music, but for the sort of techno I’m into I think a DAW and plugins is a much easier way to get “professional” results.
On a personal level I’d like to get fitter and have signed up for a half marathon in May which is a good incentive for that. Also I’m at the age where hangovers really aren’t worth it most of the time so I’m going to try to drink more low/no alcohol beer if I go out, there are some pretty good ones out there and it’s nice not to wake up with a fuzzy head.
Oh, and I’d like to learn piano a bit, both for music making and for fun. I purchased the Open Studio Jazz Piano bundle in a sale the other day so I’ll see if I get any momentum with that but I think really I should find a tutor. Has anyone had experience with online vs in person tuition and has an opinion? Maybe I’ll start a thread on this.
Happy new year everyone.
I’m going to try to stop buying software (and hardware for that matter) that I won’t use and then just lose money on. I get no pleasure from it and often it causes stress. What’s the point?!
I’m going to try to make more effort with my health. I eat a healthy vegetarian diet and I don’t drink much or smoke at all, but I don’t do enough exercise and it’s catching up with me in my 40s as I have a persistent bad back now. I have nobody else to blame!
I’m going to try to make more effort to see my friends. It doesn’t get any easier to make new ones and covid hasn’t helped. Some are now further away and busy with kids etc but that’s no excuse.
Last but not least - I’m going to try to make some music and stop worrying too much to sound like something or someone else that already exists. If I make something, even if it’s weird or unusual or wasn’t what I had in my head to start with, it’s still mine. I’m going to try to enjoy the journey more but still have something to show for it at the end, at least occasionally!
Get back into playing drum set. I’ve really let it go and it used to be who I was… that feeling of identity has been lost and I need to put in the work and practice more.
Get better at playing piano.
Less alcohol, more psychedelics
Become a better backhoe operator
Worship and adore my beautiful wife
More quality time with my 20 year old son
Love myself more
Return my avatar to some sort of smashed bird roadkill…. I’m definitely more roadkill than Jack-o-lantern