First Full Day Of The Spring Semester

Ok, so I've reached a point where I really need to sort my life out. I feel like I've wasted this month and could have done so much more with it but instead I've been lazy and slept in most days. It's only just occurred to me that the end of the month is now and I'm starting to feel like I'm running out of time, with my Uni stuff. I mean, I still have 3 solid months left and the most of May for one or two modules but it's starting to feel like I'm cutting it rather fine to get the grading I'm after. I've got a taste for earning a first and I want more. I got my grades back officially last night and turns out I got 75% for my Recording Project and 64% for my Research project so, I just need to keep that up. On top of that, I really need to get on with recording at home. I'be been borrowing an AKG C414 to use at home but I just haven't been motivated enough to actually do anything with it this time. Last week was fairly unproductive two but I got a decent amount down the week before.

I was really early this morning because I thought it was a 9am start, turns out it was 11am and I had completely forgot and probably not even read the email that Phil had sent out because the info didn't even register. This is why I need to be more focused, although the early get up was a good workout in itself. I used my error as an excuse to get a Maccies breakfast and then take a few photos of the layering of frost around. A lot of Derby was still white when I got there and there was a thick fog as I drove into the city.

I'm feeling a little more positive after a couple of lectures at Uni today and being put into a band for my Live Performance module. Looks like I will be playing a mix of guitar and bass for this project so I'm pretty happy with that and I'm happy with who I'm working with two. We're all pretty easy going about song choices and seem to get on really well. I felt quite welcome going back today actually, I rather shortly caught up with a few students that I worked or crossed paths with last year and now I'm working with some of them again. I feel somewhat inspired from John's lecture today, even if it did drag on a little, but I've gain new options and ideas for my coursework from it. On reflection, I probably shouldn't be writing for this personal blog and rather should be writing the on that goes hand-in-hand with my some of my coursework.

I'm going to make a move now, since I've done most other things I wanted to do. Time to get some more recording done for this album project! Even if it is just a couple of guitar tracks!!

January

January hasn't quite gone to plan so far but I've been reasonably productive in-between avoiding every responsibility I have. The original plan was to record everything this month for my EP project. Whilst that may have been too much to ask, I have also become quite lazy. I can't pin point when it started but it was at the start of the month. I think There have been a total of two, maybe three days where I have been up and about before 12 noon. I've been oversleeping and feeling rather tired from it even though I'm not doing anything. Despite this, I've been itching to go to the gym but still haven't. One good thing is that I have managed to lose a small amount of weight that I gained over Christmas but there is still plenty more that needs to go before I feel fully comfortable with myself again.

I got my grades back on Monday. The weeks before that I had almost convinced myself that I was going to get a referral for one of my modules but turns out I've passed it so thats a bonus. In fact, I passed everything from last semester so that is something to be proud about, that I have survived thus far. 55% and 75%. I'm reasonably happy with that too. I'm especially happy with 75% for my recording module since to say it was meant to be group work, there were a few times when it felt like it was just me doing all the work. It was a hinder at the time as it meant it took longer to set up sometimes but it meant that I got to engage with it all more and I feel like I've actually taken a lot from it. We went out for a meal for dads Birthday last week, the same day I got my grades so I delivered the news there and then. We just went to the festival and then gave Dad his presents the next day, on his actual birthday.

It's been a strange evening tonight, I had my first go at faking what I do. I had a band in the studio to record a music video of which they had already recorded the music so was just in-essence playing along. It was a bit weird, but comfortable. I didn't have to do much and that was probably the weirdest part, in fact I probably made more work for myself than I had to.

I've been playing guitar late tonight and learning the solo from the song "Jane" by The Waking Hours. It's probably the most therapeutic thing I've done in a while. I got another guitar about two weeks ago, another Washburn but I think even after giving it the TLC it very much needed, I still favour my MG-47. More for reliability than anything, I really prefer the neck on my new KC-40V.

I must add that I'm really looking forward to the Live Performance module this year, but that could change once I'm sorted into groups. I'm open for anything, guitar or bass and not too fussed on genre and I'm just excited to rehearse and perform again. There will still other things I'll have to focus on, like the recording of my album that I've been neglecting and a small music business research project but actually when I think about it, it seems pretty short. This either means I'm know what I need to know and maybe am finding it somewhat easy or it's just an oversight. No doubt, I will find out soon enough when I start to panic about deadlines being close.

A Year of 2018: Summary

Again it's been a while since my last blog post, almost two months this time. It's only what I expected as things have become more busy. My, what a year! I'm not sure where to start with this one. You would think it would make sense to start from the beginning, so January but most of the highlights seem to start in the summer. Spain Tour, my first time abroad and then flying back out on my own and back another two times. Mental. There was other things before, it's just taking more time to remember them after a more than usual intake of alcoholic drinks throughout this year.

I went into this year worrying about my Realise performance for my HND which, admittedly I never really got in to but still at least sorted it out and did it in the end. It was the biggest stress of the entire course and totally would have benefited from a better theme other than myself. Although, the theme did bring subtle positivity about perseverance in pursuing achievements. That's something I forgot about until now. It was great to watch the other students on my course do their thing for change too, as well as the other students on other courses watch me perform for change. I'm really struggling to think of many other major things prior to this, so much that I've had to look back through my own blog to recap. This year has obviously had an effect on my memory. I remember reaching the painful point again where it was time to leave college (again) and not really wanting to, but then it wasn't really over when it ended for me anyway. Scoffin gave me a distortion pedal as a thank you for all the work I've done. Still massively honoured from that and I still keep in touch now by going to his gigs occasionally.

Oh, yes... The other things were having to sort out which Uni I was gonna finish my studies, adding stress to my HND. School gigs also happened again, except I played drums this time and experienced the horrors of the seat falling throughout the set. Great fun, but that part wasn't. Exceptionally great when one of the kids tried to throw one of the vocal monitors. Great memory. Terrifying, but great. Then there was the industry week performances to end. I got into a relationship we had a couple of dates, even a double date at Nandos. He met some of my closest friends but that all ended faster that I thought it could... All in-between doing the rest of my coursework, whatever that was! And there was that time when My mac Mini's hard drive failed. Not long before some major deadline too, that was fun!

Spain Tour 2018, landing in Alicante. Taken by Matt Horobin.

When I was invited to go on the Spain Tour, I had my initial doubts but still for some reason rather spontaneously agreed, at the time without passport in hand! There was a lot to sort out, find out in what seemed like a short space of time. Passport application, EHC card, suitcase, something else. I don't regret the decision at all as it lead to having the best week of my life. A week away from parents, support-teching for live music gigs in a couple of bars on the south coast of Spain with friends that are life-long. Staying in villas with pool to share between us. I impressed myself that week. I spoke with everyone, even those that I didn't know as well. I'm usually rubbish with that kind of stuff. I experienced my first hangover and still went into college. There are many amazing photos and great memories from this experience. Only about 200. The gap between the end of tour and experiencing a Derby University was just as phenomenal. All tour friends kept in contact with the group chat and we met up for nights out, meals, gigs and bowling. I even went to their graduation. Then there was the whole going to and from Spain again and again. I remember the strangest feeling boarding the early flight to Murcia thinking, "I know where I'm going but I don't know where I'm going." Some slight anxiety about potentially getting lost and coughing all the way. I made it in the end. Mini golf. When I was home again, I wasn't. Homeland UK was warm too. I hadn't been back an hour and I was already off back out for a drink with some guys from tour. Then I was back off to Spain again for two weeks less than a month later, after Mablethrope at my parents caravan for a day. It was a good deal bringing Chantelle along as she took me to the airport the next day. Beautiful sunset on the way home. 5am starts. Go karting in the sun... go kart crash! More drinks. There's one lady that's certainly made this year so great and that's Kirsty Proctor, I find myself forever thankful for all the effort she put into making the tour happen and for her and her family for allowing me to stay at their villa the other couple of times. Drinks and food It's been lovely to get to know them too.

Recording Left Hand Lane at Derby studios 2018.

I really wanted to go to DMU and still kind of wish I did but, I'm quite grateful that Derby offered me a place although, everything from September through to now feels like a blur. I do remember it much clearly than the first half of the year though so that's something. Planning to record my two EPs for my Creative Studies module. I've had many bands in the studio at Derby, some of them familiar faces and some new surprises. To list them: The Jellyfish Are Calling, Left Hand Lane, Red Six and The Half Eight.  Having these guys in the studio, in some cases having to engineer them myself has made me accept that I can call myself a producer these days, even if maybe there is still room for improvement on the mixing an mastering part. Nights out with some of the tour crew resulting in late Wednesday evenings and trying to make 9am lectures Thursday morning sober. Hell, I even experienced my first of being ill from drinking. I should never be allowed proseco again. Mum had to deal with me that day and I just laugh about it now, especially since dad says he can keep it down but was throwing up too a couple of days later. Brilliant. He didn't know I knew either. Ha. Also, HND Graduation and seeing Joe Bonamasa live at the Motorpoint Arena.

Nottingham College HND Music Production
Graduation, 2018.

I think I've about covered it. I could probably still type more but I'm not very good at this anymore. Last year (2017 to avoid any confusion) I posted 60 times, 2018 a measly 17. That's an all time low since 2013!

So, resolutions then... probably about the same as last year to be honest. Christmas has made me fatter so a healthier diet is in order (once I've finished my chocolate) and no doubt I'll be back at the gym soon. Maybe tomorrow actually, depends what I get into. I got really good at controlling what I was eating before the summer and I need to get back to that mentality again so I can get back to my comfortable weight. The ultimate goal in around 9st 2lbs. That's where I was at in the summer and it worked for me although a little less would still be healthy for me.

It's more goals I need to think about then anything. I probably seem quite weight conscious but I does help my confidence too when I feel more comfortable.

• Lose the Christmas weight. Definitely. As immediately as possible
• Be more active.
• Complete BA Popular Music with Music Technology
• Limit Facebook usage.

Completing my BA sounds a bit silly to be put on the list but, it is still a work in progress and there is still a lot of work to be done. I drew in my calendar last week all the recording time I'll need to make use of this month to be on track. As for Facebook, I do love it and how it makes it so easy to keep in contact with everyone but I need to start limiting myself. I probably do have two addictions right now and thats sugar and Facebook, both are rather like diving me a dummy for an hour or two. I've found myself sat up until 2am scrolling, not able to sleep properly and then not able to get up in the morning so I need to sort that. Might start by deleting the application from my phone soon, I'll keep messenger though. I hardly talk to anyone anyway!

I'm certainly glad my first semester at Derby is over. It's been hard, but I love it. 

Hears to the next one!

Happy New Year!

2018 in many pictures...