I still have some energy after writing more than 800 words in my last post. Let me continue on writing about my musical practice, organizing it differently. i’m fining this to be very productive contemplation.

  • Jazz Standards: I need to continue working on jazz standards I can play at solo, duo, and small group gigs. Work out some accompaniments for singers. Pay attention, for instance, to Joe Pass’s great accompaniment for Ella Fitzgerald. See also if I can find recordings of Ted Greene playing in a duo situation. Try to work up this repertoire to where I can play restaurant and party gigs.

  • Original compositions: Composition, composition, composition. I need to be able to play melodies, harmonies, and basic grooves on the piano, and I need to be able to sequence midi scores. I need to have a variety of tunes I can pull together for gigs with various sized groups. I need to be able to present myself through gigs, ultimately organizing a studio recording of a variety of tunes.

  • Grooves: This has to do with composition, playing, and practice. I should be able to play some simple but tight grooves on piano and drums, and some more intricate grooves on the guitar. Ultimately this will help me for composition, practicing improv, comping, and so on. I need to be able to record them so I can practice along. I also want to be able to sing and play grooves for rhythm section players so I can improve my ability to rehearse a group.

  • Recording & Production: This will help with composition, practice, and self-promotion. I need to have a bunch of recordings I can put on the internet so people can listen to my tunes. Mostly, though, I want to be able to record some grooves so I can practice along with them. Pay particular attention to midi sequencing.

  • Music Business: I need to get much better at the business end of playing and composing music. I have never been good at this. I need to be able to book gigs, rehearse musicians, and do all the business paperwork. I need to learn how to promote myself in general - promoting myself to other musicians as well as promoting myself to the public. I also need to use an accountant when I have income and expenses, but using an accounting software would help greatly. I do also have a book on how to organize a music business office. I wonder if there is an updated edition of the book.

  • Musicology: I need to keep working on this as an academic. Really, I think of this as being musical historiography, but it would benefit me greatly to familiarize myself with more of the musicological and ethnomusicological literature. This is a significant part of what I consider to be my repertoire as a cultural historian. Especially given that music, broadly, is my primary subject, I need to have a thorough familiarity with the literature. Read, read, read.