First up, ahm werkin on my web presence. Ah am in complete fawkin awe of people who really use thar online presence to engage with people all ovah tha world. How small tha internet is doesn't cease to amaze me. In particular, ahm really blown away with how Amanda Fucking Palmer (of Dresden Dolls fame) seamlessly blends her life with her fans. Tha woman organizes ninja gigs via twitter (where she shows up for 30 minutes at a park w. a keyboard, announcing said gig only a couple hours prior via her twitter account), sent us pics from tha woman's room at tha grammys, and makes a personal connection to her adoring fans. Of kerse, it doesn't hurt that she already was a fucking rock start before all this stuff came to play, but it's really inspiring. Through her I've started following a couple other (significantly less known, but still famous/popular in thar own right) musicians and keep seeing one life lead into tha next. This is tha kinda game ah wanna play!
Unfortunately, as it stands ah only use social networking to furtha my own inanity fer tha most part these days. So ahve realized that ah need a comprehensive website that has room fer growth, and makes it easy fer me ta manage my otha online profiles/etc. Thars a ton of musician-related sites out thar that ahm just nawt utilizin - but ah hope fer that ta change. Howevah, ah can't just jump in n git started - in ordah ta maintain control of my presence, ah must create it intentionally. This is a bit bewildering - now.
One of tha reasons ahm gittin more n more excited about daein stuff of this nature is ah believe ahve found a cohort fer Severe Bass. Steve is a very tasteful guitar player I've been jammin w. this month, n he really seems ta git it. We werk well togetha, he puts some very cool (n different then what ahve been hearing, which is great) parts and notes in/on my tunes, n ah think he's havin fun with it too. We're still down a drummer (thanks flakers!), but ahm much more enthusiastic about movin forward w. this stuff now that ahm pretty sure one of tha right people is on board.
Ta prepare fer some of this, ahve been thinkin about long-term n short-term accomplishments that must happen ta make sure ah git all this eventually accomplished, n ta dae that, ahve started usin a self-imposed work plan that is at least a few months ahead of me so ah ken feel like ahm werkin towards it. January's goals were as follows:
- Organize Electronic Communications (ASAP)
- implement hosting on websites I own (learn from wtb)
- look into ways to link existing communications
- eventually create facebook fan group
- discontinue any wastes of time
- Prepare desktop for quicker assimilation to laptop (by MLK Jr Day)
- Become familiar with laptop functions and become proficient with the necessary applications (Word processing, html, basic image manipulation, spreadsheet, etc.).
- Pick a sustainable OS (Feb 1)
- Investigate open office, ubuntu potential
- Actually learn some image manipulation
Unfortunately, ah can't say ahve actually done all this stuff. While ahve started on tha organizin electronic communications, n have gawten much closah ta hostin my own domain names, ah haven't gawten down ta any of tha nuts n bolts yet. Ah have slimmed down my desktop, n made sure that pretty much anythang ahma wanta use on both tha desktop n tha laptop have been put on my external drive - but last nite when werkin on my laptop, ah apparently screwed up royally in settin up ubuntu, n ahm currently waitin on my comp ta dae a fresh install - boo.
Howevah, tha point of this is nawt so much ta be on my own internal-schedule (altho that would be nice), but more that ah am thinkin about this kind of stuff in what ah believe is tha rite way. That by takin time ta lay down solid foundations now, ah will nawt end up limitin myself in tha future. Also, ahm daein this as DIY (er at least as on-tha-cheap) as possible, n that is in line w. my work ethic, hah.
Ahm also keepin this thang in mind - this is what ah came up w. a few weeks ago tha nite aftah Deviants Online, in that ah have a "mission statement". Ah am pretty happy w. what both the goals outlined, as well as tha broad range of ways ta interpret said mission statement, n hope that it ken help steer me in tha right direction. Fer those curious:
"My long term plans should be centered around saving the world with as many tools as ah ken utilize, & ensuring that incorporates my personal understanding of how universally positive & accessible musick is as a positive force for change."
Easy enuff right? So let's git started....