THE VORTEX

We all get 24 hours a day. But where does it go? The later part of last year I went from finishing Katoikeo, my instrumental album that I had to re-track in it's entirety. literally straight into trying to complete a new album in less than a month to release before the Celebration Christmas Have A Heart Concert. You may have noticed no new album came out in December... Too much too soon? So it would seem.

Now we are on Little Bit Day. Some call it Groundhog Day but it's my blog and I haven't said Happy Birthday to my sister yet so I figure publicly outing her childhood nickname is the next best thing. (No, I am NOT right in the head. And if you don't know now you know.) As I was saying, now we are on Little Bit Day and I haven't been able to really get on track since I decided it was ok not to run the gauntlet and get new music out before Christmas. So I mix, and learn new tricks in Pro Tools and slowly but surely it's getting done. But the feeling of time slipping away is quite maddening. Even on prayer day when I meet some guys from my church at 6AM I still find myself at the computer in my PJ's  way to long.

Now I work from home except when I don't. I am a musician which means when I am working for myself I am working really hard and hoping that I will get paid someday. And when I am working for others I am usually working at night. So days are a somewhat nebulous adventure. I get up and start Isagenixing, blind Wii box and check my email, Reverbnation and Facebook. Here's where it gets dicey. The computer is where I work so (looking for work, theoretically maintain a web presence) if I am at the computer it IS work. But it also becomes THE VORTEX. I get sucked in and then it's 11 or noon. I read my bible, feeling rushed. I shower and head to work. 25 feet away from my backdoor.  Then I check my email again and have to check on my Lakers 'cause my blood is Purple and Gold. Then it's time for dinner. What? Naw, just kidding it just feels like the days get away like that. (And that's the days when the unexpected DOESN'T HAPPEN!)

Now I have a motto " If I'm awake I'm at work." And it's true I start thinking about the various things that must, should and want to be done. But sometimes it feels like the wheels are lifted off the road and are just spinning. But some days it all comes together and something tangible gets done. Two or three mixes. A chart, an arrangement, insight on production...

And in all this what am I doing at 1:30 in the afternoon? I'm sitting here talking to you! Vortexing! But I'm listening to the new Fred Hammond thinking clean rhythm guitar panned to the right dirty lead on the left, are those claps real or a sample or both, man I wish I sounded like Fred and thinking about the things that have to get done and ... CANCER, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE YOU KNOW OF WITH CANCER! and oh shoot I have to figure out what to do with that big dead chair that can't stay behind the garage! What will it cost to dump it? and it's 1:28 so I gotta rap this up if I am going to post by 1:30 like it says earlier... Ok, I'm out so I don't make a liar of myself. All that to say, The Vortex often good things will come out of the swirling madness IF you don't give up! And if they don't check in with me and I will do my best to find something positive for you in your VORTEX! 1:30 gotta g