Tuesday, December 14th, 2010
I had got home a little mad. Well… I wish I could have been mad but I made it home so I was happy about that. It was 12:00am when I got in, cold, hungry, tired and dehydrated. I ate, I smiled, I laughed, snuggled the bed and fell asleep…
I left at 6:30 for the “Voices Merging” open mic. Got there at 7:20ish and clumsily wandered around until I found the place to be.
When it was over, I was a bit disappointed; they juked me for my slot in the line-up…I guesstimate it had something to do with me being “new” on the list because they do this frequently…
Still, I felt lied to.
Well, at least I met DJ Mixwell. I’ll be honest, I didn’t understand his stature in the HipHop scene until I got there but I know that I met someone noteworthy, he seems like a pretty clumsy guy, in a fun way.
I wanted to spit so bad… I had it all planned out… all rehearsed…
I sat through that whole event for 2 hours waiting for my name to be called. I even talked to the hosts directly. I even slipped Mixwell a note to give to the OTHER host…played me…so I didn’t have anytime to go to the AQ and perform there.
On my way out I took a deep sigh of relief to see a cipher just around the corner. But before I get into that let me tell you about the beautiful women I saw… Damnit… Now, consider the fact that I have poor vision without my contacts, and I didn’t have em’ in either. Man… I cant wait to perform… I saw this scene in Cadillac Records where Muddy Waters and Chess where performing at this bar right? Muddy Waters is singin this song and playin his guitar… cutscene to this hotel room; there’s a knock at the door: three women that were at his performance.
Now im not trying to do a whole synopsis on the movie but I just like what Chess has to say to that after excusing himself from the room “You played that guitar and now you got three women in your bed.” - or something like that; I hope I have that effect with my performance.
We’ll see. Not that im doing it for "the women" or anything. But it would have made it all worth it to have someone to come home to...
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Sunday, December 12, 2010
Calm Before the Storm
Sunday, December 12th 2010
Two open Mic’s tomorrow night: One at the AQ (Artist Quarter) at 8:00pm, and one at the U of M that starts at 9:00pm. Im ecstatic. I'll go to AQ first since its all the way in St. Paul. See if I can get out of there by 8:40. Hop on the 16 and see if I can find this "Voices Merging" thing.
I Hope to be able to catch that 14 Downtown minneapolis at 10:08 but that might be wishful thinking. Fuck...
OH! I guess I could make way to South Minneapolis and go to The Blue Nile because they have a Open Mic that starts at 10:00pm.
Catch a Taxi and get home around Midnight...
...
Still havent picked out which verses to spit but I’ll go flip through the rhyme book’s later on tonight and rehearse 2 or 3.
I was writing a song earlier and a spark of doubt emerged like a warning or foreshadowing. I noticed the verse didn’t have much magic to it because I was writing with “are they going to like this?” in mind. Im willing to bet that my own value and honor is going to be severely tested down the line. So I have to make a vow now to never compromise the integrity of my music for money… even though I have to pay the rent. Never Compromise.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Tunnel Vision
Saturday, December 11th, 2010
Im ready for the Open Mics. Gotta set up my…whats it called? “set”. I got the calendar filled up, courtesy of that Minnesotamicrophone.com website. I like their setup.
Im gonna mirror my campaign the way they’ve set up their blog; They take pictures of the places they’ve been and write a review of the venue and the performance. Im gonna do the same. Go perform and have someone snap a couple of pictures for me.
$350 .
“Beware of artists, because they are a mix of all class of people, therefore they are the most dangerous..” - Queen Victoria.
Don’t know why I put that there… will probably mean something later.
$350..
What are the facts?
1. Some Open Mics pay. Don’t know which ones so I’ll have to perform at all of them to find out; gather information. May find a job doing so…
2. I will get paid to perform at venue’s. could be $10 or it could be $100. Need to study performance economics. Need to record songs to be able to perform at venue’s.
3. I go to a school that is in the possession of an expensive recording studio, Graphic design software, camera’s (both film and still), and performing artists and musicians, photographers and friends. I can record up to 2 songs a week, 8 songs a month and maybe more… Get a photoshoot done and establish my own website. Create music videos to post on that website (along with my mixtapes) and design my own business cards which I can give to people so that they visit that website.
4. I need to make $350 by the end of the month and today is Saturday, December 11. I have 14 days left.
5. I can ask my dad for $40. I Can ask my brother for $40.
6. Family Dollar is hiring but I go to school. The possibility of me getting hired is unknown. The probability of me getting hired in 14 days is slim. Still worth it? Maybe…
7. I am in love with a girl that I will want to spend money on to make sure we have a good time. What timing…
8. It is cold as hell outside and I don’t like traveling in snow.
9. I can push the move-in to February to give myself more time. With more time I can finish 2 mixtapes (that’s at least 16 songs). With more time I can have a pretty well-established website/blog; pictures, adventures etc. With more time I can schedule a photoshoot, music video, date’s etc. With more time I can get a job, girlfriend, wardrobe and small buzz around the city. With More time I can Graduate from school which would grant me MORE TIME. With that much time I will have time for a part-time job, a girlfriend, music and friends.
10. I need more time.
Im ready for the Open Mics. Gotta set up my…whats it called? “set”. I got the calendar filled up, courtesy of that Minnesotamicrophone.com website. I like their setup.
Im gonna mirror my campaign the way they’ve set up their blog; They take pictures of the places they’ve been and write a review of the venue and the performance. Im gonna do the same. Go perform and have someone snap a couple of pictures for me.
$350 .
“Beware of artists, because they are a mix of all class of people, therefore they are the most dangerous..” - Queen Victoria.
Don’t know why I put that there… will probably mean something later.
$350..
What are the facts?
1. Some Open Mics pay. Don’t know which ones so I’ll have to perform at all of them to find out; gather information. May find a job doing so…
2. I will get paid to perform at venue’s. could be $10 or it could be $100. Need to study performance economics. Need to record songs to be able to perform at venue’s.
3. I go to a school that is in the possession of an expensive recording studio, Graphic design software, camera’s (both film and still), and performing artists and musicians, photographers and friends. I can record up to 2 songs a week, 8 songs a month and maybe more… Get a photoshoot done and establish my own website. Create music videos to post on that website (along with my mixtapes) and design my own business cards which I can give to people so that they visit that website.
4. I need to make $350 by the end of the month and today is Saturday, December 11. I have 14 days left.
5. I can ask my dad for $40. I Can ask my brother for $40.
6. Family Dollar is hiring but I go to school. The possibility of me getting hired is unknown. The probability of me getting hired in 14 days is slim. Still worth it? Maybe…
7. I am in love with a girl that I will want to spend money on to make sure we have a good time. What timing…
8. It is cold as hell outside and I don’t like traveling in snow.
9. I can push the move-in to February to give myself more time. With more time I can finish 2 mixtapes (that’s at least 16 songs). With more time I can have a pretty well-established website/blog; pictures, adventures etc. With more time I can schedule a photoshoot, music video, date’s etc. With more time I can get a job, girlfriend, wardrobe and small buzz around the city. With More time I can Graduate from school which would grant me MORE TIME. With that much time I will have time for a part-time job, a girlfriend, music and friends.
10. I need more time.
Starting From Scratch
Thursday, December 9th, 2010
Probably gonna’ lose my job at the Walker Art Center. Hope not; even though I only got 60 bucks a month (15 bucks a week) I’d say the experience points where rich.
Need $350 by the end of month. Moving into own place. Roommate covers other $350 and we move into two bedroom apartment in Golden Valley. Roommate possibly incompetent…
$350. Could be possible if I start performing in Twin Cities every week. Its cold though, sometimes too cold. Cant travel in that…
Start with open mics; perform at all possible venue’s; build rep, connect.
Not sure I’ll get paid for open mics but maybe someone will want me performing for them…better get some product established…good thing I set up those 4 mixtapes. Must fix bass in “she’s so oh my god”.
Maybe have to build Bio; give people something to research… make Youtube page. Post up music. Photo-shoot possibly..
Its Thursday. Heard something about open mic at place called “5th element”. Every Thursday..
To Be honest I'm really bad with money; when I see something I want, I'm going to buy it.. That cant be a good habit…
$350...sheesh.. Every month? I'm humble enough to admit that we may be biting off more than we can chew. I have to get constant pay at least so I can have something to calculate and plan from.
With no real income, I'm trying to calculate that which I cannot see. Which is risqué and heroic, sure, but its reckless.. If I plan it out I’ll come out how I imagine. If I apply my raw skill and talent with scheduling and organization. I can walk around a lot of unnecessary trouble. Its like Like chess.
Sherlock Holmes once said ”one should never twist facts to suit theory, but theory to suit fact.”
So what are the facts?
Im in school. I live with my dad. I don’t have a job. I have a lot of time.
Later that day...
On way home.. Heard most open mics don’t pay.. Sometimes though. Wonder how many open mics I should do to get a performance? 20? 50?
Suppose I should make a campaign out of it.
So far i know about:
The canvas in Midway, St.paul: canvas651@gmail.com
The Blue Nile in South Minneapolis
The Beat in Uptown, Minneapolis: booking@thebeatcoffe.com
The Red Sea
Station 4 in Downtown St. Paul: info@station-4.com
The Garage in Burnsville: garage@ci.burnsville.mn.us
And i recently heard about this one:
www.minnesotamicrophone.com
So, get a list of all the venue’s I can perform at and then perform at all of them in order throughout each week. Email them, exchange contact info. Then maybe I can end up getting a job at one of these places..
Probably gonna’ lose my job at the Walker Art Center. Hope not; even though I only got 60 bucks a month (15 bucks a week) I’d say the experience points where rich.
Need $350 by the end of month. Moving into own place. Roommate covers other $350 and we move into two bedroom apartment in Golden Valley. Roommate possibly incompetent…
$350. Could be possible if I start performing in Twin Cities every week. Its cold though, sometimes too cold. Cant travel in that…
Start with open mics; perform at all possible venue’s; build rep, connect.
Not sure I’ll get paid for open mics but maybe someone will want me performing for them…better get some product established…good thing I set up those 4 mixtapes. Must fix bass in “she’s so oh my god”.
Maybe have to build Bio; give people something to research… make Youtube page. Post up music. Photo-shoot possibly..
Its Thursday. Heard something about open mic at place called “5th element”. Every Thursday..
To Be honest I'm really bad with money; when I see something I want, I'm going to buy it.. That cant be a good habit…
$350...sheesh.. Every month? I'm humble enough to admit that we may be biting off more than we can chew. I have to get constant pay at least so I can have something to calculate and plan from.
With no real income, I'm trying to calculate that which I cannot see. Which is risqué and heroic, sure, but its reckless.. If I plan it out I’ll come out how I imagine. If I apply my raw skill and talent with scheduling and organization. I can walk around a lot of unnecessary trouble. Its like Like chess.
Sherlock Holmes once said ”one should never twist facts to suit theory, but theory to suit fact.”
So what are the facts?
Im in school. I live with my dad. I don’t have a job. I have a lot of time.
Later that day...
On way home.. Heard most open mics don’t pay.. Sometimes though. Wonder how many open mics I should do to get a performance? 20? 50?
Suppose I should make a campaign out of it.
So far i know about:
The canvas in Midway, St.paul: canvas651@gmail.com
The Blue Nile in South Minneapolis
The Beat in Uptown, Minneapolis: booking@thebeatcoffe.com
The Red Sea
Station 4 in Downtown St. Paul: info@station-4.com
The Garage in Burnsville: garage@ci.burnsville.mn.us
And i recently heard about this one:
www.minnesotamicrophone.com
So, get a list of all the venue’s I can perform at and then perform at all of them in order throughout each week. Email them, exchange contact info. Then maybe I can end up getting a job at one of these places..
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