What's Next?
Closing Arguments
Well, It’s been over a month since the EP came out and I think I’m ready to start organizing my thoughts. The first being: ‘Holy Crap! I can’t believe we actually finished it!’ We started this project three years ago at the beginning of the pandemic and it almost felt as if it would never get done. In the future I need to set some more deadlines and stick to them. It might also help if there was someone (say, a producer?) who could kick my ass and make sure I stay on track, because things can meander very quickly when self-producing.
Secondly, I’ve been kicking around the idea of success and the different ways we define it. Was this EP successful? I don’t know. I guess it isn’t wise to simply focus on the results. It’s easy for us to preoccupy ourselves with numbers and reviews, only to be disappointed when those things don’t meet our expectations. But it’s hard not to. When creating any kind of art, the validation should come from the creator and not what others think of it. But we’ve become so engrained to the idea that our work’s value is only as good as what others say it’s worth. And I’m no better. Would having “thousands of listeners on Spotify” and “a review in No Depression saying my work is awesome” make me feel good. Of course it would. But that doesn’t mean the work we made isn’t a success.
I tried to do something different with this EP. I took a chance. I used the tools I had available to me at the time and I followed an idea. Maybe I would’ve felt more successful if these were songs we’d written, but that wasn’t part of the plan. I’m honored that the writers/friends of the songs we covered gave us their blessings. And I’m really proud of the work the musicians put into this record. It is certainly something I will cherish for a long time.
The idea of singing “My Way” at a karaoke bar in Manila is a fool’s errand. But aren’t we as creators simply that? The artists and musicians who try to bring their vision to the world are no less ‘greater fools’ than my hero Don Quixote. And I applaud them.
What’s Next?
I’m happy to report I’ve gotten back on the songwriting saddle. I probably need to take some music time off since my emotional bandwidth snapped from promoting this last project. I need to refocus my perspective in relation to music. I find myself distracted, worrying about things when I want to be enjoying time with my family. I also want to let these new songs breath a little and see where they go.
Until next time,
Robert
“Yes, there were times I sure you knew, when I bit off more than I could chew. But through it all when there was doubt I ate it up and spit it out. I faced it all and I stood tall and did it my way.”