Online Diary (July 2011)

Aug 1, 2011 Latest News
Posted by ryan

26/07/11

The latest radio interview (Breeze FM) was aired yesterday and they have decided to put it up on their website as well as tweeting to all their followers which is a great help for promoting the single. Artwork from Dan Butterworth came through yesterday too:

Dan is a good friend of mine, we have known each other for a fair few years. You can find more if his awesome work at http://dans-dudels.blogspot.com/ He recently did some commisioned work for Tinie Tempah (Wonderman) and is available should you require his skills. Here is his Facebook group too >>> http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=31033025842

Jo O’Donoghue now has the brief to start putting the artwork together ready for the printers (Kall Kwik) so that should be ready for a week or so. I called Rhys earlier about the music video but he was busy so will chat later on to find out a time when we can meet up. There are some screen shots on my Facebook group you can checkout though.

Skydive is all sorted I believe; sponsorship still has a little way to go but the logistics are sorted and it’s now only one week away. There are now 11 volunteers in total which should be around £9,000 in total that will be raised for The Charlie Derrick Music Bursary which is the charity I work for that gives money to young aspiring musicians. Footprint is the name of the charity that raises the money for the CDMB.

I am confirmed to play The Balloon Fiesta at Ashton Court (Bristol) on 12th August 6pm… this is a potential audience of 100,000!!! If you are gonna be there be sure to come find the music stage and get a load of the tracks which will appear on the upcoming album.

24/07/11

It’s now 7:45 and have been in Sweat F.A all day filming the music video. So far I have done nothing but wait as Rhys (Director) Tom (Dance Teacher) Mark (Head Teacher) and the dancers get on with the storyboard. I will no doubt do a few takes of miming to the track right at the end of the day which will be indispersed throughout the video. It’s really interesting watching the process unfold and everyone is great. I will, of course, upload some pics when I get the time. Corry Raymond has been here all day too filming the ‘making of’ which will be available alongside the release. He has been interviewing the actors and got some behind the scenes footage.

Also more good news I’m pretty sure I have put the finishing touches to the following songs: LITTLE SUN (drop D), TURNING (has plenty of lush sounding diminished chords), FEAR (tapped harmonic verses with catchy chorus), SENSES (D/Bb/D/G/Bb/Eb tuning with capo on 5th fret) & MR SELF DOUBT (been working on since I was 18!! but finally wrote a suitable middle – This makes me happy and I am now working on some songs on my piano to mix things up a bit. Also should get THESE FEW DAYS (DADGAD tuning with some tasty licks and a John Butler Trio style instrumental break) finished which is pretty close too.

18/07/11

A new week awaits… some things to do and learn in the first 3 days and then gigs all weekend. Mostly need to keep contacting radio stations, newspapers and magazines about reviews/interviews etc…

A young musician from W-s-M has released his album today. Luke Potter used to be in my class when I taught at Weston College and has become quite the songwriter and performer. You can check out his material by clicking on his picture

Rhys posted a still from the work he did on the music video the other day. He filmed the car park scenes in preparation for next Sunday’s main event here is a picture of the ‘teacher’ and the ‘seductress pupil’

I am running out of ideas for ways to promote the single, although I have contacted BBC Bristol radio today in hopes of getting airplay or an interview. I don’t want to do anymore on Facebook for a week or so in case of overkill. I have heard from a few investors but still don’t know whether they are all aware of what’s going on. Ideally I need everyone, who feel compelled, to help get the word out and offer ideas for me to get on with. For now I think I have done enough without being gratuitous.

16/07/11

Just written another song called ‘Fear‘ so along with ‘Turning 30‘ that’s two in as many days!! how cool is that? I will be tweaking the lyrics and some of the melodies but once we rehearse as a band again I will put them forward to see what the guys think. Also sent off an email to a guy called Jamie who works on BBC radio 5 so hopefully he will be interested in helping with promotion or pointing me in the direction of someone who will… fingers crossed.

I received an article from CD Baby with pointers on how to describe your music so others can decide whether it is their cup of tea before they hear it. I’ve never really been able to say anything other than..”well, you know, acoustic guitar songs that are not really genre specific” so hopefully this is an interesting way to say what it really is (without wanting to sound too arrogant of course) by going on what people have told me it sounds like to them.

“Ryan Inglis’ music is an acoustic guitar base, matured for over 10 years infused with gospel inspired rhythm & melodic bass-lines then garnished with haunting strings & grade A lead guitar hooks. Finally seasoned with chopped dance/trance samples. Connoisseurs will appreciate the thoughtful lyrics and the vocal tone (a particular delicacy) Low in fat, Ryan Inglis is also suitable for vegetarians and with a calorie count of zero you can listen to as much as you like guilt free”

A number of my friends have changed their profile pictures on facebook to help promote the release so if you too would like to help use THIS IMAGE in anyway you wish to get the word out. I have uploaded the chords for the benefit of you guitarists/singers out there… I remember the Feeder – Just A Day video that was composed of fans performing it and thought it would be great to see if I could do something similar. If you want to record yourself doing a cover I could put a few videos together and promote you in turn. Wonder if it works? You can find the lyrics HERE along with some of the new ones I am working on

Playing in Brixham tomorrow and then Dartmouth on Sunday.. Monday I will be sorting more about the skydive as well as booking dates with Tony to continue mixing the rest of the recordings so far. On Tuesday I have a meeting with my friend Maudie who will be assisting me on the complexities of PPL and PRS; this is something I would like to have firmly under my belt asap. Another radio interview in Bristol on Friday July 22nd with Breeze which you can hear from 6pm and also another one on Aug 12th in Exmouth (Bay FM) with Kate Colton. Thanks to Martin Loader from The Saddlers for sorting that one.

I am overwhelmed by all the support and must reitterate that myself, or any artist for that matter, could not achieve this much without the help you offer so freely and so kindly. I don’t like to use the word ‘fans’ as it sounds too distant so I shall refer to you all as friends if that is ok with you.

I was contacted yesterday about playing at Bath rugby ground on 10th Sept in front of potentially 12,000 people!! I have 2 gigs booked on that day already, 1 private and 1 at The Salthouse in the evening… I will however see if it is possible to fit everything in as it is a opportunity not to be missed! Hopefully it wont be a one time offer and I can do another down the line if it doesn’t work out.

For the music video I have sorted someone to follow me throughout the day for a ‘making of’ documentary to go alongside the release. I am so nervous about how I will come across but I keep telling myself to shut those feelings off as it’s stupid! Corry Raymond (son of Paul Raymond – head of music department at Weston College) will be with me all day and getting reactions/opinions from the cast throughout the day (24th) Cool beans

SO… going back to how I FEEL about certain things it’s pretty much the same. With the last 2 songs I have written I think I have got a few things off my chest now so the burden is slightly dissolved. I think having the outlet to vent in my music is a god send and I’m so glad I have had some fresh inspiration to get something together. All in all I just feel very lucky and know that all the hard work will be for something – even if at least for the wealth of experience I have gained from the process.

Here is an interview sent to me (and other musicians in the area) by Emily Grist. I thought I would be as decriptive as possible so there’s a lot of info in there about me and my music >> INTERVIEW by EMILY GRIST

14/07/11

Just about to head to Devon for the weekend of gigs but thought I would quickly share the Soundout Report for Secret with you… this is based on reviews from listeners all over the world and big record labels use this to see if their latest signing is a contender in the music industry.. Secret scored very well so I am massively happy about this Have a look for yourself

‘Secret’ – Soundout Report

13/07/11

Morning boys and girls. Been up to a few bits and pieces (it’s now 8:15am) and am suprised I’m up so early to be honest. Firstly I have made a little promotional profile pic for facebook put together with the mightly mspaint application free with windows… I tried photoshop but I got fed up of its complexity!! massive fail. haha

My ‘to do’ list is now 23 items shorter than yesterday and so I feel very pleased; you know those days where you stay in bed all day and achieve nothing? well that is a sure fire way to depress me for days… I have been focusing on everything and productivity = good times. I have contacted Julien Owen (Editor of VENUE magazine in Bristol) to enquire about a review of the single and chasing up on the press releases I sent out to see if there is any other interest to get a published article or maybe even an interview. My website is now (almost) completely up to date which was a long, boring yet essential job. I still need to update the GIG DIARY but it is accurate up to the end on July at least.

I will be contacting local businesses in Weston to see who would be willing to hold 10 copies of the single and a poster. I’m hoping I can secure around 20 places to test out the first batch of 200 copies. Again once artwork is finalised I will post on here. A personal video is on the cards to talk about a few points and to hopefully gather interest in the release… have written a list of things to mention but will keep going as to not miss anything out.

An iPhone app  may on the horizon even if a very simple one to start with. Gig alerts and download links for example. It can possibly be updated as and when…. Mixing of the remaining recordings should take place over the next couple of weeks as Tony is unusually available which is great. It would be ideal to have them mostly finished by the time we get back to the studio.

As far as uploading Secret to tinecore goes I have to wait for a couple of things to be in place. I have requested a description change for the acoustic version of Secret that is already available to make sure no confusion arises. Just a simple ‘Secret (Acoustic) should do it.

12/07/11

EDIT – contacted Alpha Duplication about printing the CD’s (only) all other printing will be done at Kall Kwik. I literally cannot wait to start putting the packing together and I hope it will be an original and thought provoking idea. I have a few artists on the case with drawing the ideas I have given them and still thinking of other little ideas to include in the single packaging. PPL got back to me and I have since emailed them the details they require. This is what they sent me:

Hi Ryan,
Thank you for your email.

To and register singles, albums and video’s you will need to email PPL Repertoire Services the details below, so that your username and password can be provided. You will then be able to register your products for PPL, & MCPS purposes. We would get these codes to you within 24 hours. There is no charge for this service.

Record Label or artist / band name / Full postal address / telephone number / contact name

PPL can only issue ISRC codes to companies with a UK based postal address

If you have any queries please either e-mail us at repertoire@ppluk.com or call the PPL Repertoire Database Helpdesk on 020 7534 1331. If you experience any problems, please do not hesitate to contact us.

Kindest Regards

Craig Evans

I am writing down all the points I would like to talk about in a personal video that I will be recording with Tony (Hobden) in the next few days. I think it would be good to make a personal message and say a few things I think are important as well as all the thankyous I owe out.

I haveemailed Julian Owen from VENUE magazine to see about getting a review of the single and received a call from Breeze radio in Bristol about an interview this coming Friday. It’s SOOOOO cool to be getting calls rather than making them

Just got back from LOUD MASTERING in Taunton and was greeted by John Dent who kindly brought the single to life. Now Secret is mastered it can be uploaded to my Tuncore account and sent to iTunes and Amazon etc… I still have the matter of artwork to sort out but I may rustle something up myself for the benefit of getting it on iTunes in time for Aug 18th (my birthday!!) I learned today about getting an ISRC code sorted for the track which means I am more likely to get royalties down the line if played on radio a lot. I just called PPL and left a message with them – will let you know how it goes. I registered with PPL and PRS sometime last year or the year before – it used to be £150 to join I think but I got in there when they were doing a deal (£10) so that was a bargain. Would be immense to get royalty cheques in the post one day.

Just spoke to Jo O’Donoghue who has agreed to help with the single package design. I will visit Stuart at Kall Kwik to see if he can help with the printing (he does the beer mats for me too) Artwork is still in the process of being drawn and so only thing left to sort for now is merchandise and contacting PPL (which you can do yourself HERE if you need to)

Here are some pictures taken at Loud Mastering – notice one of his clients in picture 2!

Music video is being finalised, catering is sorted by Anna Southwell of Loves Cafe, Making of… video is being sorted so there will be footage around the main video; perhaps even some outtakes if anything funny happens during filming. Rhys Hayward has sent me the finalised breakdown of the music video storyline. It is in 7 sections and goes like this:

Intro scene:

The teacher’s star-pupil runs along a corridor, running late for her practice. She pauses quickly to check her make-up (maybe apply more lipstick?). The teacher emerges from the studio and she spins around to see him. She follows him into the dance studio, a beaming smile on her face.

Section 1:

A large dance studio: a male teacher is in the middle of a private lesson with his star-pupil, talking her through the steps etc. – we catch the odd look that tells us she is besotted with him. 

note: The teacher is not actually dancing with his pupil, just encouraging her / giving her tips. She is doing her utmost to impress him, but he is unaware of the extent of her infatuation. For most of the time, he is encircling at a steady pace her as she performs her routine – we occasionally see him demonstrate a reach or part of a movement. At an opportune moment, she tries to kiss him, and a fellow pupil walks in to see this, before leaving the room looking stunned – from her vantage point it appears that the teacher was trying to seduce his pupil.

note: The teacher gives the pupil a friendly kiss on the forehead (as in “well done”) after helping her up from the ground, but this is misconstrued by the pupil, and she seizes the opportunity to fulfill a wish and she closes her eyes and kisses him on the lips. Before he can react, the other pupil has entered the room and jumped to conclusions. The star-pupil sees her first and is overcome with embarrassment.

The teacher runs out into the corridor after her, but the witness has already vanished. He walks back into the room with heavy feet, face downcast.

Section 2:

However, when he re-enters the dance studio, time has elapsed, and it’s the following day – his other students file in behind him and shortly begin limbering up for the start of their lesson. The witness pupil mutters something to a fellow pupil. The teacher tries to talk to her, but she backs away, won’t even look him in the eye. The star-pupil is the last to enter the room, and she arrives looking slightly flustered – the witness tries to talk to her, but she quickly moves away, keen to avoid a discussion. Several pupils give the teacher disapproving looks, as if the rumors have already begun to circulate – the star-pupil walks past him, but is too embarrassed to make eye contact.

The teacher begins giving them a pep talk, and we catch glimpses of the different pupils. One pupil (Ruby) is seen whispering to a fellow pupil – the teacher invites the whispering pupil up on the mini-stage and begins going through the steps of a routine with her in front of the class.

note: The teacher goes through some of the same moves that he did with star-pupil at this point, and we see a look of jealousy in her eyes – as if she’s been usurped by another of the teacher’s favorites.

Section 3:

Later… He walks to his car post-lesson to find a hate note left under the windscreen wiper. Quietly fuming, he scrunches it up, gets in the car, and drives off – watched by the witness pupil, who appears to be mulling over her next course of action.

Section 4:

Next day, and another dance class in full swing. The head walks in, interrupting the lesson, and beckons to the teacher. They leave the room together – pupils look at each other slightly bemused and talk among themselves. Some of them look over at the the witness, who suddenly looks uneasy about the attention.

Section 5:

Out in the corridor, it appears that the teacher is being given a dressing down, but emphatically protesting his innocence.

note: We won’t hear the dialogue from this argument, but words will be teacher saying, “I think there’s been a misunderstanding” etc.

Section 6:

He returns red-faced to the dance studio, and begins packing his bags, watched by the head (he gives him a filthy look on the way out) – he exchanges a look with the star-pupil, wanting to talk, before finally leaving the room. She also goes to say something, but is overcome with embarrassment.

note: the star-pupil realizes what’s happened and screams at witness, “What did you say? – It wasn’t his fault!” and a fight soon erupts, with several of her fellow pupils restraining her.

Section 7:

The disgraced teacher arrives at his car to find another note – he’s about to scrunch it, but reads the message scrawled inside: “I’m sorry”. He looks up to see the star-pupil standing at a distance.

11/07/11

Was on the radio again this morning talking about my charity skydive and another plug for Secret… listen HERE

Here are a few texts sent in to NOVA Radio during the airplay of Secret on Friday:

Lyn – “loving Ryans single. seen him play a few times in weston but this tune is awesome!”

Ian – “stuck in my car not able to get out until Ryans finished! great new song”

Jane and Carl  – “Ryan played our wedding last year, we love him and this song is brilliant”

Lynne – “who is this guy? he can serenade me any day! wheres his next gig?!”

Good afternoon to you all someone is in a good mood today… ME! small achievements really drive me and keep me happy and have been super productive & made massive headway on the artwork for the physical copies of the single. I think I have come up with a really cool idea and I shall share it with you now. There is lot to cover so I will try to be brief and summarise it all. Firstly I want to exploit the title of the track and use imagery on the packaging pertaining to idioms of a ‘secret’ I can’t tell you what they are because the first 5 people to email in the correct answers will win a copy of the next single (TBC) I will also be making a personal video message soon explaining what’s going on and how you can get involved.

Here is a photo of my layout ideas and a PDF of possible credits for the inlay. Rather than a traditional, boring CD case with some front cover I intend to make it a little unique package that should generate some interest and debate… There is a puzzle included too. The outer layer will be a simple envelope design sealed with a wax stamp and ‘Secret’ will be written on the front. Inside will be the cd holder as well as things to work out and read (lyrics included)

Secret – Credits (PDF)

I have sent off the commision for drawings to Anita Johns who is a friends mother who is quite the artist. Jo O’Donoghue (who designed my business cards and helped with the design of the acoustic album artwork) will be putting the pieces together (hopefully) She is really very talented at her graphic design so it’s in safe hands. Only other thing to arrange is the printing itself and how to get the artwork on the CD. I have asked a friend (Pete Spragg) if he can help with the CD and am in contact with a few companies to see who can offer the best price on an initial batch of about 200 packages) Will be meeting Tom Whitfield who works in W-s-M about some merchandise ideas… see what comes of that and how viable it is to get some interesting promotional tools at an affordable price.

My custom built guitar amp is nearing completion by Malcolm Ray. Again once I have more details you will be the first to know. All I can say right now is that it has my name blazzoned across the front and some cool LED effects to boot.. cannot wait to get it! Also this means I can sell my LINE 6 III which if anyone is interested get in touch. It’s got a couple of dings in it but works like a dream and is ideal for the lazy electric guitar player (built in effects and all that)

I am toying with the idea of not only including the Karl G remix of Secret on the CD but also the original acoustic version and a b-side, most likely Wonderkid which will get some extra overdubs in the coming weeks (violin, lead lines and harmonies to strengthen the track) I don’t see it going on the final album but it is a song dedicated to my late friend Max Shillinglaw and would love to get it out there. I uploaded the single (Secret) to STP to get some unbiased reviews and so far the average is 7.3 which is pretty high, lots of nice comments too which I will post on here once I get the 30 reviews I need to get my soundout report.

Was on NOVA Radio again this morning with an interview regarding the skydive I have been organising. Will post here later once I get it as well as some feedback that Angela Cassidy received from the airplay of the single.. excited!

From Thursday I will be in the Devon area performing in Slapton (The Tower Inn) A private wedding gig in Brixham Friday and then The Bayards Cove Inn (Dartmouth) on the Sunday evening.

A lot of people have come forward offering their assistance in promoting the single; Gina Cerejo has offered to forward my details to someone who works on BBC Radio 5 so fingers crossed that goes somewhere. I’m overwhelmed by the positive feedback and offers that are coming my way. Thanks to eveyone for this. If single sales do well you investors should be getting some money back in a couple of months… YAY!

Right I’m on the case today so may have more info for you later tonight. Cheers all

10/07/11

Been playing at The Woodspring (Worle) tonight and had to get an early(ish) night before I set off for Devon tomo for a daytime gig at The Blagdon Inn. I’m hoping most of you have already heard the radio interview, if not you can hear by clicking this LINK. Got to get the single artwork sorted asap as well as a few other bits and pieces before August 18th release date. So far had a lot of positive feedback which is excellent. Lots and lots of gigs to do as well so I can keep my rent paid… hurrah

Not much to talk about really just didnt want to leave it too long between entries. If you want to help get more members to my facebook group then it would definitely help. Here is the link http://www.facebook.com/groups/ryaninglismusic. Currently hovering around 2,500 but a big push should see the 3000 mark get broken which would be great.

I hope all who are reading this are happy and safe and well. Have a nice relaxing Sunday and I’ll be back to let you know what’s what on Monday night. Should have some more news by then.

07/07/11

Been on NOVA radio this morning with Angela Cassidy to promote Secret… she has promised to pass the track and it’s details to all her other radio contacts which would be amazing if they all decide to get on board. More details will follow once I know the extent of her influence. Ange did mention that she had received phone calls from residents of W-s-M asking if she would be playing my single after reading about it in the local paper (Weston Mercury) which is insanely cool… seems I have some good support in my home town I have had a couple of ideas to promote the single in and around my local area including getting local businesses to include the track on their ‘hold’ music when customers call up… will work on that one as well as putting physical copies throughout the town wherever people are happy to sell them.

Also had this article write up >>> CLICK HERE

Spent some time with Rhys (Hayward) yesterday working on further ideas for the video. Everything is coming together nicely so won’t spoil anything until it is ready to be seen. Sales of my acoustic album on iTunes are picking up quite dramatically! got a $50 bonus in my paypal yesterday so thanks for that. It really does help and all goes back into my business of making music.

Once the single is available on iTunes I will also have a re-mix version, acoustic version, music video + outtakes and making of, b-side (TBA) & video edit package available to buy via my website for £5 this will help with further production costs as well as giving you access to more material if you want it.

I sent this message to all investors via Grace from Slicethepie.com. So far received two replies but very much look forward to hearing from more of you down the line.

Dear Investors,

The time has come for the release of the first single from the album. It has taken 10months to get to this stage and it has been no walk in the park. I have considered as much as I can and done everything in my power to make a good recording. All that is left now is everyones help promoting it and encouraging friends and family to download the track when it’s available. I am aiming for August 18th for release date which also happens to be my birthday! Once it is ready to buy I will put a HUGE link on the homepage of my website www.ryaninglis.com (please register to the site if you have not done so already) The music video begins production in a couple of weeks and I have sent out press releases to lots of local newspapers and music magazines. I have also secured some radio interviews and will aim to get as much exposure as I can.

All profits from this single will go straight back into YOUR pocket! I am more interested in paying you back and knowing you are all 100% behind me than making money for myself. If each of you managed to get 10 friends to buy the track we would be laughing (about £3000 and a place in the charts) I have not heard from any investors since this all started in October last year but would like to hear from you and know if you have any questions.

Thankyou for your support

Ryan Inglis

One last thing I came up with a couple of piano ideas the other evening which you can have a look at here

05/07/11

A few days have passed and a few good things have happened: Someone I met at Glastonbury ended up having some fantastic contacts and he forwarded my website links etc… to SONY’s Head Of New Talent so I hope something comes of that. I am booked in to do a radio interview on Thursday afternoon with Angela Cassidy from NOVA radio… this will in turn open up the doors to getting airplay and contacts at other radio stations in the area. My friend Chris Pritchett who runs Jelli Records (Bristol) alongside Steve Parkhouse also said he would help with regards to radio/media contacts which would be great. I am also now promoting the skydive in local papers and finalising details – I have to vent some disappointment though since out of the 20+ people who said they would do the jump only 6 or 7 have stuck with it. I feel really upset that so many have backed out this close to the jump itself.

An email will be going out to all investors via STP to let them  know what is coming up. I know that not all of them have registered to the site or keep an eye on this blog so would like to make sure everyone is on the same page. I’m going to need everyones help if this first single is going to make some money back for them. I was told there were over 400 investors so if each helped out with sharing links/encouraging family and friends to download the single etc… we should be on to a winner. All money made from the first single will go directly back to the investors.

Off to The Elgin (London) tonight to play some original music. Ashley Vaughan will be coming along too and it should be a nice evening all together. I will upload footage from the day sometime tomorrow.

WestonPeople have published my press release >>>>>>>> CLICK HERE TO SEE

01/07/11

Secret is finally mixed ready for mastering which will be done at Loud Mastering in Taunton from the recommendation of Tony Hobden who has mixed the track and who will mix the entire album becasuse he has a great set of ears on him and he’s also a good friend of mine. On July 12th we will head down there at 10am to get it sorted. I have never had a track professionally mastered before so looking forward to comparing the before and after results. The music video is to begin production on 24th July and hopefully all filming will be done in one day. Rhys Hayward has been an absolute God-send and I just know he is the right guy for this first project – we met years ago when I first moved to W-s-M and he found me again after reading my article in SCENE Magazine

YOU CAN VIEW THE ARTICLE HERE>>>The Scene Article

As fate would have it he still lives locally to me and has all the right tools and skills to create a perfect vision for the songs meaning… happy days. He has done lots of the work with regards to sourcing actors, finding the right venue and storyboarding the ‘mini movie’

I shall be uploading the single version of Secret to slicethepie for reviewing to see what the general consensus is but I am pretty confident it’s complete and not alot can be done to improve upon it. There are NO backing vocals which I realise is a bit wierd but the main vocal was so strong (I think) that I wanted them to stand alone plus there are so many other things going on around the mix they may have been surplus to requirements. Press releases have been sent out and I will follow them up on Monday as well sorting the single artwork.

Tomorrow (2nd) I have a gig with a band where I am a ‘dep’ which means I will play with them to replace their usual bass player… Bass? I hear you cry!? well yes I shall be trying my hand at some songs I have been practising over the past few days. I think it’s important to be adaptable and obviously any work that comes your way should be grasped with both hands; not only for the monetary rewards but also for the experience and the chance to meet new people along the way. Another example of this was me teaching a songwriting class on Weds for the first time; I intend to become a teacher in later life so will need to gain considerable knowledge along the way as well as learning the most effective ways to put ideas across. I take great pleasure in teaching guitar and have taught some (now) really good players. Currently, Mark Bevan is a real gem as his ability is very high and he always has some idea of what he would like to improve upon, also I can come up with ways of turning things on their head since he has grasped the music theory that I love seeing students put into action. I need to continue my guitar course – have been thinking of turning it into a DVD/Book aimed specifically at guitarist/singers who want to play live and come up with inventive ways to perform/write material. It would be a massive achievement in my life and if I can make it different and user friendly enough compared to books in the current market I think it would be real help to the young singer/songwriters out there.

I think it’s important as well to include how I am actually feeling in the diary… so far its been facts and figures but for myself and those of you who are reading this I would like to give a little more. Currently I can really only sum it all up with ‘excited for the future’ mixed with some ‘real panic’ and some ‘massive uncertainty & self doubt’  I think I am doing well and have taken my time with a lot of this because I didnt want to do anything wrong first ime round – this is of course sensible but I should not be afraid to fail in order to learn. I regularly get caught up into my own head about what I need to get done which in most cases in the past would’ve made me run a mile and put things off. I am much more in the frame of mind that I should just soldier on and keep it together. This is perhaps why this may be the best time in my life to cope with all the worries that come with putting your entire life into something you dont know will come of anything. I am not hunting fame or fortune at all – just confirmation that I am living a worthy life and contributing positively to  the world… After this is all over I genuinely intend to become a mentor to younger aspiring artists to help others realise their own goals and dreams as I am doing my own. My mum recently asked me if being a musician is what I want to be remembered for when I die and I quickly replied that Yes, yes I would… I hope these songs will be played after I am gone.

I am blessed to be surrounded by the people in my life right now helping with the music. My band are so damn good and really add so much to the songs in a thoughtful way. listening back to the recordings their parts are not overwhelming but sit comfortably in their own places. They are currently not being paid for the studio time as they all believe in the music as much as I do and are willing to play the long game which is so rare and fortunate. I do get them paid cover gigs though so they are getting something sweet from the deal, dont worry Also it’s worth mentioning that I am really glad to be in the area I am; the other musicians around me are great to help you keep on your toes as they are all doing well and I just enjoy listening to what they are up to. A few names that come to mind are Rich Maya, Ashley Vaughan, Gavin Thorpe, Jon Sinnott, Adam Lipinski, Roger Styles & Mark Ely. You should check them out sometime as they are my favourites peers at the moment

I think that’s mostly everything right now… Just another thankyou for your continued support!! You are legends and I wouldn’t be where I am without you x