Action Plan Update... 289 Days To Go!

First off, I've decided to start using people's full first names instead of commuting them to initials. If anyone doesn't like being referenced, let me know! It's simply getting too confusing as I sometimes forget to do it!

1) Get Good
Check! Or at least I reckon I'm on track. I'm much more confident playing (the inevitable stage fright notwithstanding). Getting good is a continuous process, but even if it's just strumming up a storm on rhythm, I'm there. I learnt a lot of useful stuff on the WAES course that I'm putting into practice.

There's been lots of good advice flying around about how to keep improving, including stuff on IG Blog about learning one new thing a day. With that in mind I've dug out all my back issues of "Guitar Techniques" magazine so that I can reference new licks if I get stuck for something fresh to learn.

Now that Red (my electric) is back on the team I can start playing loud and proud again.

2) Record Demos
Still haven't really started on this one. I have a few ideas for new songs and a couple of covers I'd like to do. Time to focus on this one, maybe with some outside help!

3) Look The Part
Actually, not doing badly. The gym's been paying off. The Fillmore Five Project's officially endorsed No. 1 Groupie (Hey Diana!) noticed over the weekend that I'd bulked up. Just need to stay away from beer and pizza (like that's going to happen!)

4) Get Out There
Over the past weeks I've been trying to put out feelers using 'find a band' type web pages. Not much luck on that front, mostly because of ageism. It's okay to be 18 and useless, but if you're over 21 you're OUT! In fairness, it may just be a generational thing, in that older people don't use those sites much? Dunno. I'll keep on with the websites, but I need to explore other avenues, too, possibly local newspapers, putting cards in shop windows etc.

It's looking a lot more possible for collaboration with Gayan from the WAES course, which would be cool. He's really enthusiastic about making music. What I can't tell right now is whether he's only really interested in a solo gig. I need to email him to make sure I maintain contact over the next few weeks. Collaboration's also possible with an old friend, Nigel, who's getting back into playing again after taking a sabbatical.

At some point I have to grow some cahones and front up to the open mic thing. I'm going to fall flat on my face but that's part of the process, isn't it?

So where to go from here?

I feel like I have clear blue skies and right now I can see for miles. The 'Get Good' action is now on autopilot so I can shift focus away from that. Same thing goes for the 'Look The Part' one. Any look I go for is going to evolve from where I'm 'at' musically and who I'm playing with... just no flares, okay? And no spandex!

Which pretty much means that recording demos is the next big thing. 289 days to go and my new, improved action plan now goes something like this:

1) Record Demos

2) Find Other Musicians To Play With

3) Get Out There

The Continental Divide

Musically speaking I've drawn a blank so far this year, but that's not surprising as I've been in the US for the past two and a half weeks visiting in-laws and friends over Christmas and New Year's respectively. Our travels took us from Kansas City to Springfield MO, then Houston TX and back again.

For me, the highlight of the trip came on our last proper night out. We'd arranged to hook up with a friend of ours from London who was visiting friends of his in Kansas City. Cutting an extremely long and event-filled story short, one of his friends turned out to be into music, too. We spent a while talking shop, getting liquored up and trading shirts... as you do. He seemed like a real fun dude (there's a joke in there, for the initiated!) Hopefully we can stay in touch with him... He did send us a message suggesting that he might try to make his way over to London some day. Sounds like a good time to me.

Anyway, here I am at the start of 2008, starting from zero. What I really need is some kind of action plan to help me get from the gutter to the stars.