It's hard to make the transition from December to January without feeling like we are crossing a bridge into new territory, when in fact New Year's Day is an arbitrary endpoint. Actually every day is New Years and we might be better off not making such a big deal about it.
Nevertheless, this is the time we collectively take stock of the previous twelve months and make some observations about how things went and make some plans for the future. This time last January we were standing at the bottom looking up at a mountain of tasks to climb; bookings, house projects, the Studio, and all the inevitable unforeseen sideswipes on the highway of life. The common thread has been the discipline of practicing, making time each day, with a steady succession of dates serving as mileposts along the way. I'm a list maker and this year started with a long one
Looking back, one thing loomed large; I wasn't completely confident about how well I was performing. I was, in my mind, making too many mistakes and dumb ones too. It seemed like the slightest distraction would trigger a "clam" (musician-speak) even in simple songs, and no amount of practicing would help. I came to realize it was a mental problem and so I worked at keeping focus, and over time it improved. I can confidently say I've become better; a never ending process.
The Studio is done and I'm looking forward to working in it, and have several songs in progress already. This was another thing that I didn't really appreciate was affecting my mental state. Because of other more pressing projects, mostly involving paint, I didn't get moving on it until Fall but once it got going I started to see the end of the tunnel and the result was worth the effort. I'm particularly pleased I finished before the really cold weather came, even though it took a month longer than planned.
It's not always that you end a year feeling like you achieved your goals. I had very specific things I wanted to do and I'm looking back at a list with (almost) everything crossed off. Now it's time to make a new one.
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Credit: ESA/Hubble & NASA
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Singer/Songwriter Rick Millward lived and worked on the West Coast until moving to Nashville in 2000. He was part of the Music City songwriter community, collaborating with other artists and producing projects in his boutique studio, including two EMMY nominated soundtracks. Now in Southern Oregon, Rick has discovered a vibrant local music scene centered around the many tasting rooms.
His records: "Limited Edition", "Home for Good", and “Loveland” are available on Spotify and other streaming platforms. His new recordings, "Astronomy", will be released later this year.
