What stopped me?

I was looking back at how few posts I have actually been submitting during the month of November and I am appalled.   I was so ready to conquer the blogging world again this month at its outset, but that got derailed by my baby getting sick, then myself, then the hubby.  I actually have been accomplishing a lot and really looking forward to what the very near future holds.

I finally recorded a couple of videos of personal live performances of You Grant Wish, a capella, and my rendition of ‘If I Could” with some accompaniment music.  My hubby figured out how to get “If I Could” up on YouTube, but I haven’t had a chance to figure out how to input it into my website.  Babysteps…I’ve gotta keep telling myself that i just need to take babysteps when I do things.  I have no nanny, so its just me, so things takes a little longer to get done, so that I can still spend quality time with the family.

I am so excited because the hubby expressed his interest in producing some music for me.  He is excellent at making beats.  So stayed tuned for where this all leads.  We are looking into the cost of putting together a home based studio, and also planning to take some classes on studio engineering and producing, etc… You know I am excited about the possibility of being able to complete a song without waiting to try to get some studio time.  I also can’t wait to see what my baby girl does when she is surrounded by music as she grows up.

Booo Yaaahhh! The First 30 Days…

I am excited to say that I am coming to a close of the first 30 days of the 90 day Challenge.  I was looking back at my goals for the Challenge and I think I have made a few adjustments along the way. My goals consisted of balancing family, health, singing career, and my spiritual health.  I think the ones that really stayed on top of the most was the commitment to my family and spending quality time with my baby girl and hubby, and blogging on my singer songwriter website so that you, my fans, friends, family can really get to know me.  The blogging actually is also helping me gain clarity in the direction that I want to take my career at this time.  Of course I’ll be sharing that “Ah Ha” clarity with you every step of the way.

I haven’t been video taping myself singing, so that has to be something that I push through to do asap.  It’s ridiculous.  I haven’t been setting aside the time to showcase myself to my own “peeps”.  I know you all support me and lift me up…I think the fear of being seen all over the world wide web performing, which is my dream, is getting in the way.   Also questioning the “what if’s”…what if I sing the wrong somg, What if people start talking about me?”…etc.   I’ve gotta listen to my own advise about FEAR, “False Evidence Appearing Real”.  You may have read the blog I had saying “Don’t Be Sciirred”, talking about conquering your fears by facing them head-on.

I have also gotta get my online store up and going.  Everyone is asking what things they will be seeing in the store other than music…well, your gonna have to wait on that.  I am still making up my mind on what I would like to offer that really imparts some value into your quality of life.  The next 30 days is going to be more awesome than the first.   I’ll also track my workout regimen better…I think I’m down about 5 pounds.  Now it’s time to step up my exercise routine, not that baby girl is finally sleeping through the night.  Why don’t you join me now in doing the Challenge and making the end of 2009 the best time in your life.

Labor Day…7th Day of the Challenge

I had a great day today.  It all started off with me finding outthat I dropped about 6 pounds since I got back from my fun filled Mexico vacation.  Awwww, the world is a wonderful place…I also got a chance to go out with my  baby,Mom, and sisters to the park and get some much needed exercise and sun in on this beautiful day.  My car even broke down and I thought it was…ok.  Glad it didn’t happen Tuesday when I needed to be a road runner, to and from work, and dropping my baby off at her Granny’s for the day.  So, I got my car fixed at the park by triple A.  I got a new battery and my flat (a slow leak) pumped.  Who is ever happy about their car breaking down…my crazy butt…lol!

Well, I think I am doing pretty good with staying on the challenge.  This is the 7th day so I have completed the first full week.  What haveI accomplished on my list?…great quality time with my family, good practices, clarity with the direction I would like to take my career in over the next 3 months, and a decision to focus on my health and nutrition.  I have been drinking some great all vegetable and fruit smoothies.  We juice a couple of carrots, green apple, and one celery stock, then blend that juice with a banana and a half and a hand full of frozen strawberries or a sliver of pineapple with ice.  I have so much energy after drinking that drink.  It tastes fantastic…the banana and the green apple and strawberries or pineaple cover up the taste of the carrot and celery.  You get your full serving of  fruit and vegetables before you even start your day.  I have been drinking one in the morning and the evening.  I substituted it for dinner a few nights last week and it is definitely a great breakfast.

Well, the baby is already sleep…I think that was also a goal I mentioned earlier this week, which is actually giving me the time to write this blog entry. I am exhausted though because she didn’t really nap and was like her usual “energizer bunny” self all day today.  She is so wonderful and fun, so I can’t help myself but give her kisses all over her face while she sleeps, trying to do my best not to wake her back up…I’ve been writing a great song about mylittle princess.  Can’t wait ’till I can record it.  I still have alot more to write.  Wish me luck.  Nichole Ayanna signing out.

6 Steps to Stay Motivated with Your Music

I’ve got to admit, I did get discouraged at one time with my life in the music industry, and I just couldn’t keep going. Mentally and emotionally drained, I left for years, ignoring that music was my passion and I was my authentic self only when I was performing or doing anything that surrounded music. I’ve learned how to stay motivated to keep on going, which seems to me to be easier, with internet, because I have a sense of having my life in music in my own hands. Here are some tips on How To Stay Motivated and Focused in Your Music Career.

1. What Are Your Goals. Are you a singer and just want to get out there and sing. Do you want to be a solo artist or a background singer and travel the world with a big named act. Things to think about right? Figure out what is truly important to you, in your heart, and write it down. Then stop at noghting to achieve them. For me this takes some “time blocking” and life balance because I want to spend quality time with my family too. Write down your goals and focus on getting them done.
2. Dream Big – I am now always of the mentality that if something good or miracle like should happen to somebody, why not me. It’s like the saying, you have to be in it to win it. Well, you have to dream big, the dream that you really hold in your heart, and believe that could even happen to you. Your dreams kind of go hand in hand with goal setting and putting those goals into action and not just words.
3. Daily Action – Some days I am able to accomplish a ton of things that move me closer towards my goals and my dreams and other days I can barely get a thing done, but If I do even the smallest, thing, like making a phone call to a new producer I’ve met and want to cut a track with, I feel like I am still moving closer to my goals. I recommend even stead strides forward…yo’ll hit that mile mark faster than you think.
4. Don’t pile too many projects on your plate at once- Now I am a culprit for this…and you know what…it leads to procrastination and I don’t get anything done. Choose one to three things (three things IF you are a good multi-tasker which a lot of my music mama’s are) that you want to focus on completing.
5. Focus on Priority Items – OK…stop checking your email every two seconds, and responding and uploading your new status on facebook. Set those things aside for a specific time in the day to do them and knowck it out all in that on or 2 hours. That way you can concentrate on the things that really bring you the results you are looking for with your music.
6. Don’t let the Nay-sayers knock the wind out of you – You can do it.. You just have to keep making good music, great songs, getting them up on your site so that the world can experience the passion and the music within you.

Hey…it may not be easy, but playing music, marketing your music to the world, performing your music to an audience, can be the most rewarding life you can live as a musician. Remind yourself everyday that you are bringing emotional joy to your fans, by filling there sould with your music. You can do it…just remember the steps above and keep it going.

Music Marketing Help – Create Your Own Music College Internship

Who wouldn’t love to work with a music act, especially if you are a college student and might be able to get school credit for it? Setting up a college internship program to get your music out there not only benefits you, but also add valuable real world experience to the resume of the college student. You get semi-free labor and the college intern gets an experience of a lifetime.

If you want to set up the college internship in a way where the student gets credit you need to contact the college, whether it is a junior college, or local public or private university. Let them know that you have a music company called, “your company Productions” or something like that, and that you are offering a summer, fall, spring, winter, internship, whatever the semester is that you’re offering the internship. They may say you have to send them a profile on the company, which you will have already gotten together, and a description of the internship. Some schools charge a fee to be listed under their internship programs and some require that they are paid. sometimes the pay required is so low you are ok with it.

You can also post your internship on craigslist.com for free, or entertainmentcareers.com for a fee. You’ll start getting calls, so you need to set up interviews.

You may require that the interns have their own cars and car insurance, their own laptops and cell phones that they bring to your location.

You can have your interns do internet research, keep your blogging up to date, get on the phones and confirm your shows, have them in the crowd collecting information from your fans to be placed on your email list, or get out and do some street promotion for you. They can also video tape your performances or shoot photos of the shows that you can add to your website. Whatever you have them do, make it interesting, insightful and fun. You’ve gotta spend some quality time with them. When they first come into your office, you should have a routine that they do when they come in on a daily basis, and do some initial training. You may have them calling radio stations to try to get airplay for your music….give them a script to use and practice it with them before they get started. Give them a phone list and a log so that you know what they have completed so another intern get started where they left off.

Interns can hand out fliers for your upcoming shows at different venues where your fans and potential fans hang out. They can do all sorts of things that help you promote your music and help them learn how promotion and marketing works in the music business right now. With your help, they can gain incredible exposure to the music business and may be the next CEO of a huge entertainment company.

Typically, at the end of the internship – which if it is unpaid, usually ends at the end of the semester – the interns have to write a paper regarding their experience, and turn it in to get the college credit.