Sunday, March 3, 2013

With Springtime Comes Music

Managing a chronic health challenge or two is a LOT of work when you do what you are supposed to do (like exercise, eat right, and avoid isolation) and so is all the paperwork involved in being on disability, if you are one of many who are on it. Trying to stay motivated to exercise regularly, including walking, and cooking nutritious meals, and budgeting right down to the penny is my primary 'job'. There is also the budgeting of time and energy. Yes, it is a LOT of work managing a chronic health challenge, especially when you are trying to do it alone. Maybe you are a caretaker, taking responsibility for another who is likewise challenged.

If you know me pretty well, you know that I've made my 2nd 'job' with music and writing. This involves way more than the art itself when you are interested in sharing and inspiring others with your art. There is a lot of business transactions to figure out and much to learn when you can't just hire the experts in the fields to do it all for you. I am going to try to remember that consistent WORK will be necessary in doing what it takes to promote my art .. one that I had not taken seriously for most of my life -- and that it won't always be 'FUN'. Somewhere in the mix of it all, I have to include time to CREATE new work. All work and no play is not a good thing. Technology can make many things a lot more frustrating and complicated in many ways, and so can lack of having the latest gadgets which make many tasks easier. But after I get it all figured out, I'll be able to teach other people (perhaps you?) how to do what I am learning how to do. I finally got the copyright filed on 27 songs and an album submitted electronically to CDBaby. And if you didn't have a chance to check it out, one more book self-published. It didn't take a whole lot of money to do these things, which I don't have right and hope to improve, with my art.

I don't know if you like 'folk-contemporary' music you haven't heard before, but if you do, you can go to the following link and click on the last line to 'preview all songs'. http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/reneealter

I posted the link for my books in several places to CreateSpace (because it pays me a higher commission ... just being honest), however if you prefer Amazon, here is the link for them. Only one of my books so far is available on Kindle ... another project is learning how to do the conversion myself as well. http://www.amazon.com/author/reneealter

I've also created an author page with facebook. Part of the reason I am sharing my progress is so that if you are an artist, too, you can follow in my footsteps. www.facebook.com/reneealtersatmosphere

Personal comments are always welcome ... I enjoy hearing from each and every one of you as much as I enjoy sharing.