1 year down - What a ride!

[ronnie35]

Andrew Brother you rock! I am in a musical rut at the moment .ongoing returns but your post has given me a super boost. I am a special ed. teacher for highschool students with behavior problems There are moments when I have very little energy to write music. Thank you Ron

[markhimley]

Incredible work my man. As I've said it's just the beginning for you!! Much earned and deserved success and much more coming your way!

[edsmaron]

Congrats on all the successes!
And thanks for your comment on my last post, as I strive to reach your level in 2020!
Ed

[SonicGreenhouse]

Way to go Andrew!
What a great read! You are truly an inspiration. I hope to be able to meet you at an upcoming road rally.
Thank you for sharing! Just what I needed to hear!

[ResonantTone]

Thank you all again for the kind words!!

Wishing the best for you all during this crazy time, and looking forward to getting to connect at the upcoming rally!!

Andrew

[akira]

Andrew! Thanks for sharing your inspirational post! You definitely have the mindset to strive for!
I'm sure you will be a celebrity at the next Road Rally but I hope we get a chance to meet there! (Be sure to put a dot on your badge.)

[TheGillwoman]

Hey Andrew,

I was inspired by your post to check out your music on SoundCloud and I really enjoyed it! I love all the variation in genres!

Congrats!
Jane

[Mmichaelis]

Andrew,

I've been also at this a year, but my road has been pretty tough so far. Like you, I also have a busy day job and family (I have five kids, all under 16). Most of the time, if I'm writing music, its while I'm sacrificing sleep. I wholeheartedly appreciate and relate to your advice and perspective. The frustrating part for me is that although I've gotten a forward, 90 percent of my submittals have been returns, and I don't really understand the reviewer comments sometimes. I often feel like getting a forward is a "guessing game" and I don't yet understand how to succeed. I get that over time I will get better and there is just no way to speed up that process really.

I did scan your portfolio and was blown away. Not only at the quality but the diversity of things that you're able to do. I'm strictly a rock n roll guy and can't imagine learning how to do electronic music. Although you've been a member for a year, I can tell you've been at this a lot longer than that. I'm just blown away that I find someone as similar of a life circumstance as I, and you're as successful as you are. It is quite simply astounding.

In any case I'm the one who just followed you on instagram. I can't wait to see where your journey takes you and would love to meet you someday, maybe at the Road Rally.

Matt Michaelis
https://mattmichaelismusic.com

[ResonantTone]

Thank you all again for your kind words!

Andrew,

I've been also at this a year, but my road has been pretty tough so far. Like you, I also have a busy day job and family (I have five kids, all under 16). Most of the time, if I'm writing music, its while I'm sacrificing sleep. I wholeheartedly appreciate and relate to your advice and perspective. The frustrating part for me is that although I've gotten a forward, 90 percent of my submittals have been returns, and I don't really understand the reviewer comments sometimes. I often feel like getting a forward is a "guessing game" and I don't yet understand how to succeed. I get that over time I will get better and there is just no way to speed up that process really.

I did scan your portfolio and was blown away. Not only at the quality but the diversity of things that you're able to do. I'm strictly a rock n roll guy and can't imagine learning how to do electronic music. Although you've been a member for a year, I can tell you've been at this a lot longer than that. I'm just blown away that I find someone as similar of a life circumstance as I, and you're as successful as you are. It is quite simply astounding.

In any case I'm the one who just followed you on instagram. I can't wait to see where your journey takes you and would love to meet you someday, maybe at the Road Rally.

Matt Michaelis
https://mattmichaelismusic.com

Hey Matt -

I've been there with that frustration, man. It feels like a juggling act at times with too many balls in the air. (honestly, I'm still there a lot of times)

In regards to the returns, I think the best advice I can give is just study that forward blog like a crazy man and really focus on what could up your game in regards to your music and production. I remember doing this and literally siking myself up to the point where I would tell myself "I can make something better than that!" (and then I'd have to try and prove it).

If you need to, take a night or two a week and instead of just creating music, look up youtube tutorials on new techniques and new approaches that you haven't taken before. I used to feel like this was a waste of time early on because it meant less music... now I see it as an investment that I desperately need in order to keep creating a quality product.

You're right that getting better is definitely a process and does take time.. and a lot of it will happen naturally. But I think it's also important not to downplay intentionally striving to get better. If you're constantly searching for ways to improve, it should equate to tryin new stuff and consistently learning what helps add that extra 2% with every little change. The best way to see this in action is to listen to a song you made a year ago. If it sounds fine to you, you probably haven't upped your game much. If it sounds horrible and you'd change stuff immediately, then you're growing.

I listened to some of your stuff on soundcloud and I think you are really close, if not there in regards to having something a library would pick up. Keep doing what you're doing and maybe even reach out to some other producers in your genre that are in a similar spot. Find some method of analyzing those forwards and bounce ideas off each other. It really helps to learn together and to not feel like a lone ranger in this thing!

You got this!

Andrew