So the new year has begun... 2008 is gone, the year that really tested my sanity, patience and emotions. It really wasn't a step up from 2007, as 2008 nearly repeated what had happened in the year previous to it.2008 did prove, however, that my motivation and perseverance is unparalleled. I always grabbed the struggle by the horns and smashed through with as much toughness and intensity as I could.
Going back to 2007, I thought I had finally won the war - finally moving out of the "crack house" and into a place of my own. I thought this would be the beginning of something I could build on. But reality blinded me when everything started rolling downhill in April. I lost my job at Home Depot and got denied unemployment. Then spent a month and a half trying to make it down to Southern California.
Now six months later, Southern California hasn't really been all that I'd hoped it to be. I've moved three times now, soon to be four; submitted oodles of resumes to no avail, and even when I found a full-time job and thought I would be secure for once, I was blindsided a month later, just to be thrown in another pit of despair. I was manipulated by this old man, as he forced me to work HIS way. This created many problems between the two of us. Nothing was organised really, and to be honest, I should have never taken the job in the first place. I needed the money though.
On the upside, I survived all of this turmoil, finally winning my unemployment case (from April), and getting connected with some of the best friends and opportunities one could come across. I also realised that if I am to survive, I would have to change my way of thinking. I'm so used to looking at the big picture, but that really did nothing but stress me out. Thank you to all of the true friends that helped me realise these things and push me forward (Especially you, Nevaeh). Most of this battle had to be fought alone though. I proved to myself and to everyone else that I just can't give up, no matter how chaotic the circumstance.
Unfortunately though, music had to be put on the backburner for most of 2008. I'd gotten started on a few projects (that still remain unfinished), but this year will be completely different. Many projects are already in motion. Kandy Fest is less than a month away, and I'm working feverishly to finish my promo mix. I've also been confirmed for In House Family's "Cloverfields 2009." A few more gigs are in the works (including a few possible out-of-state), and I'll be sure to update both this and the
music space.
I've also been blessed enough to be working with the AMAZING
Metal Sanaz. We've assembled a great team of co-hosts for these weekly interview shows, and have since interviewed
K626, Flatline, Sangre and
Eminent (with myself as co-host) One of the things I love most about this team though, is the openness to bringing in genres other than metal. I plan on bringing the dance element into our weekly interviews, and it is possible that Jes (of
Motorcycle) could have a possible hand in this too. There's a whole plethora of amazing electronic artists out there that deserve the spotlight, and I'm going to do my best to bring this to the masses. So stay tuned! Don't forget! Past shows can be viewed through http://www.synclive.com. So please check it out!
As a last point for things to watch out for this year, I've been working relentlessly on strengthening my scream/singing voice. I've taken up a work out regimen by Tiffany Pristelski, which combines a fast and effective ab and upper body work out. I'm definitely starting to notice the results. Screaming doesn't "burn" as much anymore, and I feel a lot better. I'm also running 1-2 miles multiple times each week.
I slacked on Singing Success and The Zen of Screaming as 2008, came to a close, but my voice is stronger and more solid than ever. My breathing is a lot more stable and allows me to do things that I haven't been able to accomplish without these "voice lessons." I'm most proud of my black metal scream, as being able to do songs by the likes of Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir, and Cradle of Filth have been a dream of mine for a long while. I'm even able to "pitch up" the scream.
I'm back to writing songs, and I'm going to be finishing up a song for Painting In Negative, as well as putting together a CD of Arch Enemy tracks for Angela Gossow at NAMM on Jan 15. She was the first to help me with my growl/scream last year, and I'm really excited to show her how I've progressed. On top of this, I'm going to be looking for a band in the immediate area to join.
Lastly, I would like to set two huge goals for myself - to get into a stable living space that is most likely my OWN and find a stable job that's not gonna lay me off after a month. So I commence...
Happy new year everyone!