I think it’s time for me to admit that there’s just not enough hours in the day to do what I need/want to do. Either that, or my time management skills are SO HORRENDOUS that I need serious help. Or I’m too distracted. Or I can blame having MS and the cognitive dysfunction it can cause. Or a little of everything.
So, in an effort to “get it all done”, I have begun asking my “civilian” (i.e. non-musician) friends what they do. One made an elaborate hand-written spreadsheet that she recommended I put into Excel, which was helpful. Another friend just recommended I be “realistic” (what’s that?), look at everything I’m doing, and ask myself, “what will it take to get this done?” and, more importantly, “can it get done?”
Never one to step away from a challenge, it’s difficult for me to answer the latter because if the answer were to be “no”, I would most likely refuse to accept it. Maybe it’s because I have MS that I have become more stubborn. I refuse to let this disease take me down; it is my worst enemy and I will fight it with everything I’ve got.
One thing’s for certain: I have TONS of photos from this summer, and there will be blog postings for them, better late than never.
Some of the things that are keeping me busy:
1. A new CD - LateSet Records will officially release my CD I Think I’ll Keep You in the US on October 20. We’ll have a CD Release party on October 27 at Cornelia Street Cafe in Greenwich Village (which, coincidentally, is also my birthday).
2. Another new CD: Posi-Tone Records has released Playdate’s first CD, and we need a CD Release Party gig, so I’m working on that, as well as the press release.
3. Training for the ING NYC Marathon (26.2 miles!) that takes place on November 1, 2009 – need I say more?
4. A Gig with my Pirke Avot Project – We’re playing at Drom, 85 Avenue A, on October 7 at 9 p.m. We’re rehearsing next week, and I’m putting the finishing touches on three new tunes.
5. Know Thyself – Noah Baerman, one of my dearest friends in the whole wide world (we met in high school 19 years ago!) received a grant from Chamber Music America and has written a fabulous hour-long suite of music for his trio plus four other musicians (basically, it’s our group Playdate with an alto saxophonist/flutist and a vibraphonist). We’ll be premiering this piece at Wesleyan University in Middletown, Connecticut on November 13, with another performance at New York City’s Jazz Gallery on November 19.
6. Vipassana – we’ll be performing this gorgeous piece by composer Joe Phillips on October 28 at the Brooklyn Lyceum at 8 p.m.
7. Practicing – because one can never practice too much.
8. Teaching – I love my students, and I have a lot of them. They’re all making great progress!
Yikes! It’s a little after 1 p.m. – I’m getting off schedule. More to come…
Great post. I have had an overactive ToDo list on several occasions. This article, http://sivers.org/book/PowerOfLess, helped recently and I like a lot of his other stuff too. He is a former principal of CD Baby if you do not recognize Mr. Sivers.
Sorry to hear of your MS. Was this a recent discovery?
Justin
http://www.ListenHearInc.com
Justin, thanks for the recommendation; that book looks INCREDIBLE. I must read it!
As for the MS diagnosis, it’s been almost 5 years. I really have no right to complain as I’m in fantastic shape considering where I could be; sometimes the fatigue is simply overwhelming, as is the uncooperative brain. It comes and goes, thankfully, but sometimes it just gets the better of me.
I had one student with MS, and another student’s mom with the same. It seems to affect everyone quite differently. It also seems to come and go with those that I have met. I wish you well.
J.
Hi Adam! It’s great to hear from you! I will definitely check that book out. Hope you’re having a great summer!