Oct 5th, 2009 – So here I sit, it is 5:15 in the morning and I’m waiting for a taxi to come get me and take me to the airport. From there, I know that I am getting on a connecting flight to Chicago and then flying to Los Angeles. From there, I know that I mailed a rent check out to that area about two weeks ago and that in my pocket I have scribbled down an address where apparently there is an empty room waiting for me. After that? I have no idea.
So how exactly did this happen again?
I always liked singing. Always. Even when I was a kid I found it a liberating and strange kind of challenge… and the fact is that everybody sings. But now and then it will happen when you hear someone start singing and the entire room stops. Everyone sits and listens … and when that person is done singing the room pauses for just a second and then someone hits the ‘play’ button and the room goes back to normal. I remember the first time that happened to me. I was in the second grade and our choir was holding auditions for a solo in one of its’ songs. Our choir teacher had everyone lined up who wanted to and one by one we were taking turns singing through the solo in front of the class. I was near the back of the line and when my turn came … I remember singing and feeling pretty good about it. I remember that when everyone else had gotten done singing … the room would clap and cheer for them and then that was it. I remember finishing and being kind of embarrassed because there wasn’t much of a reaction from anyone. I went and sat down next to my friend who had auditioned a little bit before me and it took a second before he finally looked at me and said “you jerk”. I realized that the ‘non-reaction’ was actually a very big compliment.
I was hooked.
It is the most empowering feeling I have ever known … and it still holds true to this day. When you start to play or sing a song and you realize that you just grabbed the attention of every person in that room. Unbelievable.
I’m not going to sit here and say that I am better than the rest of the world at what I think I can do. I’m not a fool. The fact of the matter is that the place where I am going later this morning probably has 400 exact clones of myself with different names all knocking on the same doors that I will be knocking on. I am smart enough to know that the only thing I can control is how hard I work … and from there you need a unique combination of luck and timing to ‘finish the deal’.
But I also know that that ‘control’ that I felt when I auditioned in the second grade remains the most compelling and awesome thing I’ve ever gone through… and each and every time it has happened since then it has had that same effect on me.
I’ve worked really hard and taken a few risks to put myself in a position where today is possible. These next few months in Los Angeles? Nothing more than an audition to be honest. They say that Los Angeles can make you or break you. I’m lucky enough to be in a position where the latter isn’t possible. I’m going out to LA today to see what IS possible. If after these first few months I find that the west coast isn’t for me or that I am wasting my time by being there … I will have no qualms about packing up and coming back home. I have an awesome situation here in Wisconsin… so the “break you” part means coming back home here and living… which is actually a different kind of win. But I’m going after that ‘what if’…
Am I crazy for moving to a place where my rent is three times (true) more than what I am currently paying and my living space is about 1/4 (true) of what I have now? Probably. But they say you have to live life to the fullest, yes?
Hello world … let’s dance.
July 26th, 2009 – For those who don’t know, I am again gearing up for a fairly big move. I know those of you who have tried to follow me over the last few years have gone through this before when I packed up and shipped off to Nashville back in ‘07. I can admit now that that was probably a touch premature. Back then I still had the mindset of “The only thing I want to do is sing/write/play … and nothing else is an option”. While that still is the current goal and still what I truly want… I have had some nice talks with myself and I know that music might end up only being a side job or a hobby the rest of the way. I still am approaching my day to day music life with the intensity of that prior approach … but I’ve calmed down mentally, “stepped back from the ledge” if you will. I think it is a healthier approach.
But I have to give it one last try.
Being honest with myself, I still would like nothing more than to have music pay my bills. Staying up until 3 AM trying to write songs and then getting up at 7 to be somewhere to play them for people is fun for me. It isn’t work. Ultimately, that is how a career should be chosen right? Do what makes you happy?
So, in order to maximize my chances of making that a reality… I think I need to be where opportunity is. For a kid like myself, I would benefit most from being in a place where I can network with other people like me. Singer/Songwriters who scrap day to day for gigs, industry minds who can point you in beneficial directions and steer you from bad ones, and somewhere where the weather allows you to panhandle the streets for grocery money 52 weeks a year 
.
I’m moving to LA.
The exact day hasn’t really been decided yet. That will have a lot to do with my car situation and when I decide I have enough money saved up to be able to survive for a few months without income if need be. But right now I have written the end of September on a bunch of pieces of paper and I’m starting to tell people the same to make myself start believing it.
It is going to get to the point in September or October where I am just standing on the bridge with the cords tied around my ankles, all set to jump and I’m telling myself, “I’ll jump in 2 minutes” .. and then 2 minutes later “Just give me one more minute” (FYI I would never bungee jump, I would have a heart attack mid-fall, but it’s a good analogy nonetheless) … at some point I’m just going to have close my eyes and tumble off of the ledge. I think the sooner the better in this instance.
To be honest, I have no idea what will happen once I get out there. Maybe I get cold feet and scamper back home? Maybe I really catch California fever and start wearing sun visors and learn how to surf? (This won’t happen. I will stay true to my Wisconsin ways and wear hooded sweatshirts and jeans to every gig I play) I don’t know. But I want to be able to say that I got an at bat in the big leagues.
And I swear, if that pitcher’s first pitch is anywhere inside… I’m charging.
Feb 15th, 2009 – My first real journal entry of 2009. Nice. I don’t feel as bad about not updating this for the last few months because I just started keeping a marathon journal on this site for my San Diego run … so that is getting updated on a semi-regular basis. Just another arena for you to wade through my verbal garbage.
So I have finally settled down after graduating and gotten into a routine again… and the sad thing is, now that I am settled… I am getting restless (if that makes sense). I don’t like being satisfied for some reason. To be honest, I think a lot of it for me has to do with confidence. I had gotten a semi regular gig up in Green Bay for a little while, and the response I was getting from those people was very encouraging, and now these past two weeks I’ve been able to play at the Farmer’s Market in Appleton, and that is much more of a person to person interaction rather than playing to a mass crowd. Anyway, the response there has been fantastic, and I’m in one of those places right now where I am again believing that this is something I am capable of doing for a living. I am currently working a little more than part time at a restaurant and just finding gigs wherever and whenever I can get them… and I’m having fun with it. The problem is that Wisconsin isn’t really the best place for live musicians to try and thrive. I had been thinking for awhile about this… and the past two months or so really only re-established this though… but I am fairly certain I am going to move out west to either LA or San Diego within the next calendar year.
The thing is, if I am just going to be here playing music and working part-time at a restaurant, why not go somewhere where I can slowly work my way into playing live every night, which is the ultimate goal? My first attempt at moving away doesn’t really count in my book, even though it was exactly what I needed to get my backside back home and finish my degree. This time around would be 100% serious without reservation, because I know I have something to fall back on.
Maybe I’m being persuaded because SoCal weather is paradise when you are living through a Wisconsin winter, who knows.
I would love for it to be September when I would move, my current lease is up then, but I don’t know if I’ll have the money saved by then. The most likely scenario is to wait through the holidays and head out the first week of January. I dunno though, a small part of me is actually starting to be happy finally… and I’m wondering if I would ruin that by leaving or if the music is the reason for it and I would be enhancing it. *shrugs* I have a lot of thinking to do between now and the end of the summer. I’ll let you know if any fun thoughts appear before now and then.
Peace.
Jake
December 20th, 2008 – Happy Holidays everybody.
Wait for it…
Wait for it…
…
…
and a little bit longer…
…
…
and… *sigh*
I graduated college.
I’m going to miss aspects of it. I mean, I really like learning. But I just don’t like learning on deadlines, especially when I had this other “career” that I was itching so badly to begin. Getting a bunch of reading assigned for a night and having to write papers all the while having all of these song ideas and “music things” running through your head was unbelievably frustrating. Of course I had to do the homework and assignments… but it is tragic as a songwriter to let ideas get away. It was a pretty big internal fight some days.
Anyway, that is all over with for the time being. I did the whole ceremony deal last weekend, walked the stage with some 950 other graduates… and then promptly played a 3 hour set a few hours later in Green Bay. It was fitting in a lot of ways. At this point, I took the last week and rested up (whatever that means). I’ve got a regular gig at an Italian Restaurant chain around the northern part of the state which was perfectly timed. Hopefully I can gather a few more regular shows and start weeding myself out of my other jobs and strictly make my living off of music, which is the ultimate goal of any singer/songwriter.
Until then, stop on out at Grazies one of these days that I’m playing and say hi.
I’m a college alum ya’ll.
Jake
October 19th, 2008 – It’s almost sinful how long it’s been since I last wrote in this thing. Part of me is kind of glad though… because it means I have been busy with school, which is and should be the top priority for me. An update? I graduate on December 13th from UW-Oshkosh. I can’t tell you how many emotions I’ll be experiencing that day. College has been the hardest thing I have ever done in my life for so many reasons… and the academic part of it is not even close to being one of them. I’ve had so many conversations with myself over the last four years or so, talking myself into and out of so many things. I’ve had many sit downs with my parents, with a few select siblings, my friends, co-workers, musicians… just about anybody who was willing to give me their opinions on things…
Can I give you one of my awful analogies? You know when you put your pet on a leash outside your house? Let’s say you tie up your dog to let him/her run loose a little bit… but their leash is only like 20 yards long… so you get a tennis ball and throw it across the yard, and your dog tears after it… but his leash catches and he can’t reach the ball. That’s kind of what I’ve felt like these past few years. I’m outside, I’m in the sun, it’s nice weather… but I have this leash on me that is keeping me restricted. In a lot of ways I feel like on December 13th that leash is going to finally get cut and I’ll be able to get the stupid tennis ball.
*sigh*
Musically things are currently quiet. I am kind of hibernating for the winter until commencement I guess. I am playing every other weekend at a place in Appleton just to keep sharp with my material… and I have started, and will continue to put some videos up on YouTube…
I’m excited for the New Year though… I’ll be able to start playing shows regularly again, and I’ll be jumping into the studio with Tim Dorsey to record my next record. I think I’ve got a fairly decent start on new songs. This next disc is going to be full band, so I have to get in the studio and see how they turn out with more than just a piano and/or guitar, of course, before I sign off on them for the new record though. I’m excited for you to hear some of the new stuff!
Alright. Enough for tonight. I’ll see if I can get here to write again before I graduate; if not … please keep an eye on my “upcoming shows” link after Christmas… because I really want it to fill up, and it’d be cool to see you at some of those pending shows.
Until then…
April 18th, 2008 – I shouldn’t be allowed to go to major concerts.
I try to be real with myself, you know? I knew that all I had to do was go somewhere where music was “the thing”… that all I had to do was get somewhere and live the life for 10 minutes… and I knew that once I was there, I would realize something that I already knew: that there is no possible way for me to “make it”. That as much as talent and determination and all of that goes into pushing for a career in something as competitive and fickle as this business… luck and chance are equal, if not more important factors in the end. And I knew this. But that stupid “what if?” is such a wild card…
So I went to Nashville. Did I think that was my ticket to a career? Honestly… no. When I left back in October… I thought I was just going on a really long vacation. That I would drink up the atmosphere for a while, that I would take a few swings at the industry and the industry, in return, would take a few swings at me. I had this tick in the back of my mind that wouldn’t leave me alone… and it was driving my life. School and work were secondary… sleep was only important if I had a show the next day. I was consumed and I knew that I had to get rid of that. So I left.
So long story short… Nashville did exactly for me what I thought it would. It was fun. The city bled music, nights didn’t end until the band packed up… but there were so many musicians and writers and people involved in the industry that I immediately felt very insignificant, and I think part of me wanted that to happen.
So that was it. I came back here, re-enrolled to finish up school, got a job again to start paying for things, and have been trying to fall back into a “normal” routine. Music, for the first time in about two years, has taken a backseat to something else these last six months (As evidenced by this being my first blog post since December). I had (please take note the past tense) resigned to the fact that I would graduate school, get a job, and keep music on the side as something that I did. I would put out a CD every three years… 100 people would buy it, I would keep another 10 for my future kids… rinse and repeat…. and I think I was ok with that.
Then I met Ben Folds.
Well, didn’t meet him, just heard him play. Went to his concert… sat through his opening acts… (Ben Lee was hilarious… look him up on the ‘net… you’ll like him) and then watched him do his thing. And that’s the crazy thing… only 80% of me loved the show. I knew almost all the songs, he sounds really good live, and as much as Jack’s Mannequin deafened me beforehand (they were way too loud) … I could hear and understand most everything. But there was still 20% of me that was nothing but jealous. For the simple reason that I think I can do that. I mean, I can’t play the piano like Ben Folds… but the music thing, the songwriting, the singing, the interaction part…. for whatever reason I know that I could run with those people. And it remains the only thing I want to do. If you asked me what are the top two things I would do if I had the choice of any professions in the world right now… A singer/songwriter musician guy remains #1… and in a landslide. A MLB catcher would be #2… but it isn’t even close. We are talking FDR beating Alf Landon in the ‘36 election type of landslide here. It’s all I care to do.
So I wake up this morning… and find myself running through about six different songs that I must have written while I was sleeping. I have a Spanish test that I HAVE TO study for in about 3 hours and yet all I can do is sit here on this piano and try to find a clever way to rhyme “revolution”…
… and all I keep thinking is “here we go again”.
Dec 3rd. 2007 – *sigh*
That’s kind of been my mindset for the last month or so. For those who don’t know… I am back in Wisconsin. My “voyage” to Tennessee lasted only 10 days or so. I ran into some trouble down there trying to find an apartment … there were some weird state laws I hadn’t known about that I wasn’t meeting… so getting an apartment was difficult, and living out of my car unfortunately wasn’t an option.
I would have done it… (the living out of the car thing) … had I thought that would be my only shot at the music thing. . . But I figured if I came back and re-grouped and finished school, then tried again in a year or so when I can get a job that proves I make money (what kind of law is that anyway?) … I can hit the ground running and actually have a place to go. So that is where I am at right now. I have a year left of college… so hopefully I will be graduating in Dec of ‘08.
Until then? I don’t know to be honest. I really think I’m going to take it easy with the music thing and concentrate of school. While making this last record I really put school as a third and sometimes fourth priority… so the work really slacked… and I don’t want that to happen again. I’m not writing off the music thing completely at all. I’m still writing on an almost daily basis… and I’m sure I will still play a show here and there just to keep everything fresh… but I am not going to be playing anywhere near the amount that I was hauling over the summer and last spring. It just isn’t practical…
I would really like to have a new album done in the spring of ‘09. I think that is a reasonable time frame. I think I already have a few songs that I would deem appropriate for a new disc… and that way I can spend a year or so selling off my first record and then by putting out a second disc I will have some momentum when I head off for the fantasy land again…
(I have to laugh at myself every so often… most of my friends are getting to the point where they are graduating college and whatnot and getting on with “life” … and here I am still playing in the clouds from when I was 8 years old … still thinking I should be headlining arenas across the country) … but I don’t think I want to be doing anything else, and I until I do… I don’t know.
I’m also going to be investing a little more time into my family’s “career”. Again, for those of you who don’t know… I am the fourth oldest of eleven kids, and we are a pretty musical bunch. We all sing and a lot of us play some kind of instrument… and we have started performing as a family more and more around the area. We actually have a website in the works… as soon as it is up I will let you know. Anyway, I’ll be performing with them on occasion throughout the next calendar year as well… I’ll post those shows when appropriate here as well.
I guess that’s it for now. I’ll try to keep this site updated and whatnot… I’ll let you know when and where I am playing when it makes sense to. Otherwise… keep in touch. I know I have a lot of catching up to do with a lot of you…
Happy Holidays.
Oct 9th. 2007 - Uphill battle, and an unbelievable one at that. After 12 hours of highway (with only two and a half cans of “AMP” mind you) … I have entered what they call the “Music City”. You know, I can’t even tell you what I was expecting when I decided to move to Nashville… I guess I never thought about how big things can be outside of whatever it was that I knew. (Mind you, I have been here officially now for less than 12 hours… so this whole thought process process is subject to change once I get the city figured out some more…however). Back home, you go to a grocery store and you are going to run into about half a dozen people who you know and can strike up a good conversation with. I just took a very small tour of parts of the city last night and quickly find myself a bit overwhelmed. Don’t get me wrong… I am in no way doing any second guessing at this point… it’s just maybe the bar has been raised a bit I guess. I knew the “task” at hand was to be daunting… but now that I actually see what it is that I am suppose to win over… it’s a bit breath taking.
Can I give an analogy? Ha, I love analogies… anyway, imagine your boss asking you to do him a favor and you oblige to be nice… and then he takes you to a room filled from the floor to your waist in envelopes and he asked you to open all of them. Imagine what you would be thinking as he left the room … and that’s kind of the mindset I’m in right now. Of course, opening envelopes is a bad job and I am playing music… so the comparison is actually a very bad one, but you get my point.
It’s a cool challenge. Something that I am looking forward to. At this point, nobody in Nashville, Tennessee knows a thing or cares a thing about who or what Jacob Fannin is… and for the first time in my life I am all by myself in trying to make it mean something to people. First thing is first though… I need an apartment and a job and vague direction… so that is what I’ll be working on this week. (I promised my car I would give her a break for a bit though… I can’t afford a breakdown) 
Hope all is well with you… things are optimistic on this end.
Jake
Aug 30th, 2007 - Hello! Once again, I can only lower my head in embarassment over how long it has taken me to write in this thing. The past month or so, however, has been pretty good for me. I released my CD…. FINALLY! It was released on August 12th at a private show in Oshkosh. Some friends and family came out for it, it went real well. If anybody is interested in picking up a CD, there is a link on the front page as well as in the “Music/Discography” section that will take you directly to the site where you can buy a copy. Thank you in advance!
Just over a month left until I am no longer a resident of Wisconsin! … So many mixed emotions about this. Obviously I’m excited and am looking forward to being around some of the best musicians in the world down in Nashville. I have so much to learn about the industry and performing and both instruments that I play and absolutely EVERYTHING else involved… and I’m going to be a sponge down there. Of course that is exciting…. however, I’m starting to get into the “deep breathing” stage of the pre-trip. I don’t know if that makes sense… but do you remember when you were growing up and you had a big football game or performance of some kind? And the days leading up were just planning and practicing and preparing… and then as soon as the day of came, it was overriding nerves and then you had to calm yourself down so you didn’t wear yourself out before it started?? Maybe that’s just me… but I’m in that calming down stage right now. I’m just trying to keep my mind steady to counter the fact that it is moving about 3,000 miles an hour.
I have a show here in Hortonville in a few days! Friday night, the 31st, at the Dugout. I think I’ll be starting at 10 or so. It’s actually the first time I’ve played in my hometown… so it should be a blast. I’m hoping there are a lot of people there who I haven’t seen in a while… always good to see friends who you haven’t seen in a long time. I’m probably only going to be playing a few shows between now and the time I leave… and I did that purposely. I definately want the last month or so to be low-key so I can say goodbye to all of my family and friends properly. Playing shows every chance I can would leave me no time to do that… so I am going to be picking the places I play sparingly. Keep checking back to the site though…
Ok. I have to keep this short. I have to get running this morning. Thank you to everyone who has bought a CD or sent a message of some kind up to this point… I’m humbled. I’ll really try to write in this thing sooner rather than later. Let you know how things are before I depart.
Take care.
Jake
July 8th, 2007 - Hey all. How have we been? This past month or so has been a bit frustrating. There was a big time miscommunication with the
duplication company I am dealing with, and because of it, the release date of my CD has been pushed back. It was going to be yesterday, the 7th, but as of now I am looking at the weekend of August 4th and 5th. I’m hoping that can work out.
The shows are progressing nicely. I don’t play nearly as much as I would like to, but that is because I am working so much… and I can’t leave the general area to play shows when I have to be up the following day to work. As of now, I am getting about three shows a month… which I can take for the time being.
Nashville is approaching extremely fast. I remember last summer sitting back and figuring I had a year or so before I even had to worry about it, and now here we sit in the first week of July and I am moving out of here in less than three months. I know the following months are going to fly by too, because we are entering what we call “hell week” at work (I’m sure you’ve heard of the EAA Fly-in every year up in Oshkosh, WI… the company I work for makes all of the food for the event) and so I’ll be working some ridiculous amount of hours over the next month preparing, enduring, and recovering from this event. In August my brother is getting married, which is extremely exciting, and then it will September and I will have to start packing up my things.
I don’t know how many of you have performed before (on any level)… but you know that feeling about 10 seconds before you walk out onto a stage in front of an audience? There is that half-second pep talk you give yourself that goes a little something like “Don’t be nervous, just have a good time, smile, and don’t screw up” … well, I’m starting to get into that mode, only on a slightly bigger scale. My 10 second window is starting now… the half-second pep talk I’m sure will come the day before I leave, and to be honest… I’m not even sure how big my stage is. Kind of crazy.
There will be some info coming up here pretty soon about my release party as far as time and place and everything. You should be able to pick up a copy of the CD for half price which is pretty cool. You’ll also be able to purchase a copy directly off of this website if you are unable to be in this area. Digital Downloads are also in the works… I have agreed to work with DigStation.com, the Indie (Independent) Music version of iTunes. I’ll be discussing with iTunes as well, but they are a tougher cookie to crack. Especially if you aren’t a headlining name. CDBaby.com is going to be the online carrier of my CD. You’ll be able to buy it from them, which is pretty cool.
I apologize again for not writing in this thing more often. I can’t promise anything over the next few months because things are going to get hectic… but I will try really hard?
All the best,
Jake
May 21st, 2007 - And so San Diego is no longer. I think I had told you that I was planning on moving out there after this semester… but I think I found a better place for me… which is Nashville. There were about 40 different things to weigh when trying to figure out where I should pick up and move to…
For one, they are the songwriting capital of the world. That bodes well for me, because I sometimes think of myself more as a songwriter rather than a performer. Don’t get me wrong… I want to sing… no doubt, but as optimistic as I am that I can make the performing thing work… the realist in me says that if I want a spot in this business, it may be in songwriting rather than performing. With that said, I’m going to bust it trying to make people respect me as a musician/singer/performer… but the songwriting this is definately something I can keep my hand in while down there to keep myself afloat… or “in the game” if you will.
Nashville also comes at about half the price of San Diego, literally. I have been looking through apartments in both places and the same apartment (sq. footage, amenities, rooms, etc..) in California is almost twice as much as it is in Nashville. You know the story about “struggling musicians” and the lack of money/income?… well, it is no lie. Money will always be an issue with me while I’m going at this… so it had to play a factor.
The other big reason why I went Nashville is because of the industry. Forever now, the rule has been that if you wanted to make it in the music biz, you had to someday make the move to either New York or Los Angeles to get discovered. That still holds true today… but Nashville is rapidly becoming a strong third option. Now, I know that it is a HUGE country music city… which doesn’t at all describe my style of music or play much to my musical preference… but it is a big enough and diverse enough city where other genres of music are definately accepted. With that said, given the ratio of “pop” musicians in NYC and LA vs in Nashville… I have a hunch I’ll be able to get “work” (i.e. gigs, shows, appearances, etc….) at a much more regular rate in Tennessee than in Cali or NYC. Now I realize that the publicity of the shows in New York and LA would be much greater than most of the shows in Nashville… but I’m at a point early enough in my career where all I am looking for is positive feedback and as many good industry contacts as I can find… the exposure part comes after you have paid your dues, which really I have only begun to do. That reason tied along with the hope that I am beating the pending rush of musicians out to Nashville plays a big role in the sudden change of heart of my part.
I am still looking towards a middle of September move. My birthday falls on the 19th of that month… so I’ll probably stick around for that, and then head on south from there.
I’m excited for it. I’ve kind of been dreaming this up in my head for the past six years or so… where I would move, what I would do once I got to where ever I was going; and the fact that I’m about four months from actually doing it is a bit of a rush.
Hey, I can hope can’t I?
May 16th, 2007 - And… action! School is out, and I cannot tell you what that does for the mind. I can also say that my free time just went from none to some… so I will definately (promise) be writing in this thing more often.
I guess a lot has happened in the last few months that I should probably update you on. I’ll save some of it for a journal maybe tomorrow or the following day just to make sure this post doesn’t get exceedingly long… but I do have a few things to say.
My CD is done! That is… I just had my last recording session last night with Nate Edwards. (NateRecording.com) He is going to take the next week to mix and master it… and then I send it off for duplication. The date for the CD’s internet and public release is June 15th, and that date is all but final.
I just picked up a few more places where the CD is going to be available. CDBaby.com (world’s largest retailer of Independent music) is going to carry it. iTunes!! I don’t know why I am so pumped to have my music on iTunes, but for some reason it seems to be a big stepping stone for a lot of people. DigStation.com (another legal download site) is also going to pick it up… which is awesome.
The number of local retailers in NE Wisconsin is still being sorted out. Obviously the local market, for me, is a big deal… just because I really want my family and friends to like the disc, and have it be a topic of pride among them rather than embarrassment. As of now, I’m in “negotiations” with the Best Buy, Barnes and Noble, and Basic Bookstores in the Fox Valley area. I’ll let you know how that works out.
I just finished my first mini “tour”. It wasn’t a real tour… but it was the first bit of back to back traveling I have done to play shows. I played three consecutive nights: first in Milwaukee, then in Madison, and then back in Oshkosh.
Milwaukee was rad. The Art Bar was a cool place to play. The owner asked me back, and I would definitely like to go back. I think he said sometime in September, which is cool by me.
Madison was cool for different reasons. The city is awesome, such a laid back, laissez-faire feel to it. I played at a small bar kinda outside of town a little bit. The place was a bit smaller, and kind of had a “Cheers” feel to it. Everybody knew everybody. A good number of my friends from Madison came out to the gig and a few not from Madison came down too, which was awesome. I’m finding out quickly that piano ballads are often NOT appropriate for the bar scene. The crowd didn’t seem to like the piano as much… but responded pretty well to anything I played on the guitar. I don’t know, I’m learning a lot ABOUT playing…the more I play; which is making this whole experience that much more fun for me.
Alright, I’m going to head it. This will be getting updated much more often… so I’ll be back soon.
Jake
March 30th, 2007 - Weird feeling… I have about 30,000 things going through my head, stuff that I’d like to say, and yet when I sit down here to type… “I got nothin’”.
My first gig came and went. I thought it went pretty well. Four drunk guys dressed up as the ninja turtles crashed it though. It was funny. I was thinking about this the other day… how reporters are always asking musicians what the strangest thing is that has ever happened to them during a performance. I guarantee that in 5 or 10 years if I luck out and am still doing this…. that will be my answer, and it happened at my first show. They were nice drunks… loud drunks.. but nice nonetheless. They even asked to have their picture taken with me…
School has been insane. I am struggling to keep myself motivated with it. It’s strange… when it comes to music, I can keep busy up in it for hours upon hours and not know where the time went, and yet I am finding it hard to sit down for 10 minutes for homework when I know I could be writing. Strangely, my priorities in life right now kind of run 1) family 2) music 3) work (to pay for the music) and 4) school. I know that should be re-arranged… but I have been having trouble finding school important enough to worry about. Is that bad?
I love motivational things. That is not some sensitive nonsense that my brothers are going to want to beat me up over either. I have a legitimate reason. There is a ridiculous difference in my writing after I’ve watched something inspiring. Honestly, when I move out to Cali… there are only a select few movies I am taking with me and allowing in my house… (Pursuit of Happyness, Cinderella Man, … those types) This is a good thing I have decided.
My Cd’s release date is still bouncing around. I had pegged it for July 15th… but I have run into some unexpected money… so that day may be arriving a little sooner than I had expected. I still would love to have it come out the first weekend in June… but I think that would be pushing it. I can confidently say that it will be out sometime between June 1st and July 15th however… so that is exciting.
The shows are starting to accumulate as well. I have been added to a bill in Madison with Lucas Cates and another show in Oshkosh on back-to-back days. That will be a good weekend. Hopefully I can get a consistent schedule of gigs this summer to keep me busy. I don’t really care where I play… I just want to be singing into a microphone somewhere.
Ahh… what a nonsense journal entry. I had so many things with actual “depth” to them that I wanted to say, and all you get are meaningless updates. Shame.
Alright, I’ll be back sometime soon to ramble on something. Take care… and come to my shows!!
Jake
January 21st, 2007 - FINALLY. It took about six months longer then I anticipated, but I am finally ready to open this thing. I still have a lot more that I want to add, as far as pages and content and whatnot… but it is a start at least. Keep a look out for a “future shows” page to pop up sometime soon. I’ll be getting out on and stage so I can finally embarrass myself in front of everyone. I’m stoked.
I have decided to stick it out another semester at college. I’ll be graduating next December instead of this May. To be honest, it turned into an easy decision after I sat and thought about it. There was about a 12 to 3 positive to negative in doing it… so I’m here for awhile yet.
The Bears are in the Super Bowl. I’m sick.
December 14th, 2006 - So I have recorded five songs up to this point. They are being mixed as we speak, hopefully I have those soon and then I’ll have them on this page so I can open this thing up. Nate Edwards has been the guy doing all my mixing, awesome guy to work with, so it has been fun.
I just bought A LOT of stage equipment which I really couldn’t afford. Regardless, it sounds great and I’m excited to start playing some shows in the near future. I have a few more “pieces” to buy, and as soon as I have everything I need, I’ll be out and around making a fool of myself on stage. I’m hoping the middle of February when shows begin?
Christmas = close. Finished shopping = not so close. It’s unbelievable how I can promise myself to be finished with my shopping by August… and I guarantee I will be out there on the 24th buying things. I know what I need for everyone… it is just physically getting all of it that I won’t seem to do. Ridiculous.
I have to run. Happy Holidays to all. I’m hoping sometime soon into 2007 all of you will actually be reading this.Jake
September 27th, 2006 - Hello! Two months and no journal. For some reason I feel I have a reason though, because it means I’ve been busy. A lot has come and gone since the last update. My last year in school has started! Unbelievably excited that I’m beginning the end of this “experiment” that is college. Soon enough I will be heading off to Cali and getting abused by music execs making money off me
I went to Memphis, TN the week before school started and that place is everything it is suppose to be. Correction, Beale Street is everything it is suppose to be. I can’t say I went anywhere else except the “music center” of the city. I did make it out to Graceland, which was kind of eerie but definitely worth the trip. They say you can “feel Elvis’ presence” when you are there… and in a weird way, you almost could. To be honest, I half expected Elvis to come walking down the stairs at anytime while we were there… it was weird. Definite “at home” feel to it. The music of Beale St. is incredible. I spent almost all of my time just sitting in bars and clubs listening to live music… fantastic.
My birthday was last week! 22 years old and ready to get going with this “life” thing.
Well, I can tell you my entire album is “written”… meaning the songs and melodies are on paper. It’s just a matter of adding background instruments as I see fit and getting into the studio to record all of it. June 1st remains my target to have everything printed and available… I’m hoping that date stays the same. I’ll try and get back here sooner rather than later.Jake
July 13th, 2006 – Have you ever just wished you could fast forward time to get to where you know you should be? Nothing against where I am right now… I like where I am… and to be perfectly honest, I know I’m going to look back in five or ten years and kick myself for not enjoying my college days; but I am just aching to get going with this whole life thing. I’ve basically spent the last three years planning and working towards what I want to do… and I’ve just been very inconvenienced because going to college has nothing to do with it. I’m not going to lie, the last three years here at school have been very frustrating for me. I know being here is the smart thing to do, because my chances of making it in this business are laughable and this will be a good thing to fall back on if this falls through… but I just can’t help but feel like I am just wasting time here. Probably selfish of me I know, I’m here complaining about going to college..The good news for me is that I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel. That light, of course, being this spring when the University of Wisconsin – Oshkosh officially becomes my alma-mater. Again, I know I should have enjoyed my time in college far more than I did and am. But I really can’t help it. My Friday and Saturday nights for the longest time have been spent learning about, reading about, writing, and playing this craziness that is music.
I don’t know how prepared all this has made me, or how much more prepared I will get in the next 12 months… but I do know that next summer will be my last in Wisconsin for awhile. I’m naively heading west, towards whatever San Diego and Los Angeles proves to be. Again, for all I know, I am going to crash & burn and be out of money and hope within six months and come crawling on home. But to be honest, I know myself… and I know that I am far to afraid of embarrassing my family to let that happen. I wish I could tell all of them so they will believe me… but they are going to worry regardless. I’m going to be ok when I go out there. Period. I just wish that time would get here.
June 1st, 2006 – I realize that it is going to be a little while before anybody starts looking at this site, but I figure once you DO get here, you will want something to look at… so a journal may be a good thing. It’ll give me another reason to update this site as often as possible.
I can’t tell you how frustrating the past semester has been artistically. (I hate using that word, because it makes me sound like I’m acknowledging the fact that I’m a real musician… and I’m not. I’m just a wannabe who likes to write and play) With such a heavy school and workload… there just hasn’t been any time to sit with a guitar or piano and write down any of this mess in my head. I can’t really tell you how other people write songs, either the mental or physical process… but for me the musical part always comes in bits and pieces. I’ll hear a piano line in my head and it’ll be stuck there until I can sit down and actually play it. Same with guitar music. Rarely will I sit down with an instrument and say “Make some notes now” … it doesn’t work that way for me. So I have a semester’s worth of thinking bottled up inside of me… and I’m really looking forward to some down time this summer when I can sit and make sense of some of it. I hope that makes sense.
Otherwise my summer plans, as of now, are to work, write, and see as much of my friends as possible, since I will be leaving them relatively soon. I know I have another year of school and probably a full summer in me before I naively head off west… but that time will be gone before any of us realize it. Scary if you think about it… but in a real exciting way. First things first though, I need a demo stamped with my approval… so I have to get real busy. I have no idea how long it will be between updates. I’ll try to get back as often as possible.
Peace!