Today is the last day of my 48th year on the planet. I thought it was going to be a really pivotal year, and by most accounts it truly was. Although a good chunk of it was affected by the covid-19 pandemic, it was still quite pivotal. Considering that I’m starting this next year, the last one in my forties, in the midst of the same pandemic, with no end in sight, I would say that this is going to be a pivotal year as well.
As such, there are a number of things I’m going to be doing differently. Since I decided that 2020 would be the year that I established myself as a songwriter, I’ve got to change some of my habits, tendencies, tactics, and strategies in order to completely embrace the experience I am seeking. While I have done a lot of work over the last several months to write seven new songs, produce a number of them, and release a full album with 13 tracks, including 9 live tracks from my performance at Common Grounds Meeting Hall in North Port in December, I still have a lot of work to do, and I need to focus.
My intention is for this album, along with all of my other digital products, to be an experiment in ABC Squared Economics. That means that the proceeds from sales and plays of the songs will be channeled toward the continued support of Artistry, Business, Citizenry, and Community. In common terms, this means that I’m taking a different approach to paying residuals, marketing, taxes, and contributions.
For starters, this means that 10% of all proceeds from the songs will go to support Second Heart Homes in their endeavor to house people suffering from homelessness due to untreated mental illness and other issues. I have yet to work out the mathematical possibilities, but my intention is to increase the percentage of funding for Second Heart Homes and other organizations that provide housing, food, and water for all that need it as sales increase. I imagine the possibility of automating the process in order to establish multiple streams of residual revenue for the Artists I collaborate with, the Business of taking the product and services to market (including the production of media and touring for live performances), the Citizenry of providing for the infrastructure required for opportunity and caretaking of the environmental impact of the ensuing activity, and the entirety of the Community in which I create the art of my life.
I recognize that it is a lofty goal, and because I’ve been pondering it for a good chunk of my so-called adult life, I may just be a ridiculous dreamer. Nevertheless, I still believe in the dream, and considering the relatively nightmarish circumstances I currently find myself in, I have little choice but to continue following it.
Another thing that is going to change this year is my use of social media. I have had a love-hate relationship with Facebook for the last several years, and I’ve pretty much always hated Twitter. I find that I can be too easily lulled into complacent scrolling, and that even though I share a steady stream of updates, although I occasionally get a nice little rush of endorphins when I get some engagement, for the most part, spending time on Facebook has done very little to help me professionally or personally.But I am now producing two web series, writing my next book, and reaching out to venues that will allow me to play in spite of the pandemic. Here’s to a good year. I hope you enjoy Songs For the People.
