For those of you who don't know me - I've just finished my degree course at Salford University (in Salford, UK) studying Music, of course. Haven't had all my results yet; no doubt I'll have a moan when they come back, but as things stand I've sneaked a first.
More on that at a later date.
So that begs the inevitable question that very recent ex-students all up and down the country, and indeed the world, will be asking themselves.
Now what?
Ok, well, first off, I'm not just going to stop doing music, but I have to reconsider my approach. As now, alas, I've graduated, and the major record labels aren't queueing up to sign me; I'm not getting weekly pleas from Michael Eavis to headline Glastonbury, and the New Musical Express can't even be bothered to shout loudly that I'm not as good as Radiohead.
The short term answer is simple. I need a job. Doing what, I don't know; in a sense it doesn't matter. Something that isn't time consuming, but pays well enough that I can look after myself and continue to fund my musical career.
But, perhaps, I should look into doing full time serious work, rather than any old shit for cash. Perhaps I should focus my energies on landing a well-paying full-time career job in the music industry, so that I can spend all of my time developing inside it. Of course, that's all very well said, but quite another thing done. My dream occupation, of course, would be to write my own albums; or music of whatever description, that I can record using whatever means I desire, and then perform said music to dedicated fans who have come to see my shows because they want to enjoy the celebration of influences, ideas, and colours that my music employs.
But, that ain't gonna happen overnight.
So, perhaps I could go into Journalism, Production, Commissioned Composing, Event Organizing, Promoting, DJing, Radio Producing, or, God forbid, even teaching - where I will naturally be surrounded by music, I'll have resources or contacts at my disposal and I can learn a lot, while earning a lot, and giving myself the best possible chance of realizing my dream.
But, alas, I'm not alone in thinking that, and for every opening in this meanest of industries is twenty musicians with a pipe dream.
I'll throw in an aside here - I am actively looking for job opportunities in all of the aforementioned areas - I realize my tone sounds like I've given up somewhat, but I'm merely using this blog to voice my concerns about my future, and which direction I should move.
Teaching, however, and in more detail, is something I really DON'T want to do. I'm impatient and I can see that getting me stuck. If I was going to do any teaching, then university level would be ideal, as I can use the facilities to aid me in the progression of my own skills. However, I would also need a teaching qualification - a PGCE or completing a training course whilst on the job - to do this, and all in all I've spent enough time in education now.
So that brings me neatly back to the start of my monologue. Is the part time job idea better? I'm more likely to find paid work that way. And I'll likely have a lot of free time to pursue my music. But being outside of the music industry apart from under my own volition, may be a certain way to stay anonymous. And, of course, I'm more likely to be laid off, and end up in deep financial trouble, living hand to mouth.
So there you have it.
I don't regret for a second having done a music degree - I've largely enjoyed it, and I would never have enjoyed doing anything else.
But I can't avoid the question - but I have little idea of how to answer - what now?
Any thoughts? Please send them my way, I could do with some friendly advice - and vice versa, I'm quite happy to impart what little wisdom I have gained during my thus far brief musical career.
Hartless, out!
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Matt Hartless / Blog
I've graduated - now what?
For those of you who don't know me - I've just finished my degree course at Salford University (in Salford, UK) studying Music, of course. Haven't had all my results yet; no doubt I'll have a moan when they come back, but as things stand I've sneaked a first.
More on that at a later date.
So that begs the inevitable question that very recent ex-students all up and down the country, and indeed the world, will be asking themselves.
Now what?
Ok, well, first off, I'm not just going to stop doing music, but I have to reconsider my approach. As now, alas, I've graduated, and the major record labels aren't queueing up to sign me; I'm not getting weekly pleas from Michael Eavis to headline Glastonbury, and the New Musical Express can't even be bothered to shout loudly that I'm not as good as Radiohead.
The short term answer is simple. I need a job. Doing what, I don't know; in a sense it doesn't matter. Something that isn't time consuming, but pays well enough that I can look after myself and continue to fund my musical career.
But, perhaps, I should look into doing full time serious work, rather than any old shit for cash. Perhaps I should focus my energies on landing a well-paying full-time career job in the music industry, so that I can spend all of my time developing inside it. Of course, that's all very well said, but quite another thing done. My dream occupation, of course, would be to write my own albums; or music of whatever description, that I can record using whatever means I desire, and then perform said music to dedicated fans who have come to see my shows because they want to enjoy the celebration of influences, ideas, and colours that my music employs.
But, that ain't gonna happen overnight.
So, perhaps I could go into Journalism, Production, Commissioned Composing, Event Organizing, Promoting, DJing, Radio Producing, or, God forbid, even teaching - where I will naturally be surrounded by music, I'll have resources or contacts at my disposal and I can learn a lot, while earning a lot, and giving myself the best possible chance of realizing my dream.
But, alas, I'm not alone in thinking that, and for every opening in this meanest of industries is twenty musicians with a pipe dream.
I'll throw in an aside here - I am actively looking for job opportunities in all of the aforementioned areas - I realize my tone sounds like I've given up somewhat, but I'm merely using this blog to voice my concerns about my future, and which direction I should move.
Teaching, however, and in more detail, is something I really DON'T want to do. I'm impatient and I can see that getting me stuck. If I was going to do any teaching, then university level would be ideal, as I can use the facilities to aid me in the progression of my own skills. However, I would also need a teaching qualification - a PGCE or completing a training course whilst on the job - to do this, and all in all I've spent enough time in education now.
So that brings me neatly back to the start of my monologue. Is the part time job idea better? I'm more likely to find paid work that way. And I'll likely have a lot of free time to pursue my music. But being outside of the music industry apart from under my own volition, may be a certain way to stay anonymous. And, of course, I'm more likely to be laid off, and end up in deep financial trouble, living hand to mouth.
So there you have it.
I don't regret for a second having done a music degree - I've largely enjoyed it, and I would never have enjoyed doing anything else.
But I can't avoid the question - but I have little idea of how to answer - what now?
Any thoughts? Please send them my way, I could do with some friendly advice - and vice versa, I'm quite happy to impart what little wisdom I have gained during my thus far brief musical career.
Hartless, out!
Reply
Everyone Looks Better In The Sun - The Matt Hartless Blog Week 2
02 - Everyone Looks Better In The Sun
This song is about social alienation. Something that often gets my goat is that, while I'm still young - at the mere age of 20 at the time of writing - I feel I get ignored as a serious musician, due to my age. I don't buy into the fact that people slightly older than me are necessarily better songwriters - that they've had more experience than I, I can't argue with - but it frustrates me when people categorize my music, and myself by extention into angsty nobody loves me teenager punk without (clearly) having listened to it.
But then, is it that important for me to seek approval from those snobs? As I say in the song - 'Who looks out too desperately? Who really needs this to work?' If I don't care what they think, then ultimately they have lost, because there are plenty of people who do enjoy my music and they've stopped themselves enjoying it for no good reason at all. It's more a case of wanting what you can't have. The inspiration behind the title is that at the time of writing, we had a heatwave in Manchester (in March) and I managed to get sunburned, no doubt due to my pale celtic pallour and the fact that I forgot about this when I should have bought suncream to spend a disproportionate amount of time outdoors. I had to stay inside for a few days to avoid burning myself again, and I was very jealous of all of my flatmates enjoying sunbathing. But do I enjoy just lounging around all day? No I get very restless, that's why I play music, write all the time - gives me something to do, cans the rising hysteria. I only coveted it because it was covetable. Silly, really - and I equated that to my reaction to the snobs behind the serious meaning of the song.
I was very into Elbow at the time of writing this, and I wanted to slow everything right down, strip layers back, so the piano and acoustic guitar were the most important instruments.
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We're Not Children Any More - The Matt Hartless Blog Week 1
Hello and welcome to my blog - each week, until I run out of songs, I will discuss the themes of every song on an album, and a few other b-sides and singles etc; what it's about, the lyrical and musical inspirations, anything interesting about recording/writing the song, and anything interesting about performing it live. If you like what I'm saying then by all means listen to my music - and if you like it, buy it! If you wish to get in touch with me for whatever reason then by all means feel free to drop me an email - I can't promise I will reply, but I will endeavour to if you require any service of me. Also if there's anything about any of my songs that you want to ask about that I haven't covered in the blog, then please please email me - it would be fantastic to know my blog has some readership! So yes, we shall start at the beginning, sort of. As I have one professionally released album, it makes sense to start there, and where better than with track 1?
We're Not Children Any More
Despite being the album opener, this was the last track to be written for the album. I originally intended to open with Everyone Looks Better In The Sun, but I felt it was too sudden. I wanted the first track to be something of a preview to the rest of the record, set the scene. I was also dead keen to use the chord sequence in something on the album.
Musically, I'd been listening to Dry The River, and wanted to have a sweet acoustic guitar line to open with.
The album as a whole does focus a lot on growing up, going through change - the transition from youth to a position of responsibility. Ironically saying we're not children any more is often seen as a childish thing to say - I was thinking of a teenager getting embarrased by his/her mother 'I'm not a child any more...' etc. I guess I intended the song to be something of a flashback as well as a preview, remembering a time when I would be rebellious and defiant of my parents for the sake of it. There's also a sadness, though. The line 'you could have made us happy, but we fucked it all up,' refers partly to the banking crisis, but also a sense of regret; feeling you've left your happiest (childhood) days behind you, and never realized that until they had passed you by.
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