Grounds for Thought

Grounds for Thought is the punny name of my preferred coffee shop. It's also larger than the other establishments, full of used books. It's kind of the all-purpose setting. Throughout the year, I would come here to read, study, hang out--even compose. Anyway, now I come here to use the wireless internet and… well, drink coffee.

Grounds for Thought, I must say, is one thing I will miss about BG. The other best parts of this experience would have to be going to a few other dining/coffee establishments on the same street. I will also miss playing Frisbee with the K-man, putting some balls, and going to the lake. Fortunately all these best parts are still going on for the summer.

I’m having some issues with my hardware and software. Before I can even launch Logic for the first time, I have to figure some of this stuff out.

My sister loaned me the first season of Lost on DVD. I watched all of it in about five days. Now I’m mad at her for getting me addicted to a TV show just when I was finally through with ongoing television shows. I was content to just collect the DVDs of finite series such as Quantum Leap and Seinfeld.

I have also started reading every single Calvin & Hobbes strip in chronological order—the ultimate marathon. I’ve also been reading the New Jedi Order series. I played Revenge of the Sith on PlayStation2 this week. It’s one of the best action games I’ve ever played.

All rest and recreation aside, my top priority for the next week is to get squared away regarding my home studio setup, as well as start planning a course of action for the future. Before I can begin composing various projects, I actually need the capability of doing it. This means figuring out what’s up with my hardware and software situation. I might be scoring an indie film next year… assuming Dan gets around to actually making it.

That’s basically what I’ve been up to this week. Call it detoxification from the grad school mentality. I’m completely unapologetic for being lazy this week.

The best-case scenario for me would be to compose for film on some level, or even compose for video games. I know the language, and I would be happy doing it. Every single composer I have ever met would inevitably look down on my music for some reason or another… but maybe that doesn’t matter. I’m starting to put some serious distance between me and the discouraging composer conversations. I know I’ll never make it into Hollywood. Nobody makes it. It’s astronomically ambitious to even imagine becoming a big-shot film composer. There are thousands of chumps just like me who can do it, but will never get in. I know that.

What is the mark of success? To have other composers respect what you do? Maybe that’s impossible. Validation is nice, but maybe it’s not worth pursuing. The non-film-composers will never understand me, and the film composers I’ve met will always be overly-analytical about every note I (and everyone else) may write. I find that when I am around non-composers I feel more at ease. That, my friends, is grounds for thought.

At least now I have breathing room.