Back to work on A Drive Through The Town in stoic fashion. One problem is that, as I become more accomplished in music creation and publishing, the list of what to do for each release grows. For my early albums, like The Spiral Staircase back in 2002, I'd simply burn a CD, make the cover art (maybe only doing that months later) and perhaps print a few copies. Then I'd call the album 'done' and forget about it, ready to move on to the next one. I can't do that now, it would feel like an insult to the album to move on so soon.
Now I still have to make that cover art, but typically 8 pages at 635dpi, plus rear and on-disc art. I make the sheet music for each track, a Spotify Canvas for each track, and a full-size simple video too for each track, for YouTube. I file the tracks, lyrics, credits, and register the music rights with many authorities before publication. I make a lyrics booklet, list it on my website... and more and more. All of this work is perhaps better in the long term, but it hugely increases the time to create an album, which harms the spontaneity of the art, at very least. For me the benefit is the security of the information. I'm treating my work as a major label might.
I find myself doing some of this work now for the old albums like The Spiral Staircase. Back then there was hardly any music released. I could actually sell albums and get reviews and attention. This is much harder now because, I surmise, of the sheer quantity of music released; but this perhaps make this long-term re-enforcement of the music content important. Who knows, if I'd have done all of this back in 2002, The Spiral Staircase might have been a bigger hit.
Today I've been making the sheet music for the new album. I've managed to transcribe 8 songs, with several variations to make 20 scores. This is good going, partly because these pop-sequences are easier to transcribe, as well as the increase in my skill at this job. I find these scores most useful for live performance; nay, essential. Without them I'd have to listen to the original and try to copy by ear, and do that every time, which would take more time than it takes to score these.
I've enjoyed making a few arrangements. The piano arrangement for 'Incomplete Version Of The Writer' is rather nice.
At this rate I could perhaps finish the scoring tomorrow, but I won't because I've jumped the gun a bit and started before the music is finalised. I might tweak the Mister Moan song a little.
All of these scores eventually go on my itch channel and website, but most have only had one download each (and that might have been me!) but one day these will go into print. When I'm 70 I might be 'discovered' like Havergal Brian, but unlike him I'm working now as fast and as best as I can, every day, anyway.
