cEllo
How are you?
I usually have a plan for these newsletters but the hectic last weeks of December and holidays planning on top means that I leave writing till the last minute.
And I don't know what I will be writing about.
However, let's talk about something.
First, let's talk about music.
Recently, my wife Paulina decided to learn an instrument. She played a little bass in her youth and toyed with picking up something again.
After our recent trip to London, where we saw my favourite Hania Rani and her friend Dobrawa playing at Southbank, Paulina decided to try out - a cello!
We had a taster session with a Bristolian performer, and last week we hired a cello from the city's violin shop. She's now organising a tutor and has started learning the instrument.
Except for being excited (as I always am when someone decides to venture into music), I started to ponder my relationship with music, instruments and my career.
I always say that people who know what they want to do and pursue it their whole life are rare - athletes, musicians, scientists.
Most of us, me included, say things like, 'I still don't know what I want to do 'I'm still looking for my passion'.
But, when I look at my life—where I started and where I am now—I always knew what I wanted to do, pursued it throughout my life and ended up doing it!
I am curious to know how much of a conscious decision it was.
Or, it had to happen this way.
Looking back, I was always interested in many things - writing, reading, science, politics, economics, filmmaking, games and, of course, music.
Why did music and sound take priority over everything else?
I could have ended up in a different career, on a different path, and I'm sure I would be fine.
As I thought about it last week, I concluded that it was because of two things.
One - when I pick an instrument, it feels natural. It always felt right, like it was my default state.
Like I belong in this state.
It isn't easy to articulate, and I tried to do so to Paulina last evening. My point was that many people learn to play instruments, some because of their parents or other pressures. But they don't have that feeling.
It's not natural to them; it's learned. And I can tell when I see someone playing. Then you have others who feel the same way I do, and when I see them perform, I can feel it.
I understand them. It's an unspoken connection, a language that we share.
Two - it was always a mystery to me. Music.
Where does it come from?
Why does it exist?
How come I can sit down and make something up from nothing?
It's the same feeling writers, painters, designers, and other creatives must have.
Yes, we learn techniques, patterns, and theory, but you need that undefined element. One that cannot be taught, and it feels like magic.
Why aren't you a travelling musician then? A performer? A rock star?
Good question.
Yes - music is my love and inspiration, but I also understand our way of life and society.
The life of a musician is hard. Even if I were one of the lucky few to make a career, I would always have to be on tour. There are a lot of pressures involved, and the music business is one of the worst ones to be in.
So I learned the production, the sound, the editing, the mixing. Eventually, Casefile happened, and I could create a job where I combined my learned production skills with my love for music.
I wouldn't have it any other way, at least for now.
PODCAST PRODUCER LATEST
I'm in the middle of the next project for Casefile Presents. The deadline is the end of January 2023. However, I'm off the first two weeks of 2023, so I have little time.
I plan to finish the first mixes by the end of this year. I've already exported the first two episodes, five more to go!
In between the mixes, I'm working on music for yet another Casefile Presents podcast.
YOUTUBE
No video this week as my brother has been travelling and has yet to finish the next one.
He's been slacking off. (But we did release some TikToks)
LEARNING
I had my 1-2-1 last week with a tutor and started on my next assignment. It's brief for an engine oil advertisement.
I will use sampled sound effects to create the beat and then either classical piano or strings for the melody. We'll see how it goes.
BOOKS
Our Mathematical Universe by Max Tegmark. Pewdiepie recommended the book, and because I like physics, I started reading it this week. It's good but quite a long one, and at least some physics knowledge is required to fully understand the writing.
FUN
1899. A new TV show from the writers of the acclaimed German Dark series. We are halfway through it, and it's another mind-bending, 'what is happening?!' kind of show.
Production is excellent, but two things stand out for me - using native speakers and languages (rather than just English with an accent) and music. It inspired me to do the next score in a similar, modern unsettling style.
God of War Ragnarok. Finally, I got the game in the post and enjoyed it. It's similar to the first one but bigger and better - great game to spend dark winter evenings.
That's it for now. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you (hopefully!) next week!
Mike
https://mikemigas.com/
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