Wow — it’s been FOUR MONTHS since my last blog here. THE REASON: (can you guess?)… It’s been a very, very busy summer! While many people are busy working a job (or 2, or 3), and many others are really busy looking for one — the rest of us are keeping busy doing BOTH! I’m one of the latter — working constantly — juggling several projects at once and creating more work. Keeping busy is not hard in the field of the arts. Making a living at it is another story. If you want to be a professional in this “business,” it takes more than getting up and going to work (and then going home at the end of the day).

One of the most important things we can do as artists and “business-persons in the arts” is to keep growing, learning, re-learning, investing in ourselves, and in our tools of the trade.

Since it has become more difficult to make a living in any field these days (working longer hours for less pay!), it would help to know some of the things we can do to “diversify our portfolios of assets” — something every artist can do — and I would love to elaborate in the next article on this subject. I’ll also open the door to the FOM vault, and we’ll look at some things from the Facts Of Music® vantage point, and you’ll begin to see why those who have seen it are better for it!

I started out as a guitar player who was very interested in most other instruments, could sing some, and also dabbled with arranging and composing. Little did I know back then (in the 60’s and beyond into the 1980’s) that I would someday have to use all those “skills” and add several more to boot.

Two blogs back (only May 15th, 2010…) — seems like forever ago — I mentioned that I was going to release some time-treasured secrets from the FOM vault. What did this mean?

I am going to start posting some of the materials that make it much easier for most of us to absorb large masses of musical knowledge in a way that is much more organized and therefore easier to master (some of this information is often referred to as “Music Theory” — although this truly is a “misnomer,” and you will soon see what I mean). I am also planning to post Facts Of Music® PDFs and video sessions to pull things together for you, at least in a basic way, hoping that all of this will motivate and encourage you in more ways than one.

Almost two years ago, I started doing live Skype web-cam sessions with students, and these have become valuable ways to work with people anywhere in the world (it also helps that I can communicate these things in languages other than English!).

When we get back together in the next month or so in the next blog, I will introduce the first of many subjects and show you HOW and WHY the “Facts Of Music®” approach is the faster, better and richer way to really put things all together for yourself in music and this crazy world we call “Show Biz.” It’s going to be another busy time now with the holiday season just around the corner (again?!!!) — so you can consider and anticipate this as a “Christmas gift” from Facts Of Music®! Hopefully it will be an “early one,” if I can pull the resources together and get it out to you.

Until then, keep on plugging and stay focused and organized wherever possible, and keep learning and enjoying NEW THINGS — musically and otherwise.

Musically yours,
Philippe Willems

P.S. Remember you can email me with your questions: philippe@factsofmusic.com