Been a few months, and music production has slowed significantly, being replaced instead with consistent daily practice and musical studies. I've been disatissfied for some time with my musical skills - 15 years of self education and I still am producing at only an above-average amateur level. I finally invested in online courses with Producertech, which is fantastically cheap and WONDERFULLY informative, and I'm practicing playing my instruments with Melodics, which is also equally fantastic. It's like playing DanceDanceRevolution for drums, finger pads, or piano, so practice is significantly less laborious - the twelve-year drum practice deficit is much faster and easier to overcome. The yearly subscriptions for both are so inexpensive compared to college or formal, one-on-one lessons, and I find that for me, they work incredibly well. I highly recommend both for anyone wanting to increase both knowledge and skills with music production.

I finally obtained an electronic drum kit after dreaming of picking up the sticks again for over 12 years, and I finally have a decent enough MIDI keyboard that I can practice playing piano with it. My goal this year is just to practice and learn as much as physically and emotionally possible - I want to come out of this year ready to hammer out new tracks, with the performance skill to make new material far more easily than ever before. It is extremely busy doing this on top of caring for three kids, marriage, working full time, doing part-time college for said work, and attending to religious duties. Right now my days off, such as today, are becoming wonderful days of rest from these incredibly challenging labors. It's nice, because doing all of these things requires so much of me, and yet I feel so deeply fulfilled knowing that I am giving these important efforts my all. I'll be able look back on this time of my life in the future with few regrets. That's worth more than all the hardship I can bear.