what next?

So. Here we are. Third year of University. Real life looms over me like a daunting shadow.

And over the summer, I’ve really tried to kick myself into shape. Developing my social media presence; learning how to set up and plug in drum mics; writing and producing drum tracks; learning and using Logic Pro X; earning enough money over summer to buy a Mac to actually use Logic Pro X; learning how to use design software such as Adobe Priemer Pro and Illustrator; using YouTube and Lynda.com to help me out where possible. [Thanks goes to the people who helped me out with all it too – you know who you are ;)]

All these efforts to maximise my skill set and become a jack of all trades, essentially. Aswell as becoming a more competent musician through my technicality on the drum kit, as well as music history and other typically diverse music genres. Certainly not forgetting where I came from, always wanting to do better. Which is good now, but what’s next?

It’s taken three years for me at Lincoln to get through a music degree (not done yet), and yet, somehow, I still do not know what I want to do after. It’s somewhat annoying, but in the same breath, it’s quite refreshing because I’m still open to anything that may come my way.

Seriously, what’s next?

Now, don’t get me wrong, I seriously enjoy drumming. Love it with my life. It’s the only thing that I hold on to dearly that I think I’m alright at! But, a session musician? Is there enough money in that? That side of the industry is pretty condensed already. And as always, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. So, I’m certainly having my doubts on that front. And my social media platform isn’t simply big enough (yet), to expose myself on that front.

Another choice for me, is teaching. Previous summer, I explored down this avenue, by joining an independent musical tuition site that is primarily based in a cabin just outside of Lincoln. And that was fun. Despite of the bus journey and lack of money by hand, it was extremely fun. 1 on 1 drum tuition is certainly an exciting prospect for me, soooo further studies in teaching? Perhaps. Perhaps not.

Now, this Instagram thing, I’ve done over the summer, was extremely fun too! Developing and designing a portfolio on that scale was exciting in ways – – essentially creating a business around myself, which is always a great way to step back and take a look from afar. And getting a career online through Instagram? It’s certainly not unreachable – there’s a lot of drummers who have done that. Mostly through YouTube though, (WHICH I SERIOUSLY NEED TO GET ON BTW) so there’s potential there. I’ve pushed myself enough to gather close to 300 followers across the span of 2 and a half months which is not too bad, I suppose. But the next step is another outlet for that, so definitely YouTube.

This Instagram thing also brought about an opportunity for me on the producer front – mixing my drum tracks and arranging them in such a way that audio and visual would match, to then upload on Instagram. It was certainly laborious – but exciting to be learning new skills. Could I be a producer? Perhaps. Perhaps not. Especially since I haven’t gone down any avenues concerning music production throughout the three years that I’ve been at university. So maybe that tells me something? Or not. Maybe I will have a definitive answer on this front, when I complete my dissertation.

My Dissertation?

So what am I really doing for my final project at University? Well, I had two definitive ideas to go from. Very broad at this stage. But still.

Essay exploring why particular songs or part of songs get stuck in our heads. THE SCIENCE BEHIND EARWORMS?

Or…

2. A full EP discography based around my admiration for funk across the three years that I’ve explored it in full with my drum tutor. Based around a band, Funkin’ Skunks, it will feature a full band line-up, but will primarily be focused around drums. Examples such as Larnell Lewis’ debut album and Benny Greb’s album will give it a bit more context.

Just from typing that, I think I have an answer .. ! One I’m clearly up for more, and one that I will definitely get more out of, skill-wise and time-wise. And anyway, who wants to do an essay?

So there ya are, just some of my thoughts over the summer spilled out on here. SUMMARY: I HAVE. NO IDEA WHAT I’M DOING AFTER UNI AND I LOVE MYSELF FOR IT.

If you have stuck around this long, I thank you sincerely. And also, leave now, because that’s a bit creepy.

I’ll leave you with some tasty musics and playlist that have considerably inspired me over the past summer. So, take your time out to enjoy them.

larnelllewismusic.com