I've nearly come to the end of my first semester not as a student (to which a good friend of mine pointed out that I should start organizing my life around a normal calendar year rather than an academic calendar) and I've come up a "typical" day in my life as a freelance (aka "unemployed" in the traditional sense) composer.
6:45am My alarm goes off for the first time. I don't know why it's still set for this time, I have nowhere to be. Jac is already up and getting ready for work. I suppose I get up so that my lazy ass gets out of bed before she heads off to work.
7:15am I actually get out of bed.
7:45am I eat half a granola bar, take my vitamins, allergy meds, and drink a bottle of water (First breakfast, like I'm a hobbit)...with Jac while watching the weather channel before switching it over to Mike and Mike on ESPN2.
8am Exercise! Yes, this is something new I've added to my daily activities. I'm nearly 30 and though I'm not terribly out of shape, neither am a Greek god (or am I...?). About an hour of cardio and lifting weights/resistance training.
9:15am Second Breakfast while watching...you guessed it...some ESPN2. My daily dose of the FirstTake show. It's my vice. Sports keep me sane and balances out out what I love to do. It's cheaper than a lot of other distractions...
I also setup my laptop in front of me to respond to emails, edit scores, look through scores/music, check for jobs, update my website, print scores, work on engraving projects, etc...anything that I can do while the TV is making noise in the background. I know this seems like a bad habit...and it kind of is...but it works for me. I can tune it out enough plus much of this is semi-mundane/mindless work anyway. This is also the time when I may work on a particular passage that may have been questionable the day before. At some point, I meander to my office and get a little writing done...or orchestrating...or sketching. Nothing too focused, yet...sort of warming my brain up for the afternoon.
Noonish I realize I still haven't showered. The odor is surprisingly underwhelming, but the cats have both retreated. Hmmmm...send one more email/check the one last article/find that one last website for info...
12:30pm Lunch (or leave for lunch). I'll usually meet Jac a couple times a week for lunch around 1pm...Panera is a regular place. Nothing like a little Bacon Turkey Bravo and a cup of Broccoli Cheddar to let you know that you're not concerned about your health.
1:30pm Off to 1 of 2 Starbucks I frequent during the week to get me out of the house for a chance of scenario and for some much needed caffeine. This is where I get the bulk of my focused work done. It's surprising how much composing can be done with Starbucks muzak in the background.
5pm Head home. My brain literally really hurts after more than a couple hours of composing straight, but I'm able to push it to 3 or more hours straight at a coffee shop and even more if when I really spread it out during the day. I know that doesn't seem like a lot, but I'm just not one of the composers who can work on a piece for more than about 4 hours a day...the exception, of course comes if the piece is nearly finished and you're so locked in, you think 10 minutes have past and it's actually been nearly 2 hours. What's funny is that I used to spend roughly 10 hours at school 5 days a week from about 8am until 6pm) and I get MUCH MORE composing work completed in a short, focused afternoon.
5:30pm Compose a bit more, mostly touch-ups on what I've written or anything I let simmer for a little from early in the day. A sort of cool-down for the day.
630pm Cooking dinner. Yes, I love this. I now have the time to cook dinner more carefully and to make up some new dishes. Tonight it's chicken breasts seasoned with smoked paprika, kosher salt, pepper, garlic, and tarragon...side of mushrooms and broccoli with pasta sauteed in olive oil and seasonings. Salad to boot.
8pm After dinner, I'll write a little bit more depending on a variety of things or if it's been a particularly unproductive and frustrating day, I just turn my brain off and catch-up on one of a million recorded shows on our DVR.
10:30pm getting ready for bed. Yes, we have the prescribed bedtime of inactive senior citizens. Oh, well.
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