Music Goals for 2019

I see that I've been gone from this blog for over a year. It's not that I haven't been busy, but rather because I've been devoting my time to the Melkim Publishing Blog, which details all my music business dealings. In the meantime, I've been simply neglecting this blog.

Up next, I need to determine how to make this blog work with the other one. It feels like there's a great opportunity here for me to figure out.

Before I mention goals, here's a quick update on what I've been doing. In a nutshell, the publishing business has stimulated my musical output. It's given me a reason to compose again. Here's a quick count of pieces I've composed over the past few years. Notice the bump starting in 2016.

2014: 2 (short pieces)
2015: 3 (two choral and one piano)
2016: 7 (mostly Christmas piano and choral)
2017: 5 (large choir: "It Is Well with My Soul" and other short pieces)
2018: 6 (large choir: "Come, Come, Ye Saints" and other short pieces)

I've also updated my comprehensive list of pieces and where you can watch/listen/buy them.

Here is a quick list of Melkim blog entries you can read to catch up on what I've been doing:

• Melkim Publishing Launches - The official first post at Melkim Publishing.
• How to Make a Piano Book - A demonstration on how to put together a piano book with lots of fun pictures.
• It's My Turn - Why exactly did I turn to self publishing?
• Stats from 2017 - A quick recap from the first full year of business.
• It Is Well with My Soul - A story of how my music was rejected by a general authority and how I was able to come back around.
• Introducing Daniel Carter - how I invited a relatively famous LDS composer to join with the company.

Looking ahead, here is what I intend to accomplish in 2019:

• Compose at least one large choir piece.
• Continue working on my "Fourth Article of Faith" sonata -- next up is "Baptism." 
• Convert some piano preludes into organ preludes.
• Self-publish at least 4 of my own pieces.
• Put together an orchestrated recording of one of my pieces.
• Start publishing music videos in conjunction with my publishing business.
• Start the "Saving the Ward Choir" series.
• Prepare 5 hymns for submission to the Church.
• Prepare at least 2 pieces for the primary song submission to the Church.
• Reach out to other churches to have "It Is Well with My Soul" performed again.

I hope you have a great year!