Year in Review: My Journey with Music in 2019

This is the third and final part of my 2019 year in review. I’m nothing if not thorough. In case you missed them, you can go back and read about who I’ve been most thankful for this year and my 19 favorite releases of 2019.

In no particular order, here are some things I’ve accomplished this year or been proud of:

• Favorite achievement of the year: playing the Nick Alexander Stage at Frank Turner’s Lost Evenings! Honestly couldn’t have asked for a better audience either.
• Released a new album, Millennials Are Going Gray.
• Played 80 performances at 37 different venues/locations (20 of which were new to me).
• Got my first paid gigs in Pennsylvania and Massachusetts.
• Posted 43 videos on my YouTube channel and performed 8 live stream shows from my Facebook page.
• Gained 381 new followers or subscribers across various social media and streaming sites.
• Made a lot more money from performances, merch, streaming, and royalties than I did in 2018, and my average income per gig went up significantly.
• Personally sent out nearly 200 booking inquiries, 55 press or radio, and a handful of miscellaneous (e.g. contests or workshop applications).
• Wrote my first blog promoting other musicians (in this case, female singer-songwriters), which has been viewed over 1500 times!

SONG PERFORMANCE STATISTICS (reported set lists, excludes DIY shows)

• I played my original songs a total of 796 performances, 29 different songs. The top 10 (with YouTube links):
  1. Empty – 54 times
  2. We Were Pioneers / Guitar Crucifixion (tied) – 46 times
  3. Gatekeeper / Scuffed Up Boots (tied) – 43 times
  4. Millennials Are Going Gray – 40 times
  5. I Want It, What I Wanted – 39 times
  6. I Don’t Want to Play Sudoku Anymore / Sharing a Stage (tied) – 35 times
  7. I Don’t Have All Day (I Just Have All My Life) – 31 times

• Top 10 artists covered:
  1. Frank Turner – 19 songs, 424 performances
  2. The Bouncing Souls – 4 songs, 104 performances
  3. The Beatles – 4 songs, 94 performances
  4. Beans on Toast – 2 songs, 42 performances
  5. Skinny Lister – 4 songs, 34 performances
  6. Tom Petty – 3 songs, 34 performances
  7. Flogging Molly – 2 songs, 34 performances
  8. Bruce Springsteen – 1 song, 30 performances
  9. Chris T-T – 2 songs, 28 performances
  10. Straylight Run – 1 song, 28 performances

• Top 10 cover songs performed (with YouTube cover links):
  1. I Still Believe by Frank Turner / Across the Universe by the Beatles / If I Ever Leave This World Alive by Flogging Molly (tie) – 31 performances
  2. Hey Jude by the Beatles / Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen / Good & Gone by Frank Turner / Kids and Heroes by the Bouncing Souls (tie) – 30 performances
  3. What Can I Say by Skinny Lister / Photosynthesis by Frank Turner / The Opening Act of Spring by Frank Turner (tie) – 29 performances

GOALS FOR 2020

• Finish writing, record in studio, and release another new 7-song album by May. Send at least 75 press and radio inquiries.
• Send at least 200 booking inquiries, and perform live at least 100 times.
• Busk and go to an open mic at least once a week (at least once a month in NYC).
• Write every day, using lyrical and musical challenges to improve over time, and try to finish at least 100 songs in total. (They don’t have to be very long, or great!)
• Cover a wider variety of artists I admire, and share them.
• Upload my music to libraries for potential licensing (independent films and commercials, etc.)