Tuesday 29 March 2011

Don't stop doin'

Or at least that's what it feels like. These last few days have been like non-stop work- It's now Tuesday and I've not finished working till gone 8.30 at night since Sunday.

So as usual Sunday was about getting the Sunday Shake Up show out and then working on the magazine to get it ready for publication first thing Monday morning.


Here's the playlist
1 Imagination - Just An Illusion
2 Princess - After The Love Has Gone
3 Michael Cooper - Dinner For Two
4 Four Tops - Ain't No Woman (Like the One I've Got)
5 Jacksons - Dreamer
6 Buddy Miles - I'm Just A Kiss Away
7 Toni Braxton - Breathe Again
8 Des'ree - Life
9 Sounds Of Blackness - I Believe
10 Deniece Williams - Baby Baby My Love's All For You
11 Blackbyrds - Walkin' In Rhythm
12 Gloria Gaynor - This Love Affair
13 Ramsey Lewis - Wade In The Water
14 Jr Walker & The All Stars - I Ain't Goin' Nowhere
15 Jackie Wilson - I'm The One To Do It
16 Norman Connors - You Are My Starship
17 Crusaders ft Bill Withers - Soul Shadows
18 Donny Hathaway - Flying Easy
19 Gil Scott Heron - In The Bottle
20 Bobby Broom - Clean Sweep
21 Idris Muhammad - Could Heaven Ever Be Like This
22 Manu Dibango - Big Blow
23 Instant Funk - Bodyshine
24 SOS Band - Take Your Time (Do It Right)
25 Heatwave - Posin' Til' Closin'
26 Change - Change Of Heart
27 Steve Arrington - Feel So Real
28 Barbara Pennington - Fan The Flame
To hear my recent shows, go to http://www.jamesmurphy.podomatic.com/

From getting the Sunday Shake Up done, it was time to get our heads down and get stuck into the magazine. Getting the final few pages together always seems to take an age, as does setting up the videos to embed in the magazine. It should be a simple job, but for some reason week in, week out it always is a problem. It should take about 15 minutes to set up the links for the videos that are embedded, but this week it took around an hour and twenty minutes - it's really frustrating, especially when you know that as soon as you've got that part of the magazine done, it's only a few minutes until you're finished. It was just after 8.30 by the time the magazine was sorted and I was finished. Not bad when you consider that my Sunday mornings start around 7am.

Monday is no better as I generally am getting the magazine published and on the various websites and facebook pages at around 7am.



Once that's out of the way, the week starts with sorting banking etc and getting letters ready for posting.

I was supposed to be getting some work on my van done on Monday, and after driving around 10 miles to get it done, things cropped up that end and after waiting about for around an hour, the job couldn't be done and so I've had to re-schedule for later in the week. By the time I'd got backing done and arrived back home it was almost 1 o'clock. First job when I got back was to start putting a playlist together for the 'Flashback show which is recorded later in the afternoon.

Generally, putting the playlist together takes around an hour. And once that's done I generally try and get something to eat before I record the show.

So generally, by around 4-5 o'clock the show is recorded and that part of the day is finished.

Next job on a Monday is to go online and buy all the new entries into this week's top 40. I need to keep doing this on an ongoing basis because I still do private parties as well as Requestfests with my disco and I need to keep my music current.

Moving on to today (Tuesday), I was once again up and at my desk around 7am sorting paperwork etc before I was off to college for 10 to continue my computer course. I only do 2 hours on a Tuesday and then by the time I get back here I have to start thinking about getting music ready to put onto my Disco computer.

Some days, and today was one of those, there are times when you just wish you could give it all up. I've been trying to get a survey done to help with improving the shows. The survey is just 10 questions long, and takes around 5 minutes to do. Now, each month thousands of listeners download and hear the shows and also read the magazine. About three weeks ago I asked people if they could  help us by doing the survey - now I'm not the most patient man in the world, but after 3 weeks less than 50 people have taken five minutes to do the survey. It's not as if I've only asked once. I've asked regularly and it's been mentioned in the magazine as well.

I spend around 60 hours a week doing the magazine and working on the shows for no financial benefit and less than 50 people could be bothered to do the survey. And you wonder why I sometimes think it's all just a waste of my time.

Anyway I've editied around 70 songs today and got them ready to put on my Disco computer. After that I've compiled a mix CD that I give away at the Soul Medicine night to the first 20 people through the door. I've designed and printed the covers and labels for the CDs and also run off the 20 CDs.

Whilst I was doing that, I also started compiling my playlist for this week's Pure Grooves show. I'll record that tomorrow morning. After finishing those jobs, I thought I'd better update this blog as I'd not touched it since Saturday.

And there you have it. My last three days in a nutshell. So yeah I've been fed up with it all today, but there's no doubt I'll just carry on doing it all again tomorrow.

So till the next time when hopefully I'll have cheered up a bit, I'm off to enjoy what's left of my evening. See ya!

5 comments:

  1. hope your feeling better for having shared that James..it's good to have the occasional rant!
    and yes only 50 participants is a miserable response....glad i count for one of those..phew !

    you bother because your passionate about music....as if i had to tell you that.!

    X D

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  2. James: I had a similar experience with the survey page. I just leave it up on the site and look in from time to tome - but people are funny in that they will drop by and listen to the shows but will not, for whatever reason, stop what they are doing to do a survey.

    I am sure you could equate that to the numbers that listen to commercial radio versus the numbers that actually phone in to open line or request shows. I suspect the ratios you are seeing are pretty much industry standards and nothing to get bent out of shape over.

    Me? I do my shows for the love of it. As long as I have ONE person at the other end - and sometimes that one person may be a family member giving me a "sympathy" listen, I will keep doing what I do - because IT IS FUN and a great hobby.

    Some people make model railroads, some people fly kites, some people build furniture - us?? we make music (sort of!) and have fun doing it!

    And the really neat thing about all this is that we truly can SHARE WHAT WE DO and due to internet statistical analysis, know that we indeed are sharing it. Try that with flying a kite or building a model train.

    Chin up old bean - every one of us out here - those who listen a lot and those who listen a little, appreciate what you do! BELIEVE IT! Otherwise, you would get ZERO hits on your shows, magazine and blog!

    As I like to say at the end of my shows, I HAD A BALL, Y'ALL - and really, with a hobby, that is where it's at! AND I GOT TO SHARE IT WITH OTHERS - and that I know is happening.

    So take heart, James old sod - and remember WE ALL LOVE WHAT YOU DO and do drop in from time to time....

    Cheers

    Big Daddy.....

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  3. When do find time to sleep James or is that a bit like lunch, just for whimps.

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  4. It's always the same Austin - I was awake at 5.30 this morning, so by 6 I was recording this week's Pure Grooves show to get me in front for the day lol

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  5. Hello James,

    I am a new listener to your show. I really enjoy the music, and your style. It reminds me of the great times in my life!

    "Don't Stop Doin'" is motivation. I too have a Blog. http://www.KeenKnowledge.blogspot.com

    I write about keen health tips that can keep you healthy. My readers are from around the world, yet few comment. Additionally, I have started my own nonprofit business, and now I am super busy.

    Lately, I have felt as you do. So, I take time out to enjoy life, family & friends,and go to bed early when I can. The earthquakes have knocked the Earth off it axis by inches, and the time is about 4 seconds faster. Yikes!

    In other words keep the passion, but take it easy too. Or Delegate...Looking forward to your shows. :)
    K. Ray

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