So, here’s how my musical diary runs for the next few days:

Today (Sunday): to Surrey, jam / practice with Kouensha (currently acoustic duo of singer-songwriters plus me, as far as I know)

Monday: in Oxford, filming and recording material for video showreel, possibly also moving house

Tuesday: to Uxbridge, second practice with as-yet-unnamed gothic steampunk band

sometime in the week: String Project practice, hopefully

It’s increasingly looking like, if I want to play with a group that hope to get to paying gigs in the medium term, I will be able to do so. (Also realistically falling into that category are London fun Americana band Ella & the Blisters and duo playing with folky singer / guitarists Tom Blackburn (Oxford) and Kris from Gumtree (west Midlands); there is probably a more direct link to income, but less certainty of actual ongoing playing, with singer Amanda Ni Murchu and Celtic/function band The Bateleurs.) The question is how I manage and prioritise things so that I don’t massively let anyone down, but also don’t let myself down by ending up committed to a load of projects which sap my time and finances and don’t ultimately pay back except by being fun. And since no one really likes being told they’re bottom of the priority list, and there are only 5 week nights in a week, this may be diplomatically challenging (not to say stressful for the part of me that hates pulling out of things).

Watch this space.