2003-09-16 8:54 a.m.

What to do next?

I have a few choices, and luckily none of them are really mutually exclusive. It's not like I have to pick just one—I could do them all!

1) Move to Malm�, Sweden and go to university and work as an entertainment manager.

As Christoffer put it, "There are lots of people who make music in that region, but not a single one of them can get themselves to actually buy stamps or make a phone call." I figured that if I can book shows and tours in the USA then I can surely do it in any other country. There are just heaps of bands in and around Malm�, not to mention Tambourine Studios and the many acts left in the aftermath of Vibrafon Records.

Plus, there is the added bonus of the respect you are given in the music industry when you are not from the country where you are working.

2) Pour all of my time and effort into my new album.

Christoffer phoned me from Sweden two days ago. We had mountains of things to talk about. He was very worried after reading my web site and wanted to make sure I was OK. And he was flying to Stockholm in ten hours to master my album, so we had some final details to iron out. We talked at great length about what I should do next in my life.

He explained that the universe was trying to tell me something. No job, no place to live, no other ties, and an album that was going to be mastered in the next day. "Justin, the path is clear for you. You should focus all of your time and resources into selling this great thing you have completed. We are done with the part that we really know how to do, which is to make the album. Now the difficult part is in front of us: getting it to the world. This what you should do next." Of course that is what I should do next.

So, now my immediate goals are to sell a few thousand units on my own to help offset the costs of production and then sell the album to a dedicated label. If you or any of your friends work at a record label or music distribution company that handles alt/pop or pop, please email me at justingrace AT mac DOT com. I'll have my manager send a CD right away.

3) Travel around the country and meet many of the wonderful people who contact me via my web site, stay with them for a few days, eat their food, have adventures with them, write about it.

This sounds SO fun to me! I could do odd jobs wherever I am to supplement my income, which is currently ZERO. Plus, thanks to modern technology I can work on selling my record from wherever I am—phone calls to my lawyer, record labels, etc.

Can I come stay with you? Would you be interested in hosting and feeding a fun, clean, considerate, and completely broke traveller for a few days in your house or dorm room or garage or urine–soaked cardboard box under a bridge? Is there some work I could do for you to make a few bucks while I am there? I can do everything from software engineering to tutoring to camp–counseling. No job too big, no task too small.

It's gonna be like going on tour, only without all that horrible, loud music and all those big, stupid amps to carry! Email me: justingrace AT mac DOT com.

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NEWS FLASH!

I am definitely taking a little road trip this week. I am leaving San Francisco on Thursday morning to go see my grandmother in Morro Bay. After I am done seeing her I will take Highway 101 south towards LA, as I have a photo shoot to be at on Monday. I don't think I want to do the trip from Morro Bay to LA in just one day, though. I am hoping to find someone who lives on the California coast around Santa Barbara or Solvang who will let me crash at their place.

If you live around there and could feed me and let me stay a night and have some adventures with you and your friends, please contact me! Email me (don't post in my guestbook, since it is public) My email is: justingrace AT mac DOT com.


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