eleven in 2011

Though I don’t do very well with New Year’s resolutions, I still like to set goals for myself to make sure I continue to learn and grow. This year for both of my blogs I’m picking 11 goals that I want to meet in 2011, and I’ll use the blogs to keep track of my progress.

erichan*listens – eleven in 2011

1. Write in this blog at least once every 2 weeks.
I’m setting this as a goal for both my blogs, because I really do want to keep this site fresh and active but know full well that I have problems keeping up with it. posting once every 14 days isn’t much, but it should be manageable for me – hopefully I’ll be able to do more, but I figure if I set low expectations for myself I’m more likely to meet them.

2. Listen to at least one new-to-me album every week
This is pretty self-explanatory, but really, I just like discovering new music, and I HATE being musically bored. Gotta keep things fresh around here.

3. Listen to at least one album that’s an old favorite every week.
…of course, I also don’t want to be so focused on the new that I neglect or forget the old(er). My mission for this blog is, after all, to write about ALL music that I enjoy, not just the new buzz-worthy releases. I think its important to keep going back to the bands and albums that helped the music world become what it is today, and also to occasionally reacquaint myself with the music I’ve known and loved for years. This isn’t motivated by nostalgia, but by the simple desire to keep good music in the spotlight no matter how long its been around.

4. Check Pitchfork reviews at least twice per week.
I know that Pitchfork is sort of a polarizing music resource and is infamous as the basic foundation of the hipster hype machine; I also know that I don’t always agree with their writers’ opinions; however, quite often I do, and quite often I learn about artists through Pitchfork that I never would have done without it. If I’ve learned anything in the past few months, its that you can never have too many resources for new music, and Pitchfork is one of the most well-established resources out there.

5. Find 3 new music blogs to follow and interact with.
Sort of an offshoot of the above, but I always think that independent bloggers are more likely to be fair and honest in their reviews than any commercial writer. Right now there is only one blog that I’m reading regularly and really enjoying, so I want to make a point of seeking out others for a wider range of viewpoints and opinions.

6. Go to 3 live shows this year.
I love live music and don’t get to see enough of it – this year, I want to change that. They can be big stadium shows, or tiny club shows, or anything in between – I just want to get out to more shows.

7. Write a series of posts on the discography and history of Yes.
Yes is my favorite band, no contest and no question. They and their music have had an almost indescribable impact on my life, and I’ve felt compelled to write about their music and the experience of listening to it and seeing them live for years. Now that I have this blog I have a decent venue in which to talk about those things, and hopefully help grow their fanbase even a little bit by showing people just how brilliant they are.

8. Buy a new iPod (or other portable music-playing device).
I have 2 iPods and they both suck. One is a 4-year old 32GB iPod color with a track wheel and one is a 2 year-old 8GB iPod Touch – I acquired both of them second-hand, and neither is big enough to hold my music collection. I want to finally buy an mp3 player new, with enough space to last me for awhile. The question is, what do I get?

9. Get a portable iPod dock.
Have music, will travel (if only to the kitchen…)

10. Expand my vinyl collection by 50% with both classic/vintage albums and new releases.
I’ve been mildly obsessed with vinyl records ever since I was a kid, and finally started collecting about 2 years ago. So far the collection has been growing at a glacial pace, so its time to step it up if I ever want to have a collection big enough to fill a wall (one of my personal lifelong dreams).

11. Listen to music on vinyl at least once per month.
There’s no point in having vinyl if I never listen to it, right?