This week has been crazy. I’ve been trying to get everything ready for music school which is all next week. But in all honesty every time I’ve tried to sit down and get my thoughts gathered something else has cropped up that I’ve needed to do instead. So I have to get my butt into gear and get everything that I want done written down and figured out.

The music school I go to is a Christian Arts school held every year for a week. This music school is part of the Salvation Army, and they hold them all around the country. The one which I am apart of is being held in Bury St Edmunds Suffolk, and youngsters from the age of 12-25 come together and spend a week focusing on an option which they enjoy. We have the Band option, Drama, Dance, Tech, Art Sport, Worship and Vocal. The worship option is the one that I help out with. Obviously with this being a Christian music school the main focus is on the bible and whatever is learnt that week to take home and try and help teach our churches what has been learnt. At the end of the week our music school puts on a big festival in which family and friends come to watch and we demonstrate all that we have learnt into music, dance, drama… It’s great fun but at the same time thought provoking and usually by the end of it I feel so refreshed and ready to take on anything. So that is why I need to plan what I shall be teaching next week!:)

Anyway have a great week and thanks for reading.

www.myspace.com/charlottestannett

So I’ve been away for a couple of weeks which does me a lot of good! While I was away I was able to just take time out and really reflect on what my life needs and where it’s going. One of the hardest things I find is when things don’t always seem to go your way, and when that happens sometimes your ambition for what you want in life gets pushed to the side. This is something that has been happening to me recently, so I have had to really think about what to do next in order to try and achieve something worth while in my life.

I’m going to put my all in finding a music Job, I need too. Whether it leads me to where I’m supposed to be who knows, but if you never try you’ll never know. I did come across a music marketing vacancy on-line yesterday so I amended my cv and applied for it. I can be quite a negative person at times so my gut instinct about this application is not a great one, I’m not really expecting to hear back or if I do then so far it’s always been a no. But hey would be great to prove myself wrong!:)

Within these next couple of weeks I have to work on some material for a Salvation Army music school I go to each summer. It’s a week where I teach lyrical writing amongst other things. It’s great fun and there is so much music going on it’s usually a great place to get inspired. I think I have mentioned before that I had manage to find a whole host of music venues around the London area, so after music school it will be time to obtain MORE GIGS!! Wooo

Have a great week, and thanks for reading.

www.myspace.com/charlottestannett

It’s been a while…again!!! I keep meaning to update this regularly, but one thing leads to another and it never seems to get done.

It’s been a quiet week, which I probably should be thankful for; however, it’s not a lot of fun being in the office alone with no-one to talk to and precious little to do. Which leads me on to today’s hot topic of discussion. The CREDIT CRUNCH.

Let’s be honest, things are quite gloomy at the moment: you could say the future’s about as bright as the Arctic in Winter. Not terribly. It’s hard enough for young entrepreneurs to get a foot on the business ladder, but with all the talk of inflation, increased mortgage rates, fuel hikes and constant rising costs, it’s no wonder people are thinking twice about going it alone. Just this week on the radio I head that a self employed tradesman hadn’t had any work for 3 weeks. Now, thankfully I’m not in that position and I don’t have a family to support, but the bug is biting all round…

…Clients are spending less and people are watching their money like hawks at the moment, which for small businesses isn’t ideal. To be honest, it’s about riding the Credit Crunch Express Train and hoping there’s a light at the end of the tunnel.

Even the weather’s not looking up. We’ve done a couple of summer fairs earlier on in the month and I kid you not, the gazebo was indeed tied to a fence. Try attempting to hold down your table and serve a customer single handed. It’s hardly ideal. I’m in a bit of a chicken and egg situation just now, loath to spend any more money going to events but knowing if I don’t do it, there is no way of showcasing what the company does. Plus, half the battle is getting the customers to part with their cash… “Normally, I’d buy something, but you know this whole credit crunch thing…”

But enough of the doom and gloom, I’m hopping across to the Med for a weeks holiday next week, where things will hopefully be a little brighter and judging by this weeks temperatures it seems that way. Apologies to those who due to the “current economic climate” (check my buzz words!) are staying home. If I find the idea to end the credit crunch at the bottom of a paella dish, I’ll certainly be in touch. But I’ll patent it first. It could be my very lucrative new business idea…

…See an entrepreneur NEVER switches off.

www.caledoniangifts.co.uk

I have to say not much has really happened these past couple of weeks for myself in the music world. It’s been mad busy in other parts of my life that music has been put to the side. It’s not excuse really!! Having said that I did go to a gig this week, I went to support some friends in Ipswich. They are called Blacktop Harrison I’d suggest to check them out if you like a bit of heavy rock. These guys are really good and they so deserve to get somewhere with what they do. The point is it was good to go and see someone else perform and just put myself out there and listen to different genres of music. I like to see how people respond to different bands that go on, but I like to know what is behind a song, that’s why it’s so great to go to gigs especially when the band or performer is really good!

But I’m ready to get back on the ball and get cracking on.

Have a great week, and thanks for reading.

www.myspace.com/charlottestannett

Well I had my gig on Tuesday at Bar Latina. I was rather nervous as I had not performed on my own for awhile and just hoped that people would enjoy what I had to play. Wonderfully to my astonishment it went considerably well. It was so refreshing having people come up to you that don’t know you, have never heard really what you have done. A few of my work colleagues came to support me and again I felt the pressure as these guys have never heard me play. They all knew that I am into music and write my own material. It was really good to know that they thoroughly enjoyed themselves and liked what they heard!!:)

I’m not sure though what happened with this entire voting thing that was supposed to happen at the end of the evening. I don’t think it went ahead. If the audience liked you there was supposed to be a vote and you were to be invited back. But hey it doesn’t matter in a way all I wanted was a good performance and for people to enjoy it and that’s exactly what happened. I was on such a high and I felt great and I don’t mean in a showy off way. It’s been a while where I have felt as though I have done something good and that I did it myself without the help of others.

If that’s one thing I have learnt this week is to believe in yourself and believe it when others tell you that, but to also believe that you can achieve things on your own. Yes it’s good to have people to help you and uphold you at times, but it’s important to remember that you are just as good ON YOUR OWN.

This is only the beginning and who knows what lies ahead, and I’m going to get knocked down thousands of times and I’m going to have days where things are going to seem pointless but I’m not giving up. Just keep on persevering and growing from each experience.

Have a great week, and thanks for reading.

www.myspace.com/charlottestannett

So these past couple of weeks have once again been really crazy. I had a gig with Peershaped (the band I’m in) last Saturday and one this Sunday. So I’ve been busy with practices. Then this coming Tuesday I have a gig of my own in Tottenham and I’m really excited about it. It’s playing a 20 minute set. It’s an open mic evening in a restaurant called Bar Latina. So if you’re in the neighbourhood then why don’t you come and take a look. (Nearest Tube station Seven Sisters) I’m hoping to sell a couple of CDs, so fingers crossed it will go well. I am nervous but there is a part of me that can’t wait to get up there and sing. Yes this might sound cheesy but for me it’s the truth.

Anyway thank you for reading, and have a great week.

www.myspace.com/charlottestannett

Hello everyone!

Felt it was time for another update on what’s happening in my slightly manic life. Had my Scholarship Graduation ceremony at the beginning of May, so it’s been nice to go back to a slightly slower pace of life for a couple of weeks. Although, in saying that, I am missing the whole thing of being told 2 days before that you are off to London or to complete a challenge or whatever. Guess it’s just a bit of a readjustment period at the moment.

However, it has given me the opportunity to catch up on business and start on the projects which have been on the back burner for months. The website’s about to be completely overhauled by my web team, so it’s a case of writing content, getting pictures taken and deciding what new products to go live with.

Finger’s crossed for good weather next week as it’s the first of the summer shows which we take a stand at. Last year we had 2 great days for the event and I am hoping for the same again. No-one wants to be stood in a marquee, knee deep in mud in June…

Anyway, must stop procrastinating…It’s the middle of the day and I am sure I have some accounts to be done!!

www.caledoniangifts.co.uk

This week has been another crazy one. I’ve been busy practicing for a gig that’s coming up on Saturday with the band I’m in (Peershaped). Also I delved into obtain a gig. I wrote to a couple of places not really expecting to hear from them. But I was wrong and I got one. Woo on the 10th of June, in Tottenham, at Bar Latina (restaurant venue). So if any of you who are reading this might be in the area then it would be great to see you!:) I will give details of the venue nearer the time.

What’s slightly nerve racking is the audience votes at the end for who they like the most and gets invited back. So we shall see what happens, but I am looking forward to it all the same, and I still get butterflies before I play.

However these next couple of weeks I have a couple of gigs coming up with Peershaped so I’m quite glad that I’m going to be purely focusing on rehearsing.
Anyway as always thanks for reading, and take care.

www.myspace.com/charlottestannett

Recently I have been concentrating on practicing material for a gig coming up in a couple of weeks with this band I’m in and attending the practices and getting comfortable with the set.

Just reflecting on these past two weeks I have not done much for myself and that was beginning to bug me, so I surfed the net as I do so frequently and managed to find a whole host of music venues. The reason for this is I need some gigs! The last few places I tried never got back to me, so it was about time to find some new ones. Yeah sure its great getting gigs with this other band, but it’s such an adrenaline rush when its your own and you get to perform your own songs. Especially to an audience that wants to listen and hear new music. So my aim is to bag a few gigs for myself. I usually have a couple of mates that help me out but I’ve been going through this phase where I feel as though I need to do things on my own. I feel that you can have those days where you can forget what you are good at. Well I have those days, and I just feel this is something I need to do for myself and prove to myself that I don’t always need to depend on others.

Going to uni was so much fun and I met people there that were always willing to help, I also met people that were very clever with their music and sometimes that was very daunting for me. I know we go through life always meeting and getting to know people that are better at something than you. This was hard for me at first as I did not really know how to deal with it, until a close friend of mine said, ok well maybe so and so is better than you but they’re not you! You are unique and no-one will ever be me. That goes for everyone. That mentality has helped me through quite a few situations. After three years of uni I felt as though I was not as confident as I was when I had started. I need that back and that is exactly why I need to do some things for myself and know I can do this, even though it’s scary and it would be the easiest thing to just forget it. Problem is that’s not me.

Hope you all have a great week, and thanks for reading.

www.myspace.com/charlottestannett

This week I have been trying to concentrate on finding a vacancy within the industry and as one would expect it has been very hard to try and find something. This week I only managed to find a couple of vacancies that I felt I was capable of doing but also that appealed to me.

The first vacancy I applied for was for a sales executive for a magazine called IMPACT, it is the’ MPA’s quarterly publication for the international music publication Industry’. It seemed quite interesting and so again I thought why not try hey.

The second vacancy I applied to was a project called ‘House Project’ who are looking for singers. I found this vacancy on the hallo site.(www.hallondon.co.uk) I’m was not expecting to hear anything this week of course but I do tend to think, I wonder whether I will receive a reply. So all I can do with that is wait and see.

Anyway thanks for reading and have a great week!

www.myspace.com/charlottestannett