Two and a half hours. Everyday. Devoted to whatever it is that makes you tick.
That “certain something” that makes it easier to get out of bed every morning.
That is all I ask of you.
For me it is music. This week I created a mix, inspired by the two and a half hour challenge.
This a newsletter designed to hype you up. While hyping myself up.
Because in life what is worthwhile pursuing, should be given more time.
Let’s dive into this conception of what the Two and a half hour challenge entails.
THE ORIGINS
"If we care enough, we can learn." - Seth Godin (From “The Practice”)
If you care enough, you can learn. Plain and simple.
While reflecting on this quote, as I do with most of the quotes from books I like, this is where the idea of the Two and a half hour challenge originated.
**Directly from my notes on my Roam Research.
One of the goals this week is now the [[Two and a half hour challenge]]
As I seek to develop and spend more time focusing on music.
As this is but a simple step in the right direction.
mixing. beat scouting. beatmaking. playing the piano. you name it.
Just as reading and writing directly feed into my studies, these activies will feed into my creative process especially as it relates to music.
THE SPECIFICS
Two and a half hours everyday. To be spent on music.
What does I mean by music? Let me dive into the specifics, as it relates to how I define time “spent” on music.
Time spent on music for me consists of:
Mixing and creating mixes, such as the four bartydarty mixes I have released on SoundCloud.
Beat scouting from the various music streaming platforms I use (SoundCloud and Spotify) primarily.
Beatmaking on Logic Pro, a DAW (digital audio workstation) that I am only touching the surface of understanding.
Last but not least, playing the piano. As a result of playing, I will learn more of what a groovy melody could be for that next song :)
THE RESULT
Earlier this week, I announced on Instagram that the release of my first song to be included on ALL platforms is going to be released on March 26th @10AM.
My initial plan was to have this released by Friday (March 19th), but publishing music to all platforms is a lot tougher than it sounds.
I will not even lie I was pretty bummed that I had to switch dates.
However, I thought it could be a fun way to use my two and a half hour challenge this week to put something together creatively by March 19th.
So here is what I came up with this week. This is a mix called Earth Disco.
It will be released exclusively through SoundCloud.
THE SETLIST
Introducing Earth Disco.
1) Let Me Go (coming out March 26th) by: Adam Bartley.
00:00 - 03:22
2) All About You by: The Knocks.
03:22 - 06:41
3) Let’s Go Somewhere by: Last Island.
06:41 - 09:14
4) Coconut Grove by: Deep Chills.
09:14 - 11:43
5) Hello Sunday by: Ryan Shepherd feat. Caitlyn Scarlett.
11:43 - 14:51
6) Never Look Back by: Oliver Heldens.
14:51 - 18:03
7) CONFIDENT by: John Balaya.
18:03 - 20:22
8) Miracle by: Madeon (Tony Romera Remix).
20:22 - 23:42
9) Running (2021 VIP) by: Disclosure.
23:42 - 25:55
9) Somebody Real by: Schmarx & Savvy.
25:55 - 27:48
10) Gang Way by: Guille Placencia.
27:48 - 30:30
11) By My Side by: Julian Calor
30:30 - 33:10
12) On The Beach by: NORA EN PURE
33:10 - 34:50
13) Soy Bonita by: French Horn Rebellion feat. Marcy Chin (DELACOUR Remix)
34:50 - 37:26
14) Pelican by: Phairo
37:26 - 39:51
15) Be Where I Am by: Metroplane feat. Daniel Wilson.
39:51 - 42:56
16) Looking for Me by: Paul Woolford, Diplo & Kareen Lomax.
42:56 - 46:22
Play it 5 times in a row and tell me you don’t like it. It’s impossible.
Release Early and Release Often!
One last thing. In order for me to publish the audio to this post, I had to publish my mix via Soundcloud when I pressed publish on Substack. Release early and release often!
What can you do for a two and a half hour challenge?
How can you get started?
Whose work do you look up to and can use as a reference/inspiration?
Are there YouTube tutorials you can watch?
Does a friend have a piece of equipment you can borrow to take part in the challenge?
"Creativity doesn't repeat itself, but it rhymes." - Seth Godin (From “The Practice”)
Now go assign yourself some more homework!
Cheers and happy learning,
Adam Bartley
Parting Notes
A reminder to check out the very first Newsletter Creator Club which will be hosted by me. Starting March 22nd, 2021 through hyperlink.academy. Entry is $25, and we will explore the power of being a dedicated group writing online together, with the shared goal of publishing our individual work consistently.
A reminder, if you're enjoying The Freelance Graduate Student, I would really love it if you shared it with a friend or two. You can send them here to subscribe. I try my very best to put out my best ideas out each week, and I hope you have as much fun reading them, as I do creating them.
If you find anything relevant to the previous writing I have put out, or just additional links you would like to share, reply to this post and send them over.