On the latest "Make an Album With Mike" (MAWM) program session, as we're all getting to the "sharp end" of our albums, the thorny question of feedback came up. Because of course while feedback can be valuable, it's also dangerous and potentially damaging. And I've always struggled to put my finger on the difference between useful feedback and the other kind. What I realised on this MAWM session is that this is less to do with what the feedback giver says, and more about what YOU are looking to get from the feedback, and why you're getting it.

Another singing lesson with Laura, another MIND EXPLOSION! But this time, it opened up a whole new world for me and this album... Here's Laura's Instagram... And her Spotify...

The hiatus created by moving the songs into Luna has created some SCARY BEARS for me...

It's a been a boring "music production admin" filled week for me and this album. Which feels like a step backwards. But then again doing this now will allow me to leap forwards...

I've had a week of MANY 💡💡💡💡💡s - particularly in the area of singing. The reason is I had my first singing lesson since I decided to start singing again with one of the amazing Make Music Your Life coaches Laura. Just that one hour has given me a clearer understanding of why I'm singing, what it's for and crucially an extremely simple (not easy) way of improving fast and (literally) with less effort... Here's Laura's Instagram... And her Spotify...

Let's have a think through what went wrong while I went away which meant I did exactly NOTHING on my album. And more importantly what I could do differently the next time this happens...

A BIG win this week - this album is starting to take shape...

What to do (and NOT do) when things don't go your way...

I'm experiencing a problem holding up my progress. Let's figure out a way through TODAY!

I had an incredible experience on a team session yesterday after an incredible week of Splurging...

Opening the doors on my recent creative past has caused an explosion of momentum... AND a worrying problem.

We all WANT to make great music don't we? But what if this wanting is what stops you making something good?

While I've had a short hiatus talking about the album...there's been no break in making it. In fact, I've had a wonderful Xmas - New Year in the tiny amount of time I've had...

When times get tricky...here's what to do!

This morning I did a thinking exercise about what I wanted this album to be...and I got a HUGE SHOCK! Here's where I did the thinking exercise...

Let me tell you a true story...the making of my 1st album Smorgasbord in 2005(ish). This story contains s a number of crucial lessons I've learnt which are helping me make my 5th album now.

"I'm not practising to make. I practise through making."

To do your best work, you must play to your strengths and de-emphasise your weaknesses But I've just realised that by focusing on my current skills, I've been playing to my WEAKNESSES...

I've made a couple of "big scary" decisions today...one of them might be the WORST IDEA EVER:

With my music I've had a "dragon" I've avoided for years... Is this the album I finally enter it's lair and slay this dragon?

In the modern music industry where streaming (and therefore presumably singles) are ascendant - what on earth is the point of making an album? There isn't A point. There are many...some creative, some psychological and some career/business development. On this episode I'll let you know why I've decided to make an album for creative reasons...