I don’t know if there are “stages” that one must plow through – similar to those of grief, or potty training – before a blogger gets comfortable with their “voice.” I suspect that may be the case, because I’m all over the place lately. I’m circling like a cat trying to get comfortable in a basket that’s plenty big enough, but very oddly shaped. (And it doesn’t have a nice fluffy liner yet, either.)
I love music – that’s not a revelation. But, as admitted on the DJ page (or somewhere around here), that moniker was taken with tongue placed very firmly in cheek, and under the influence of Single Malt Scotch – I’m no more Music Savvy than the next Mom…I just didn’t want to see my unique tastes and personality become engulfed in “Kid Stuff”. And, I wanted buddies to hang out with while I fought for myself in a sea of Raffi and Laurie Berkner. But – there are other facets to my personality, too. And not all of them need a soundtrack.
As you know, I have other blogs:
Chasing Liam is mainly for family and close friends, and is where all the “Mommy Sap” runs freely from me. I love that kid so much it hurts, think he’s the best thing since sliced bread and twisted pretzels. (Y’know – like every one of us feel about our kids. Nothing new or noteworthy there.)
Vacuity is the place where I’d hoped the seeds of my randomness could take hold – no rules, no theme, no nothing. (Get it? Vacuity. Gah, I crack myself up!) But I find myself not posting there much because I feel like I’m neglecting the other two.
And of course…there’s Music Savvy Mom. Being the ex-analyst that I am, I came up with a formula for this one. And, it worked! I had GREAT growth in the first six months – it really floored me. I was all psyched and set to make this my “brand”. I tweeted, I Facebooked. I was lucky enough to get some kick ass bloggers and buddies to send in great shuffles – and STILL do. But, inexplicably…I found myself not wanting to post them after a while. Why, you ask?
Because I got lost in the shuffle.
My formula worked SO well that once again there was less and less of “me”. I’d introduce a great blogger, then make the playlist and copy & paste their song notes. While I’ve made some GREAT friends that way – it honestly didn’t take much creativity on my part. And, as my darling husband pointed out once, it didn’t provide me much of a chance to WRITE. And, I can write. I’ve never let you see any of it…but I can. And I want to.
I’ve never really done anything with Music Savvy Mom as a “brand” per se. I’ve never monetized this blog. Haven’t made a penny from it directly. What seems to have happened is that a little community has been built, with regulars popping by to share their love of music. That’s AWESOME – that’s exactly what I wanted! But, it can’t grow with only one person making playlists and picking music. That’s what was so magical about the Guest DJ Shuffle; other genres were represented. More of that is needed.
So, I’ve asked a handful of bloggy buddies to become “Regular Contributors”. We were going to start an entirely new site, but I think I’m ready to “share my baby” instead. I’ll still be here, of course, and I’ll always be “THE OG” Music Savvy Mom, yo. But, you’ll have rotating posts from some wonderful writers with different styles and a broad range of musical tastes. You’ll also have Guest DJ Shuffles again, so we can all keep discovering new blogs and new music.
Bottom line: I had an awesome idea, but it’s too big for one person to pull off successfully. MUSIC is too big for that.
Now, we have a great core group of folks contributing, and you’ll meet them soon. I’d also like to hear from any other “regulars” who’d like to pitch in with the random post or playlist – there’s PLENTY of room to share. (And you don’t have to be a Mom. Or a female, for that matter. Human would be nice, but not required.) Just email me: ri (at) musicsavvymom (dot) com . The more the merrier!
And finally…I hope that when I find that perfect, comfy basket for myself – whether it’s at Vacuity or a brand new blog – that you’ll come hang with me there, too. 
I’d love ideas for new blog names – lay them on me! (Because seriously – www.riolaughlin.com is not so easy to spell.)
Stand by for some reworking and construction around here to make room for the new staff, and enjoy this little bit of “Random Ri” today. These two songs juxstaposed together just crack me up.
