Bobby Makes Music

Open Heart Bypass Surgery Recovery: Why I'm Making Music Like My Life Depends On It (Personal experience, not medical advice.) The Ultimate Test of My Own Message Today (Monday, August 4, 2025), I stepped back into the café where I work, five weeks after surgery, I can still feel the incision along my chest wall, and the time it takes for a breastbone to knit reminds me, this is major surgery. My body felt surprisingly steady, despite the scars on my arms and chest that still itch and burn, despite the awareness of my breastbone where they opened me up. As Bobby Makes Music, my mission is to communicate with busy parents: “Don't postpone your creativity. You can balance family, work, and art. Keep that creative flame alive.” Then life handed me the ultimate test of my own philosophy. When the Music Almost Stopped For years, I've been that guy, the full-time venue manager who comes home to produce music after tucking his daughter into bed. The father who squeezes music maki...

Creative Encouragement: Why I’m Not Your “Make Six‑Figures” Guru, Just Your Hype Man Creative Motivation vs. Creative Encouragement Drowning in Monetise‑Everything Noise Scroll any feed, and you’ll see it, a post like this: “Turn your passion into a six figure side hustle!” or “Quit your job in 90 days!” I’m not here for that. I’m here to inspire the artists who still feel a spark even when the world says, “Grow up, get practical, stop wasting time.” If you want someone to map out funnels and revenue streams, the internet is full of qualified teachers. If you need someone to uplift, shine a positive light, and remind you that it’s okay to simply make art, I’ve got you. The Hidden Shame of Adult Creatives There have been plenty of moments when partners or close friends have tried to encourage me with “tough‑love” reality checks. No malice, just the classic “Isn’t it time you focused on something that pays?” But they’ll never understand the craft, the deep-seeded thing that ...

  The Roles I Juggle (And Why I Won’t Give Any Up) Being a husband, dad, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu coach, music producer, and full-time worker isn’t exactly a recipe for free time. But I don’t want to give any of it up. Each part feeds me in a different way. Still, juggling this many responsibilities means I have to be extremely intentional with how I use the slivers of time that remain. Prioritising Creative Work and Avoiding Burnout The hardest part is accepting how little time I have left for what fuels me—BJJ, writing music, and working on Bobby Makes Music . These aren’t hobbies. They’re creative outlets that help me process life, emotion, and internal noise. Without them, burnout becomes inevitable. I’ve learned to be ruthless about protecting what little time I do have. Because no creativity = no clarity . Making Time for Creative Projects With a Full-Time Job I work Sunday to Thursday. On early mornings (5am starts at the café), I handle admin before the chaos begins. On ...

Inside My WIP Sessions: Making Music in the Margins by Bobby Manila aka Bobby Makes Music Making music when you're a full-time venue manager, a dad, a husband, a BJJ coach, and a maker of heavy beats… it’s not exactly a smooth workflow. But that’s the reality for me — and for many other creatives out there. We don’t have unlimited hours or bottomless energy. We’ve got responsibilities. We’ve got lives. And still — we make time. The Schedule: Late Nights & Stolen Hours I usually carve out two evenings a week, once the house has quieted, the kiddo’s asleep, and my other parental and personal tasks are done. That’s when I sit down to do the real work. These night sessions are where I: Compose heavy, drop-tuned instrumentals Mix and master tracks for myself and my clients Chase flow state like it’s the last train home Then on one of my days off, I set aside a few sacred hours during the day to work on the other side of Bobby Makes Music  — writing blog posts like this, maintaining ...