Instead of systematically learning music theory then applying that knowledge to composing a song, I've bounced from idea to idea. I still don't have treble and bass clef notes down cold, and that's Lesson 1, page 1 stuff. Why? That requires constant repetitive drilling, and I'm too easily distracted by novelty and shiny new things.

I hired an online music tutor to show me some shortcuts to singing from the shape-note hymnal, but he says there's no getting around thoroughly memorizing all notes on the grand staff. I promised him I'll hunker down with a few music training apps and gamify myself to greatness before our next session in a few days.

The tutoring platform I decided on is Preply. It's affordable and the user interface is smooth like cruelty-free vegan butter. If you're interested in giving it a go, use this referral link for a 30% discount on your first lesson.