🎧 Inside My WIP Sessions: Making Music in the Margins

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 my site, and building the digital infrastructure of my brand.

That’s my system. It’s not flashy. But it works.

The Setup: Minimalist but Mighty

I used to have the whole pro setup — big desk, dual screens, near-field monitors, the works.

But after becoming a dad, I simplified everything. Now it’s just:

• MacBook Pro
• Audio interface
• Headphones

That’s it. That’s my entire creative universe.

Every beat I compose, every mix I tweak, every piece of content I create — it all happens right there.

Sometimes in the corner of the house.

Sometimes at the kitchen table.

It’s not about the gear. It’s about the grind.

The Mindset: Chaos, Doubt… and Flow

Here’s the truth:

I walk into every creative session carrying exhaustion, anxiety, and a good dose of imposter syndrome.

I’ve built things before.

I’ve shut them down out of fear before.

I’ve launched websites, built MVPs, started opt-ins — only to second-guess everything and let it all go cold.

But Bobby Makes Music is different.

This time, I’m moving forward anyway — even if it’s 10 minutes at a time.

Because once I start:

• I drop into flow.
• The anxiety disappears.
• The moment swallows me.

It doesn’t matter if I’m composing, mixing, or writing — I feel the same way I do on the BJJ mats. There’s no room for anything but the moment.

Time bends.

I’m in it.

Rituals: How I Switch Into Creative Mode

I don’t have a long list of fancy rituals — but I do have a few anchor points.

On evening sessions:

• Open MacBook
• Pull up Upbase (my project management tool)
• Get to work

By then, I already know what I need to do — compose, mix, master — and I get right into it.

On daytime sessions:

• Put in my AirPods
• Listen to some Lo-Fi, funk, or metal (depends on the day)
• Do a few light chores while thinking about my creative intentions
• Then sit down, check Upbase, and map out my task list for the day

These daytime blocks are more strategic — content creation, blog writing, and building the brand. But even when it’s not music, it still scratches that same creative itch.

Then, just like that — the session ends.

Back to school pickups, family dinner, the beautiful chaos of real life.

You’re in the Same Boat…

If you’re a working parent, a full-time employee, someone with a thousand responsibilities but still feel the need to create — here’s my advice:

Look at your schedule. Talk to your partner. Find moments. Create time, no matter how small. Plan. Chip away at it — even if it’s just 10 minutes at a time.

To quote Nike: “Just do it.”

You’ll be happy you did.

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— Bobby