You can look at almost anything we do as a skill, from speech to tying shoes, mountain climbing to trading stocks. Broad categories like these are full of microactions, too: pronouncing certain words, getting the lace loops the right size, etc. Consciously or not, we learn the little bits through… Read More »The Fluidity of Skill
Look… I’m a “busy” dude. I have a job, I have bands, I have the ocassional freelance project… I’ve got relationships and booking and practice to tend to. I also waste plenty of time on Netflix and bullshitting over a pint. When I talk to people casually (like strangers or… Read More »Hustle Culture
Perpetual positivity is a myth. The reality of humanity is steeped in peaks and valleys – good days and bad. This is as true for diets as it is conversations with your spouse… Dayjob performance or sleep cycles. Sometimes the downs are brief, fleeting even. Other times they persist. As… Read More »Fighting Through The Slumps
I really like gear… I already have some piles of it, and if money were no object, I’d surely have an awful lot more. Every cymbal has its own personality, every snare drum plays just a little bit different… The brands, the finishes, the hammer marks… There’s an infinite amount of… Read More »The Truth About Gear
This is as much for me as it is for you (as usual)… If you want to do something, anything really, you gotta go for it in whatever ways you can. This isn’t one of those “get out of town or you’ll never make it” posts, or advice about dropping… Read More »Grind With What You’ve Got
So… I know a few things, but only kind of. Broadly, though, I don’t have a god damn clue what I’m doing – on stage, at work, booking shows, teaching lessons, simply existing as a human being… It’s a work in progress at every single point, and likely always will… Read More »I Have No Idea What I’m Doing
I love music, I love learning about it, I love digging into the craft, studying, challenging myself, practicing and performing as much as I can… I’m pretty certifiably obsessed. Smitten. I’m proud of it, honestly. I kind of relish the weird comments or disbelief that I try to do as… Read More »Falling In Love: Reconnecting With Your Instrument
Sometimes all it takes is hearing the right message. The right collection of words at the right time can coalesce with existing experiences and unarticulated thoughts… This is the stuff real inspiration is made of. Totally new ideas take time to sink in, have to contend with existing worldview, hurdle… Read More »Giving The Gift – A Concept Worth Remembering At Each and Every Gig
If we’re Facebook friends, you may have seen my series of #Lunchbreak grooves. I’m up to like 42 of them now, and it has been a fun and interesting project… In the spirit of connecting my various paths of creativity, I thought I’d take a moment to talk about why… Read More »Lunch Break Groove Philosophy
Someone has to say it. I see it way too much – up close and at a distance – the incompatible combination of wanting to do something… AND NOT ACTUALLY PURSUING IT. Forgive me for ranting. This isn’t usually my style, and before I wander into too much lecturing, I’ll… Read More »GET OFF YOUR ASS!!!