Progress...

"We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where we want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go foward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man."

C.S. Lewis

Sometimes progress isn't a foward move.

I love the writings of C.S. Lewis...yes, he's a Christian writer...and this particular passage is from one of his most well known works "Mere Christianity". He meant it in a completely different capacity...but as I was reading it through this time, it struck me in a different way...a more universal way.

You could plug this statement into any aspect of your life, and it would still ring true.

The hard part is admitting you're headed in the wrong direction...

Why are we so frickin' stubborn? Why do we insist on banging our heads against a wall, only to get the same result we have every time before...a bloody head.

Yea, it's the admitting that sucks...because then you have to admit you're wrong...your way of doing things is wrong...your philosophies are somehow flawed...you read (or wrote) your manual wrong...

The circumstances leading up to our admitting our fault are usually painful...not pleasant...for some reason we as humans see things the clearest when we're in pain. Maybe that's a survival skill left over from the jungle days...that fight or flight instinct applied to thought.

The girl always has to dump you for you to realize what a deusch you are...you have to be fired to realize how great a gig you had...etc and so forth.

...And then to fix it...

You have to turn around. Start walking back the way you just came. Pass by all of the "work" and "accomplishments" that got you to that wrong place. And you keep walking...until you come back to the place you can fix it. Sometimes that's a few steps...sometimes it's a few miles. either way it sucks. Nobody likes to backtrack. It gives you the feeling of losing ground. And in the short term I guess you are...but when you back away from the map, you're actually progressing towards the shortest route to your final destination.

Why bother posting something like this?

Because I had to admit some wrong turns about two years ago. I had to make that dreaded turn around...head back in the other direction...it sucked. Lots of time and effort wasted. Lots of money wasted. Oh well...so's life I guess.

I re-assessed how my "career" in music was going...not well...and started to make practical and methodical steps to fix it. Steps that weren't based on "chance" or getting a "break"...steps that were decided upon because of things I felt I could do myself....ways I could make it work...etc...that whole self-realization crap...

So here I am...turned around, backtracked, and re-started. I'm alot more at peace. My playing isn't near what it was two years ago, that could be fixed with some elbow grease though...that's ok, doesn't have to be at this point. We go through those dry times...you just have to learn to accept them and focus on other things until you can get back to the reason you're doing those other things.

I love the gigs I'm taking, I love the original music I'm involved in, I've almost completed a studio in my home, I have absolutely ZERO pressure and stress on my playing...it's great. Sure, I'm not playing full time at this point. I'm kinda've enjoying the break though...feels like a pretty intense period of playing is coming up. Cherish the quiet when you can get it...it'll be loud again soon enough.

So what should you take from this?

You don't have to take anything I don't guess.

I'd love for you to assess where you are though. Take five minutes...jot down the things you love about what you're doing...the things you hate...the things you want to accomplish...how you could get there...and then the biggest question...Is the shortest way to that place you want to be backwards?

It's ok if it is...mine was...at least I'll have some company. There's not many that will admit an error in their ways...but those that do are ALWAYS infinitely happier in the long run.

R.I.P. Les Paul...So What Does That Have To Do With Drumming?

Unless you've been under a rock for the past century, the name Les Paul rings a loud bell in your head. He passed today. Seeing as this is a place for drummers, you may be wondering why I would take the time to write about a guitarist. He's not a drummer, never wanted to be a drummer...

The reason I'm gonna write about him is because we need more Les Paul's...let me explain...

No doubt, you know Les Paul from his signature guitar...the Les Paul. I'd venture to say that for 85% of you, that's all you know of him. I'm gonna tell you the stuff you probably don't know, but should...because it pertains to every person, not just in the music business, but in any field.

He began his music career at the age of 13 playing country music and dropped out of school by the age of 17 to go on the road. He later began to delve into the jazz genre, where he had a good bit of success. He suffered a terrible car accident that shattered his right arm and elbow. Doctors told him there was no way to rebuild his arm so he would have movement and that whatever postition they set it in would be the position it would be in for the rest of his life. So Les had them set his arm at an angle so he would always be able to cradle a guitar. The guy was stubborn to say the least...

And what about his playing style...this is copied from Wikipedia..."His innovative talents extended into his unique playing style, including licks, trills, chording sequences, fretting techniques and timing which set him apart from his contemporaries and inspired most of the guitarists of the present day."

If his career was only about his playing, this would be a much shorter piece. Les became frustrated with the guitars that were available, so he set about to make his own...and so the Gibson Les Paul was born.

He maintained a radio show that later turned into a television show.

He recorded countless albums on his own. During the process of making his music, he began to make waves in the recording world because of his innovations. He's known as the "Father of Modern Music" because of these innovations. His many recording innovations include overdubbing, delay effects such as "sound on sound" and tape delay, phasing effects, and multitrack recording. In other words, any modern album you ever play is influenced by Les Paul in some way.

Oh, and while he revolutionized the recording industry, he was churning out the hits. These revolutionary recordings were made with his wife, Mary Ford, who sang. The couple's hits included "How High the Moon", "Bye Bye Blues", "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise", and "Vaya Con Dios". These songs featured Mary harmonizing with herself, giving the vocals a very novel sound.

Oh, and did I mention he won two Grammy's...along with numerous other awards and achievements.

So again, what does it have to do with drummers?

Les didn't just make a living playing music, he made a living by revolutionizing his field. Anytime he saw an opportunity to invent something that would help the music, design a different way to record a song so it would serve his purposes, or play, whether live or recorded, he did it. He wasn't content to just play, he had to make himself a movement. He was a force to be reckoned with.

Too many times we become focused on being a "working" musician. We stress over practice, how many gigs we're maintaining, are we making enough money to be considered a "full time" musician, what artist we play with...or whatever. There are millions of ways to make a living and to make money in the field of music and drumming that have nothing to do with playing your instrument. We just get tunnel vision...it has to happen one way...but what if it doesn't? Where does that leave you? Broke, working a dead end job, eating ramen noodles and talking about how you would've "made it" if you would have known so-and-so, or if you would have only landed such-and-such gig, or whatever other miserable excuses you can make up to appease your mind.

The simple truth of the matter is this....there has never been a better time in history to be in the music business...you just have to find the right niche. There's money to be made, work to be done, innovations to happen...and guess what? Whether you choose to participate or not, the money will be made by someone, the work will be done by someone, and the innovations will pass you by. Do you think that if Les Paul had never perfected the electric guitar it wouldn't have been invented? You're crazy, he just did it first.

Here's the question I want you to remember...

Do you want to be a musician or do you want to be a force of nature?

Les Paul was a force of nature...it's not too late for you...

How To Be Creative...

If you haven't heard of Hugh MacLeod, you're missing out. He draws cartoons on the back of business cards...pretty silly huh? Except that he's built it into a very well known, very profitable little side business. He could probably make it a full time gig, but then that takes the "Sexy" out of it (Read his Manifesto How To Be Creative...you'll understand). Instead, he keeps it at a level that makes it completely enjoyable to him, completely stress free...and that's a beautiful thing.

I'll post his 38 Steps of Creativity below...they're genius...and you can read the Manifesto to hear him expound on these. He's one of the reasons I decided to do a 180 degree turn with my career and completely go about re-vamping how I was doing things.

Let me just say...if you're looking for an "easy" button for your professional and creative career, this ain't it. This completely flies in the face of the "normal" way of doing things...and that's a beautiful thing!

So enjoy...you can check out some more of his cartoons at http://www.gapingvoid.com/ and you can download his complete manifesto as a PDF for free at www.changethis.com/6.HowToBeCreative .

38 Steps of Creativity

1. Ignore everybody

2. The idea doesn't have to be big. It just has to be yours.

3. Put the hours in.

4. If your biz plan depends on you suddenly being "discovered" by some bigshot, your plan will probably fail.

5. you are responsible for your own experience.

6. Everyone is born creative: everyone is given a box of crayons in kindergarten.

7. Keep your day job.

8. Companies that squelch creativity can no longer compete with companies that champion it.

9. Everybody has their own private Mount Everest they were put on this earth to climb.

10. The more talented somebody is, the less they need the props.

11. Don't try to stand out from the crowd: avoid crowds altogether.

12. If you accept the pain, it cannot hurt you.

13. Never compare your inside with somebody else's outside.

14. Dying young is overrated.

15. The most important thing a creative person can learn professionally is where to draw the red line that separates what you are willing to do, and what you are not.

16. The world is changing.

17. Merit can be bought, passion can't.

18.Avoid the watercooler gang.

19. Sing in your own voice.

20. The choice of media is irrelevant.

21. Selling out is harder than it looks.

22. Nobody cares. Do it for yourself.

23. Worrying about "Commercial vs. Artistic" is a complete waste of time.

24. Don't worry about finding inspiration. It comes eventually.

25. You have to find your own schtick.

26. Write from the heart.

27. The best way to get approval is not to need it.

28. Power is never given. Power is taken.

29. Whatever choice you make, the Devil gets his due eventually.

30. The hardest part of being creative is getting used to it.

31. Remain frugal.

32. Allow your work to age with you.

33. Being Poor Sucks.

34. Beware of turning hobbies into jobs.

35. Savor obscurity while it lasts.

36. Start blogging.

37. Meaning scales, People don't.

38. When your dreams become reality, they are no longer your dreams.