When I decided to pursue music full-time, I was nervous about presenting the story of my bio.
Were eight years of teaching a lost chapter from the music industry’s eyes? A venue owner had once told me when I was 25, “You’d better go for it now! Once you’re 30, it’s too late!”
I agree with the general premise that the music industry is a young person’s game, but hiding one’s age isn’t healthy.
So there I was, leaving a teaching career, packing up room 227, planning to release my third CD and play gigs to pay the bills, all while staring down that 30th birthday that summer.
Oddly enough, as Peyton Tochterman reminded me during our May tour, the story of being a teacher (like Sting!) is what makes me unique. People ask me the most about the classroom and that risky decision to quit.
In a world of memes and Facebook arguments about the color of a coffee shop’s cup, standing out is is as simple as being yourself, sharing your story, and presenting your art.
When we embrace our story, we embrace who we are.
* * * *
WCBE 90.5 FM is featuring an interview with me on The Craft show tonight at 8 PM, and my story of teaching life and gig life are the main themes host Doug Dangler and I discuss. Listen to the Craft on WCBE 90.5 FM or stream it online here.
I’ll be playing in Columbus, OH, Friday, Nov 13 for Six String Concerts series at the Performing Arts Center. Tickets are $15-22 here.
Saturday, I’ll be at Taffy’s in Eaton, OH, 8 PM ($5-10 suggested donation)
Nothing has forced me to accept the true value of time more than my baby, Ginny. My self created rule: During baby’s naps, I must either:
1. practice music
2. rehearse sets for shows
3. clean a part of the house, outdoor choirs
4. write
5. read books (no Internet stuff, no news!)
6. exercise (walk dog), or
7. take a nap. 😉
Natalie often jokes, “What did we do with all of that time before we had a baby?”
(I had a larger theme to share, but Ginny awoke when I was typing this last sentence!)
What I love about art (writing, music, etc) is how one doesn’t need to be the fastest, strongest, biggest to find success.
Art is a great equalizer.* Usually, it has a low barrier to entry. (Get a pencil, a piece of paper, and go.)
And now with Youtube videos galore and many mentors available via Skype, the self-motivated learner can carve a classroom right at their computer, even mobile device.
The teamwork of sportsmanship is a valuable theme to keep in the artist community, but art is more like achieving a personal record (running, golf, etc.). Sure, competitive natures do inspire great art (Beach Boys and the Beatles), but it’s not the overall point of the “game”!
No, an artist doesn’t need to be the fastest to the finish line; the artist simply needs to be relentless.
[*Note, let’s not be naive and say the same about the business of art.]
I’ve written about this before today: What way is the best to write, the pen vs. the computer?
My friend, producer Marshall Block once shared that advice, that the best songs are written with pen. Stephen King swears by it.
They may be right, but I’ve tried abandoning my computer many times to no avail; I always come back to the laptop, breathing a sigh of relief. (Heck, I type haikus on my iPhone!)
Sure, the writing longhand in a moleskin notebook is sexier, but when it comes to writing quality work, it’s probably not about the pen or computer; it’s just about sitting down to work, often.
Zentz’s Law: Large vs Small Problems
Laws for Audio Engineers – These are outstanding, and more life tips than exclusive to recording music.
My favorite, Zentz’s Law: “Inside every large problem is a small problem struggling to get out.”
I’ll add, every small problem ignored over time, will compound into a large problem!
My biggest problem as a teacher was inarguably keeping up with the grading. It was a mountain, and the longer I’d wait to climb, the more the mountain grew. As a DIY musician, the biggest problem is keeping up with the smaller problems, too.
(HT to Dan Hosh from Catherine North Studios, who shared Laws for Audio Engineers on Facebook.)
