Reading About Drums

It’s hard to get good at music by reading a book about it or thumbing through the Sweetwater catalog.

I tried once.

In high school we had all the instruments in the house except a drum set so I collected every music magazine I could find and started digging in. I learned a lot about drum sets…probably considered myself an expert drummer.

And then after way too long I finally realized that if I wanted to know drums I had to buy one of the drum sets I’d read about so much.

My brother and I pooled our money together and bought an orange Yamaha DP Series.

And we played those drums. We made records with those drums. Played gigs. Played in jazz band. Impressed (or annoyed) our friends and neighbors.

»» Books, magazines, podcasts and blogs about music and creativity have their place…but they’re no substitute for the real thing. Don’t forget about the real thing.

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Eight Band Bill

There was a weekly series at a venue in Nashville. Eight bands. Three songs each.

Who gets the best slot?

On a typical bill the biggest band goes last.

But on this bill the biggest band probably wants the choice…they have the leverage.

So they take a middle slot because the middle is where the fashionably late people have arrived, the people who got there at the beginning aren’t tired of being there yet, and the handful of people who wanna see the later bands are a little early. Perfect for the middle band.

But before you get too good at playing a three song set in the middle of an eight band bill…book your own show. It’s way more scary and way more risky. But you’ll find out what you’ve really got.

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Everyone Should Be In A Band

At least for a little while.

You will give way more than your fair share, and get back more than you can imagine.

The strange obligation to each other, the excitement and boredom, the fighting and resolving, the things you see together, all the food, being on the same weird schedule. And of course whatever fashion is happening at the time.

No one is under contract to keep showing up, but they do.

A group of people forced (by choice) into all kinds of trouble and triumph.

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Three Gripes

Doctors are always very thankful for me waiting for them. Not enough to be on time.

Nothing says ‘we care’ like an automated voice telling me ‘we care’ as I’m put on hold.

The welcome sign at the front of the building is rarely welcoming.

Everyday we have the chance to say what we mean vs saying what we wish we meant.

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Seen On Stage

Everyone one in the audience can see everyone on stage.

But it’s hard for the audience to focus on more than one person at a time.

(insert lead singer tropes here)

But after all the jokes…it’s a heavy lift to carry the spotlight on your shoulders for an hour or two every night. And this is why the great ones are few and far between.

»» The band has to understand that while most people are watching the lead singer, some in the audience are watching the band. So everyone has to perform the entire time. Everyone has to be compelling enough to warrant individual attention…while knowing that that level of intentionality might simply be in support of whoever is in the spotlight.

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Wind Chimes

They make nice music but it isn’t special and no one is lining up to buying a ticket.

Your appeal has to be deeper and wider than the wind chimes.

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