Here’s a note I got from a reader this week:
How do you find balance with family, career, and of course just fun time playing music? I saw the one post where you talked about work/life balance, but I guess I’m wondering if you are able to get in some “me” time as well?
Read MoreI’ve been on a Wunderlist kick over the last two months, and it’s been great to see how useful this free app can be. Here are 5 things I use it for:
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This last weekend I played a show with a band from Nashville with over 50 songs in the set. I had about a week to get all of the songs worked up, and I had to really hone my technique to be ready. Here’s how I did it:
Read MoreThere’s been a bunch of great little music related things that I thought you, my dear blog reader, would get a kick out of/find useful. Here goes:
Read MoreIf you’re trying to build a really successful worship team, here are 10 things Church Of The City has done that have attracted world class musicians, kept stress levels low, and created a beautiful community of Christ-following musicians:
Read MoreIt’s 7:33 PM on a Sunday afternoon. I’m sitting in the backyard of one of the best drummers in Nashville, hanging out with some of the best musicians I’ve ever been around, having the time of my life and eating world class BBQ. My friend Dan has just started an amazing solo guitar set that’s blowing my mind.
On my right is one of the most respected keyboardists in the world. On the left is a man that helped to invent one of the best pieces of studio gear ever created. I lean back, munching on my brisket and wondering what the heck I’m doing here and why anyone invited me to this incredible night.
Flash forward 24 hours. I’m holding a crying child. My wife and I have been going on 6 hours sleep every night for 4 days, and we’re exhausted. The day before I lost a gig that was really important financially, and I’m in a rotten mood. Just as we get ready to head out the door, Jackson decides to puke up all over his outfit. I have the temptation to punch a hole in a wall or run screaming from the room.
This is the musician life. I bounce between incredibly exciting ups, and really big lows. I struggle deeply with trying to stay positive some days, and other days its easy. I’d feel guilty about the constantly swinging nature of my career if it wasn’t universal- every musician I know struggles with this every day.
Why share this? Because I want you hear the truth, not just the glass-half-full side of my music career. You’re not alone. Keep trying, moving ahead, and we’ll manage this together. I'm rooting for you.
I recently posted this on my personal facebook and it got a good response from my friends, so I’m sharing it here. Happy Friday, everyone!
Read MoreMusicians are almost always working on tight deadlines for most projects, and that’s especially true for those of us with competing time commitments outside of music that we have to balance. Here are some of strategies for beating the clock:
Schedule out what you have to do for the entire project, then give yourself margin (note: I’m terrible at the margin part, but I’m learning). By building out a strategy that includes space for unexpected twists in the project, your odds go up of finishing on time.
Build a list of all the specific things you need to do in a particular day to get your project done, then use the list as a guide for how to group your work day. the more you can group similar activities, the more efficient you can be.
I like to use my phone or an actual egg timer for 25 minutes. By having the timer there, I tend to stay focused on getting done what I need to get done on time.
This will “reset” your mental focus, encourage creativity, and keep you from chasing unproductive rabbit trails. I personally like to use my Apple watch to work out for 2-3 minutes, and then get water or a healthy snack in the remaining 2 minutes before I sit back down.
Take under a minute to make sure that you’re on the right track with what you’re working on, and make any adjustments that you need to before proceeding. This will help you stay much more productive and on track for your original goal.
It’s so easy to fall into the trap of thinking binary as a musician. You either have “made it” or you haven’t. You’re a winner, or a loser.
Read MoreThe music industry is an incredibly competitive business, and small mistakes can add up to not getting hired much, or even black balled. Here are 7 mistakes I’ve seen musicians make that cost them gigs:
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