Know Music, Know Life
Hard to believe that a year has passed since the inception of my little blog. It’s been awhile since I’ve written a post, but I took some “time off” to not only recharge the batteries, but also pour over the analytics, and consider various directions for its future. Oh yeah, this global financial meltdown has been a bit distracting as well… But you know, it’s during times like this that I find myself so thankful (to my parents) for sticking my ass into music school at an early age. They always said that it would be the type of treasure that could never be taken away, and they were right. I trust that all of you with the same good fortune agree… but if you’re like many who are wondering whether it’s too late to learn, my answer is that there’s never been a better time!
I am of the belief that modern society (for all its goodness) has imposed a heavy price on our stress levels and our ability to focus. We have way too many distractions and the sound byte is rapidly becoming our lingua franca. This does not bode well for the human condition, and ironically, we need creativity and focus more than ever in light of present economic circumstances.
A distracted mind is no place for innovation, problem-solving or creativity – Eoghan McCabe
So what does this have to do with music? Everything. Creating music, regardless of your level, is one of very few activities that counteracts this unfortunate societal trend. One of the things I love doing the most is answering question I get every now and then from a friend, “I want to get (back) into this, but where should I begin?” Usually, this question means what should I buy first? Without a doubt, technology is an immutable partner – and a damn essential one in today’s scheme; but returning to the earlier point, having too many choices is a double-edged sword. I am a firm believer that too many choices can make it that much more difficult to focus your time and resources on the FEW things that really matter; and what really matters will differ from musician to musician depending first and foremost on WHAT you’re trying to accomplish.
My suggestion is to keep things as simple as possible in the beginning. If your chops are dusty then spend some time reacquainting yourself with the fundamentals. You’ll have plenty of time to build your sanctuary and trust me on this, it’s a slippery slope; and there will always be a bigger fish!
As for my blog, I will continue, but probably with greater focus on gear and studio related topics merely because my site statistics overwhelmingly confirm this to be the predominant interest. Fastonkeys.com gets between 2,000-2,500 new visitors per month from across the globe, the majority of which are seeking out the gear-related posts. And here I was thinking it was all about the fabulous music I’ve created (LOL)… So I’ll be refining the focus in 2009 and attempt to better cater to my core audience. Thank you to everyone for your comments, emails, and encouragement!
