I expected to hear from J. today. Mostly, that was because I had told him there would be tracks waiting for him lat night. I was fully prepared to use that feedback as the crux of my blog post. As it happens, I didn't hear from him. Admittedly, that threw me a bit, but that's okay, because it led me to a different topic for tonight's post.
Tomorrow will be the 100th day of the second year of the blog. That seems like a fitting time to stop for a moment, look around, and take stock of where things are. I'm almost a third of the way through the second year, and my initial reaction to that is this: If the stated goal (Berklee) is still the goal, I don't feel like I'm making the progress necessary to be advancing on that goal with any sort of speed.
I'll admit that we're making slow progress on the rock record, but the progress on my playing has been slower than that. Lately, most of the work I've done with the guitar has been in response to something involving the record, and that is (admittedly) no way to set out improving my overall skill with the instrument.
Basically, what it comes down to is this: trusting that something is going to happen. Doesn't make it happen. Actually going out and making it happen does that. Eventually, belief only takes you so far. There has to be solid action behind that belief if the progress is to be seen. For too long I've believed that, if I just show up every day, I'll get there eventually. I've seen some improvement that way, but not enough to satisfy me. It's only through a strict adherence to detail and effort that true gains will be seen. Fear becomes irrelevant when you're committed to making things better, be it in music or work or life or love. The initial committment is the scary part. Once you're there, and you can wrap yourself up in the comfort of learning and self improvement and happiness and sheer love of the activity or the people in your life, that's where the strength to grow and get better comes from.
Tomorrow will be the 100th day of the second year of the blog. That seems like a fitting time to stop for a moment, look around, and take stock of where things are. I'm almost a third of the way through the second year, and my initial reaction to that is this: If the stated goal (Berklee) is still the goal, I don't feel like I'm making the progress necessary to be advancing on that goal with any sort of speed.
I'll admit that we're making slow progress on the rock record, but the progress on my playing has been slower than that. Lately, most of the work I've done with the guitar has been in response to something involving the record, and that is (admittedly) no way to set out improving my overall skill with the instrument.
Basically, what it comes down to is this: trusting that something is going to happen. Doesn't make it happen. Actually going out and making it happen does that. Eventually, belief only takes you so far. There has to be solid action behind that belief if the progress is to be seen. For too long I've believed that, if I just show up every day, I'll get there eventually. I've seen some improvement that way, but not enough to satisfy me. It's only through a strict adherence to detail and effort that true gains will be seen. Fear becomes irrelevant when you're committed to making things better, be it in music or work or life or love. The initial committment is the scary part. Once you're there, and you can wrap yourself up in the comfort of learning and self improvement and happiness and sheer love of the activity or the people in your life, that's where the strength to grow and get better comes from.
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