Percussion Deconstruction™

Our artistic careers are a series of choices that we make: go to this school, learn this style, take that gig, turn this other gig down, go for the money, go for the art, etc. Lots of choices that form a path we take. And it's easy to look at someone else's choices and say they “sold out,” or they made a wrong choice. But we don't live their life, we don't know their circumstances. If you have a family of young kids, you may take any and all gig offers so that you can put food on the table. If you are single, or just have a spouse, you may have the luxury of choosing what gigs to take. Or maybe you just love playing and take all the gigs because it's an adventure. Or you might decide to only take gigs within a certain style. The thing is, the choices are always yours and no one else's.     I know that I can look at other artists and think, “I wouldn't have made that choice.” But that doesn't need to be a criticism on their choice, because I'...

It's happened to all of us, things are going along fine, you are successfully doing your music/art, and then suddenly things stop. You have no ideas, you have no inspiration, you have no energy to go on. The Artist's nightmare: hitting a brick wall… You feel like you've hit a brick wall. All your hard work and momentum stops. Try as you might, you can't get going again. Things are at a standstill.  What do you do? Don't panic. Realize this is normal and happens to everyone at sometime. Refrain from getting angry or frustrated. This only deepens the block. Introduce a disruption/distraction to what you are doing: go to the beach/park/forest, or go to the cinema/concert/museum. This can help reset your brain and creativity. Take a nap. Another way to reset. Take a walk and leave your phone at home. Get out of your workspace and get some fresh air and exercise. This can help clear your head and reset your brain. Realize that most blocks are imaginary...