Don't Be Afraid of Your Own Work

Like most musicians, I don't sit around and listen to my own recordings. Why should I? I lived through the creation of them and then move on to the next project. The only time I really listen to something is if I have to relearn a piece that isn't written down, or if I'm looking for some sort of musical reference to use for something else. 

 So tonight I was looking for a file on my computer and ended up reading the extended liner notes from one of my recordings. After reading my own words, I was curious to hear the music again, so I played the CD (I'm actually listening to it as I write this). I always find it interesting to listen to my own music because it's something so close to me. There's always the possibility that I will cringe at how things turned out back then and think about things I should've done. But I've been pleasantly surprised at the music I'm hearing. Given the perspective of a few years, these tracks sound fresh, and in many ways, don't seem like my own. The most interesting thing is how much I like them. I feel good about how the final tracks turned out—they are exactly what I was going for at the time and are still relevant to what I do today. 

 I remember one time, when itunes was on shuffle, one of my tracks came up and I didn't realize it was my own (I have a hundred or so strictly percussion albums in my collection). My first thought was, "I like this. This is like something I would do." Imagine my surprise when I realized it was something I did do! 

 Don't ever be afraid to revisit your own work. Besides feeling good about where you've come from, you might also find inspiration for where you are going…

 ~ MB

 Addendum: I didn't realize it when I wrote this, but it's my 100th post to this blog! That's a lot of words and ideas put out there. I'd like to thank everyone who has stopped by. I hope you found something to take with you and improve/inspire your own work & art. ~ MB

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