It seems like we seem to be focusing on the more musical aspect of things--appropriately so--but there is also a great deal more to life that that, and I think his reference to being a link in those other chains should be noted. Seems like it all grows or withers together. I don't mean to come off sounding like a Hallmark card, but I guess if you feel indifferent to your own personal growth then there is something wrong. It is something I ponder a great deal, so I totally understand where he's coming from.
________________________________ From: Jason Kindall <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, January 21, 2010 1:44:10 AM Subject: Re: Starting from scratch....sort of. Just wanted to creep out of the corner long enough to say that I think it takes real guts and some pretty stellar honesty to open up to your fans and students like this. Kudos to you, Mike. I look forward to seeing where this part of the journey leads you. Jason On Wed, Jan 20, 2010 at 19:25, mistertaterbug <[email protected]> wrote: >Okay, I've decided to go back to the drawing board. It's been looming >>on the horizon for some time, bugging me, nagging at me in the back of >>my mind, one of those things that I know needs doing. So here goes... > >>While it's true that I've taken some flack of late from uneducated >>n'er-do-wells with snappy comments regarding the "slop" I play and how >>I'm apparently luckier than Kenny G in my musical success based upon >>my apparent lack of ability to be an actual musician, this is not the >>basis for my conclusion that things need to change. There's a lot of >>things that need changing around here really, and the musical aspect >>is only one of the pieces of the puzzle. I'm getting fed up with >>feeling like the weak link in so many chains, not all of them musical. >>Call it a delayed New Year's Resolution list, if you will. > >>As middle age comes and settles in more firmly I find myself wanting >>to play better, to understand more, to feel a connection with what I'm >>doing that's not been there in quite some time. Yes, I've been winging >>it. But then I suppose I've not fooled everybody judging by the latest >>flurry of comments and my own personal feelings of musical unrest. I >>need a feeling of belonging to what I'm doing, I need to feel I'm >>doing it well, that it's a part of me. So far, no cigar. > >>I sat here today and played "Black Joke w/Variations" as I do every >>couple days(or so...there's part of the problem right there; lack of >>consistency and regularity) and made a greater effort to play the >>notes cleanly and with character. Egad. You'd think I never saw this >>exercise before. I used to play at it every day, every morning first >>thing, out on the porch with the mando and the 'dola to do my ritual, >>my mando-meditation. But now I'm playing it and paying attention to >>detail in a different way. I am reworking my right hand some due to >>feeling some wear and tear over the last 38 years and it's hard, REAL >>hard. I'm working on making it work smoothly and relaxed, but feeling >>strong and sure. I'm watching my pick angle. I'm watching how much >>motion I use to make the strokes, how I cross over strings to get to >>the next, listening to the sound of the notes, the evenness of the >>tremolo(or not, in this case), watching my pick angle, etc. Everything >>I can think of. And I know that the more I work, the more things will >>turn up that need attention. > >>Truth is, I spend a lot of time working, but not efficiently. I waste >>30 minutes here, an hour there not focused on anything. Now I don't >>mean to say that putting one's brain out of gear now and again is not >>a good idea, but being on auto-pilot all the time, not filtering what >>goes in and comes out, is not really a good idea. So, the tune books >>are out, the paper is out, the iTunes list is open, lyrics are at easy >>reach. I'm not sure I even know how to accomplish what I want to get >>done. If I sit and ponder it too hard the task will just seem like too >>much of a mountain to climb. Maybe in pieces small enough to chew is >>the way to go, but I feel like now I have to chew all the time to get >>ahead and see real success, real progress. Real progress will instill >>passion for success. > >>I find I've got a lot more things I want to get done, and feeling I'm >>playing at the level I think I should be is high on the list. I have >>raised my standards for myself. I have quite a collection of material >>I want to learn and explore. The list grows and I just sit and watch >>it without whittling any of it away. I know myself well enough to know >>that this will all nag me in the back of my mind until I do something >>about it. Here I go... > >>mistertaterbug > >-- >>You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >>"Taterbugmando" group. >>To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >>To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >>[email protected]. >>For more options, visit this group at >>http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en. > > > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Taterbugmando" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/taterbugmando?hl=en.--
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