October 2024 Reflections on Mastery, Making Music Videos and More
Choosing depth and patience with my practice routines, and embracing experimentation in new music videos
October has been a SLOW month. I’ve slowed down my practice routines. I’m doing less and saying no more often. I’ve reflected on this quite a bit and published a couple of blog articles (see below).
Maybe it’s my age (ahem, wisdom), or maybe it’s a feeling of overwhelm that the world seems to provide daily. Either way, it feels like a positive development and I’ve noticed a shift in how I’m creating and working. I’m going to write more about saying no in the future, but I like this recent thought experiment:
I Am My Own MTV
I’m excited to share that I’ve been experimenting with making my own music videos and releasing the results!
Here’s my first video featuring ME in it for my song called “Angry Eyes” which has also been played a few times on our cool local radio station KCBS in Bellevue.
I had so much fun making that video, I put on a nicer shirt and made a new video for my latest song “Ticket to Ride” linked to here:
I’m using a very simple approach which I write about in this blog article. I don’t use many specialized tools. All the videos are shot on my iPhone 15 Max. I hardly know what I’m doing but plan to make more videos.
Please like, comment and share if you find them inspiring! I hope more artists make music videos. It’s a great way to celebrate our artistry.
Discover more of my music and videos – dive into my updated my music page and stream your favorites!
Musing About Mastery
I’ve been fascinated by the idea of mastery and what it takes to achieve deeper levels of integration and embodiment in the areas I’m studying (piano, voice, songwriting, drumming, coaching).
I wrote an article about how embracing boredom and showing up for steady practice can be enjoyable in a different way when we are patient and less attached to how we sound in the dojo. Going ridiculously slow gives our brain the space to do it’s magic! Don’t listen to me, listen to the masters!
Have you been feeling the need to slow down too? Leave a comment or send me a message and let me know how you're managing the overwhelm.
Going Deep
I also wrote an article about the value of going deep rather than wide or broad repeatedly yields outsize results for me. I find going deep more rewarding than skimming surface but this is counter to societies messages. What do you think?
Speaking at NAMM 2025!
I’ve been asked to speak on Friday Jan at the 2025 NAMM show and will talk about ways emerging artists can counter self-doubt and release more art into the world. I’m very excited to give this talk.
If you’re attending NAMM, let’s meet up! Send me a message if you’re going, or tune in to my talk if you want tips on overcoming self-doubt.
Here are the details of my talk:
"Overcoming Self-Doubt: Creative Confidence for Emerging Artists"
Time: Friday, January 24 from 11:30am-12:30pm
Location: Hilton Anaheim, Level 4, San Simeon AB.
October Inspiration
I learned that one of my drumming heroes Shannon Powell had a stroke and a heart attack recently. I wanted to share a video I’ve watched dozens of times and will continue to watch and smile. How can so much joy and funkiness emanate from a single human being. Here's the GREAT SHANNON POWELL!
"Help support Shannon’s recovery – any donation to his GoFundMe will make a difference."
I got to meet Shannon last September in New Orleans. He was a delight to talk with and even greater inspiration to hear him play in the Preservation Hall All-Star band last year. What a treat.
Hope you like the video of Shannon and find his story inspiring.
If you haven't subscribed to my blog yet, now's a great time…
See you next month!
Dave