A New Playbook

Time passes on; greater and lesser revelations are made visible. The truth screams into my deaf ears to rise up and seize the day. However opportunities seizure has become written by an apparently different judicial system. When an animal looks for food in his typical hunting grounds and finds nothing, he then looks and finds a new source or he will die. Such is the reality the greatly tugs upon the scruff of my neck. There is need for new strategies, I have achieved a level that ten years ago I could not have considered. Now atop this plateau I only find that the true mountain lies ahead and that the current systems that are in place will not get me far up this mountain.

So we see a need for a new playbook. Today, I plan to ditch the motions and routes known and gathered by my scholastic years. Unfortunately these designs are proving to be wanting in its ability to deliver in the “real” world. I need real plans that involve not waiting for el momento perfecto, but designed around working and creating these opportunities.

For these times I have begun undertaking a simple and Biblical method:

1. Thank the Creator for times past.
2. Ask for Wisdom for the current and future.
3. Do all things as if for the Lord
4. Love all and forgive the past

Despite it’s simplicity there is work to do and a life to live quite differently than the selfishness I have shown in the past.

Rock & Roll and a hard place

So we set up this premise. We have a song that a label wants to have on a compilation cd. Lets bring in a number of drummers and get as many ideas for the track as we can possibly record. For this scientific study we used:

Drummer A: A fan plain and simple. Young energetic, reminds me of me a few years ago. Rough talent, no prior work experience, good image.

Drummer B: Big talent, opinionated, lengthy successful resume, adequate image, standard setter, moody.

Both musicians converge upon our bat cave and the good times roll. Out of deference, respect, age, obligations we allow Mr. B to take the first swing of the sticks and it is money time. Quickly we have 3 useable tracks and a large portion of time available. Thrilled at our progress we begin demoing other tracks and allowing Mr. B to take a literal and figurative crack at them. When it rains it pours and there is sonic bliss all over my new rug. 3 songs now have workable drum tracks.

So the hour draws late and we do not want Mr. A to feel chided. So we call Mr. B’s day a wrap and politely escort him to his car so Mr. A can warm up. It is in this parking lot that I fall trap to the biggest mistake we made of the night, we start talking of the future.

After a 30 minute conversation I can finally moderate my co-conspirator and Mr. B into a parting of ways. I walk back with the ruse and give him my sternest what the hell look. The reasons for this realm around the cliff notes of the parking lot conversation. Here they are in all there glorious glory:

A. What are you doing?
B. What is our goal?
C. Who is Mr. A?
D. Should we start plotting strategies?
E. Is this worth the time?
F. Random anecdote
G. Talk of big money
H. More dreaming
I. Random anecdote
J. I sigh in frustration
K. Lip service paid all around
L. Decision to meet in a fortnight
M. Concession to let Mr. A have his whirl

So we let Mr. A have his go, and the results where better than expected thus causing an even better dilemma for me and my partner as now I am gung ho on the side of Mr. A. While my hesitant band chum wants to go with the safe bet.

The lesson learned was that we should’ve never of had the conversation as it only allowed Mr. B to inject his desires which caused a conflict on our immediate project.

Lesson two is that 10 plus hours of drum tracking is not the best way to spend a night.

So a pair of overnighters appear to be in order for us to complete this project.

And with that we close todays entry. I could go on but I think I long overstayed my welcome.