Happy New Year! Now that we have a few days of space between us and 2014, let me ask you: how would you rate it? Are there some areas of opportunity or did you accomplish what you wanted? No matter which it is, though, you get another chance. This year, 2015, is the one that matters.
One of the best and worst parts of performing as a musician was that every song had an ending. When you had a song that was hopelessly off course and everything was going horribly wrong (we called those trainwrecks), you knew it would eventually be over.
There was always a chance for redemption in the next song. And as a drummer, sometimes I would find myself “in the pocket”, and the groove would just flow. It was a great feeling when it happened, but it would also come to an end.
No matter how a song finished, there was one after it, and it was another shot to get things back on track or to find that pocket again. That was what made music interesting for me – you knew what you were trying to do; it was a matter of realizing it in the present moment.
That impermanence also applied to good/bad gigs, solid/painful practice sessions, and I’ve found it also applies to successful/challenging years. So no matter what 2014 brought you, it’s a clean slate in 2015. What are you going to do with it? Let me know.