Thanks Radkon!

This is some great advice! My eyes are glazing over but its a very clear path! I worry about falling into a trap that I have time and time again, which is just playing bass/melody and not using the stick to its fullest! i will do what you suggested! If music and life has taught me one thing is that you need to be able to clear the table off and start a new! thanks for the great criticism, I know what you said with musical love and stick brotherhood!

Blarg!

Hey Guys.

I just forgot one thing, which really hit home for me last month.

A guitarist friend of mine, who I consider to be ridiculously talented & hard working, told me that he had just made it through another, self criticism stage.

What he said was, he's finally come to accept that it's all part of his process....
It really resonated with me, as I have moved to a big city and the expectations I place on myself, have risen considerably.

It's OK to feel that raw, "this is shit" feeling pointing me on to better things. One you have to perform on stage though, it's all about keeping my mind relaxed and sharp, noooooo expectations, just a good relaxed performance. Have'nt you noticed though, that when you think you've had a shit performance and people say... "Ah that was great" and you're saying 'yeah Riiiiiiiight"

What is this? I know so many of us have had this experience; but I really believe that an audience is moved when we're out of our comfort zone, because we're naked in front of them at that time. They spend their whole day working with "players" in the workspace, putting on various faces to maintain a worldly appearance, and when we get up on stage, they want us to take them out of themselves....! We can't do that if we're caught up in "Hey, check this lick out"

I do consider it a pretty healthy thing when the 'self appraisal stage" comes around, perhaps each time I just better at having a little smile at myself & really ask what it is I want to work on and stick to that. When this happens I do notice my happiness tends to rise or stabilise.

Catch ya.

R

First off – there are a lot of wise truthsayers on this site. Give a man a Stick, and he becomes a philosopher. I really like what others have said.
Second – Steve, How long have you been playing Stick? I’m guessing less than 5 years? Just a guess. Now let’s compare ourselves to the true masters of the Stick:

Emmett Chapman -40 years.
Bob Culbertson – 30+ years
Greg Howard – about 25 years
Steve Adelson – about 25 years
Jim Storm – 5 years.

Oh wait, skip that last one . I looked on your profile, and I see you are 27 years old. Hmmmm. That may be the problem with your playing. Most of these guys have been playing for as long as you’ve been breathing. Lighten up. You’ll get there. And calling yourself a faker won’t get you there any quicker.

One of my favorite sayings is, “A blade of grass will grow a days worth in a day’s time.” Certainly, you can practice, and study, and practice, and study, until your fingers fall off and your eyeballs pop out, and it will still take you 40 years to play like Emmett.

I have played the Stick five years. But I played the guitar for like 25 years before that, and you would never know it from listening to me. And I am okay with that. 95% of my playing is in my living room, with headphones, and, let me tell you, I sound damn good TO ME. It relaxes me, it keeps me centered, it pleases me. I really don’t give a damn what anyone else thinks about it. I enjoy (and need) constructive criticism, but at the end of the day, the only audience that matters is me.

I won’t ever make a living playing the Chapman Stick. I am a Professional Counselor by trade (and a good one – send me a check.) I play the Stick for me. And, when I do play out in public, I am a poser!!! Why the hell not? Embrace your paper clown. Be one with your faker. I read today that Mary Travers (of Peter, Paul and Mary – RIP) had a nervous energy to her voice. It was stage fright. Remember, most people have never heard a Stick player. When I play out, I always introduce myself, ask how many people have heard a Stick, and when no one raises their hand, I tell them they are about to hear the best Stick player they have ever heard.

Jim Storm

Following what Jim has just written - remember that these guys (Emmett, Bob, Greg, Steve, Don, et. al.) did not have the unbelievable resources that we have available to us now (the aforementioned artists/teachers and each other). Embrace them (both figuratively and literally, when you get the chance!).

The world is on the cusp of a musical sea-change! All you need is love...


Take care,

Paul

Thanks guys!

Jim!

Your are so very right! My youth gets the best of me from time to time, but I have great friends who how to tell me to quit being a whiney little bitch! I'm playing 2 years mondy!

Paul

Thanks as well! Can you elaborate on this change you see?