Hello Stickists,

I just wanted to post a quick note about some inspiring Stick experiences.

Life has been hectic recently and I've only been able to play Stick for 15-25 minutes first thing in the morning.

On more than one occasion I've been so tired and would think "what's the point? I've only got a few minutes before I need to get going." Or I would think "that's not enough time to practice or work on anything."

On those occasions when I've fought through that feeling and just picked up the Stick with no expectation of outcome, it's been very rewarding and inspiring.

I just put my hands on the Stick and start tapping, sometimes at random, and within minutes a new musical idea is sparked! Then from there it's as if I've tapped into something completely new and I begin hearing ideas and my fingers follow, experiencing these moments of "Free Hands" as Emmet (RIP) had described.

Albeit, my hands aren't quite that free, yet but each time they inch closer to freedom and the discovery and expression of new musical ideas.

As Greg has said, the Stick is an idea machine!

As validation, these discoveries will be revealed every day for years and years. After playing close to 40 years and many hours per day, my daily explorations always bring new paths of sonic enlightenment. Unique techniques, harmonies, rhythms and such await the Stick explorer. With a brief history, each player is helping develop The Stick's music legacy. I witness this inspiration in my students as the light bulbs flash regularly. The Stick is that infinite pallet of colors and ideas. Coordinated exploration will yield very gratifying results.

Steve Adelson

I very much agree with both of you.

And there's something about the early morning hours, before our brain has become fully awake, or whatever. I know that in Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way", one of the practical steps to creating new ideas and breaking away from being "blocked" in creativity is to write in the morning.

Write, as in literally take a pen and paper and write nonstop stream of consciousness. The less thought-out & planned, the better. Early in the morning. Somehow, this taps into new ideas within other areas of life, later in the day or coming days.

So I imagine placing our fingers on the Stick strings in the same pre-awake state would be similar!

I am soon to move my rehearsal studio back to my house from across town. I think I might try this daily. Thanks for the inspiration.

But maybe different times for different people?

I'm fully awake as soon as I get up, but I've known the sort of state Ted.S describes late in the day, not long before bed.

Sometimes by that stage my eyes are heavy & I can't read a book, or watch a video, but I decide to have a few minutes music time anyway and it turns out to be more fruitful than expected. Almost as though being in that state there's no pressure to do any particular task, just & total freedom to 'do something', and out of that 'something different' turns up? Usually at that time of day keyboard is most convenient, but maybe I should try Stick?

I've gained an amazing amount of ground practicing while micro-dosing! Im playing things now I could never have imagined, also my hands have reached interdependence, which for me was THE hardest thing about playing the Stick. Also, its put a HUGE dent in the PTSD I have suffered from....

From the time that I leave home for a graveyard shift, to the time that I get home the next morning, 14 hours have past. Sometimes, I don't remember the drive home. This puts my brain in a state of mind that I cannot explain. Sometimes, I pass out when I reach my pillow. Sometimes, I'm beyond trying to sleep and this is when I get the most creative with my Stick music. Other times, I play randomly while watching television. I play whatever comes into my head and it entertains me. I can't ask for more than that. The Stick is my therapeutic crutch to help me get thru life. Music has been part of my soul since the day I was placed on this Earth. I play multiple instruments for the pure pleasure of enjoying the sound. Sometimes, I enjoy the sound of my diesel engine as I roll down the highway. Each sound has it's own inspiration.

Excellent post, Ted.

One thing I always try to have open is my Quicktime app, just in case I come up with something I want to document quickly with a casual reference video. Those ideas can be fleeting as our daily lives crowd into our mental space. Preserve them!

I'm a very new Stick player, having had my instrument for just a little over a month now, and I find it so gratifying and rewarding to play. What an idea machine, indeed. I'm finding it to be everything I'd hoped it would be.

I look forward to many years of crossing personal milestones and learning new things on it. I've played guitar and bass for over 30 years and I think back to my journeys on those instruments, where I hit learning milestones, where I "cracked the code" on techniques or certain levels of expertise that better players than I utilized. Those moments where I caught myself finally doing it and thinking to myself "holy crap, I really CAN DO this!"

Every day has been a great learning experience. I swear I can feel my mind rewiring itself. Having played bass and guitar for so long and having become accustomed to hearing certain notes in certain places on those instruments, having something so different in my hands has made me listen very closely and really scrutinize what I'm doing, and it's very gratifying.