Maintenance Time (Spring Cleaning)

Maintenance Time (Spring Cleaning)

Nothing stays the same, although in a lot of cases, we wish it would. Just as a home needs a spring cleaning, so does the musical infrastructure. Overall, it’s pretty low maintenance, and you can really get used to simply grabbing those instruments when you’re going...
Junk Drawer Diving

Junk Drawer Diving

During the earlier days of the pandemic lockdown, my wife and I decided to (finally) organize the hidden (semi-hidden) junk places in our home. We had to be brutal and decide which of the accumulated junk to save and which to throw out. Of course, for anything we...
The Right Way(s) to Play

The Right Way(s) to Play

If you’ve been at a jam, and someone reels off a perfect rendition of a classic banjo (or guitar, or fiddle) solo, it’s a thrilling moment, no doubt. And if you’re at a jam and someone reels off a solo that’s wholly different, that’s a thrilling moment too,...
Self Awareness Training

Self Awareness Training

Recently I heard some chatter about a guy who was wreaking some havoc with guest spots at a regular jam session.  I guess it wasn’t a jam session in the usual sense – this particular jam will feature five musicians thrown together for the night, and I guess that...
I’ll Never Make a Living on Music

I’ll Never Make a Living on Music

I’ll never make a living on music. There. I said it. My parents were right. I tried, I really did. But I discovered that a few things were holding me back. First and foremost, I don’t have enough talent to rise to the upper 1/10 of 1%. I just don’t. I have some...