Lately, I’ve been practicing a lot of guitar. What makes this noteworthy is that I’m not just playing guitar… I’m exercising guitar. I’ve started marching down the demanding path that is music theory. Pushing my knowledge base and running scales like it was my job… and realizing that I wish it were my job. Sadly, artistic expression is not my forte. My parents instilled music into my life at a young age (thanks Mom D and Dad D!) so I feel I can hold a tune, but I don’t have that natural ability to phrase music in a new unique way. At the moment, I can’t really communicate with the guitar; I can only mimic.
I think that the best way to contribute to society is by doing something that you’re good at, or by doing something you’re passionate about. One of my proudest moments in college was bringing 250+ people together for a five song 8 of Bass concert – 8 basses performing ace of base tunes.
Oh! The Majesty!
I remember very vividly a moment a few years later where Jesse made note of my ability to generate excitement and bring that crowd together for the show. If I had to pick a personal strength, I guess it would be in working with people and building some degree of excitement. The personal side of business is all about interaction and motivation, so that career path makes a lot of sense.
But business can be so colorless! Perhaps I’m still too low on the business totem pole (and indirectly maslow’s hierarchy) to find art and self-actualization in organizational structure and business operation. Maybe I can find passion once I pass the point where I have to click through Auto-Cad menus… but right now this path is not entirely fulfilling.
Unfortunately, with an 8-5 job come luxuries that aren’t available to musicians and I’ve come to grow too comfortable with them. I’m not talking financially as much as structurally. There’s comfort in organized repeatability; a comfort that is far less common in the life of a driven musician.
I’m not sure how to come to terms with this situation except to just keep plugging along. Keep practicing guitar in the hopes of finding a musical voice while maintaining the M-F agenda with the hope of sparking some business inspiration.