Paying It Forward

Hello and welcome! 

I am thinking again. That usually means trouble for the poor unsuspecting victim reader. 

This time, I am thinking about getting older. Unfortunately, it's a fact of life. 

You may get older, but that doesn't mean you have to get OLD! 

My favorite people are the ones that no matter how old they get, you still see a spark in their eyes. 

Yet, again, I digress.

There is a point to all this nonsense  rabbit trail is that: if you are going to get older as a musician, what are your options? 

• You play as long as you are physically able to do so  

• You teach

• You take up Scrabble and forget music

• You whine and carry on about how you used to be so good, and relive your glory moments in front of everyone you can subject them to find - this also includes posting them to Facebook, Twitter, or sending endless videos 

                                   OR

• You pay your talent forward  - which is also aptly titled: it'snotallaboutme.com

Now is when I insert a Scripture, since I tend to draw continuous parallels; so if you need to close your eyes and avoid at this point, go ahead. :P 

"Freely you have received, freely give." Matthew 10:8

(See that wasn't so bad) 

As seasoned players we have a lot to give to the up and coming. 

They have the chops, speed (whew, do they EVER!) and they have dreams. 

I may not have theory, BUT I can show them style, finesse, and the space BETWEEN the notes: a most woefully overlooked area. 

(Thank you to my dear friend Shawn Byrne for that invaluable lesson) 

I can give my time and my blood, sweat, & tear soaked experience to make YOU a better player!

So, as YOU have been GIVEN, give back! You never know what impact you can have on a life! 

Build a lasting legacy - build people!!! 

God bless! 

<><   Lori 

Beginners and the need for grace

Hey! Welcome back! Thanks for your time! I am going to talk shop tonight :)

I went to an open mic jam in Granby last night...

It was a great jam, in fact! The house band slid sleekly from one jazz/blues standard to the next with barely a break in steam. The rhythm section was so hot I almost went home for oven mitts... lol... The head honcho is a really close friend of mine. This guy's chops are so good - never mind play behind his back, he can LOOK at the guitar's strings and they move - lol : P

I have learned a lot from him... Let's call him Barney.

Barney has played with everyone... He was down in Muscle Shoals, Nashville, and even recorded on a Percy Sledge album.. For those of you old enough to remember him... or albums, for that matter... :P

One thing he taught me was how to be a gracious player. He showed me by example. In essence, you can be the best player in the world, and if you are unkind to "the rookies", then you really aren't all that hot.

You know something? I have met some amazing players.. even played with some... No, I am not going to name drop... it's just obnoxious - *eyeroll*

Ironically, it seems the higher they are on the musical "food chain", in their cool confidence, they are more concerned with imparting to others than they are beefing up their egos. How strange.. It's almost like the equally perplexing relationship between pick-up truck tire size and height of the driver... : *

I was pretty cocky some years back. Big fish in a small pond syndrome... or rather "sin"drome... :) Annoying as all heck.

So, to get, rather grudgingly, to the POINT (lol) - it's this: I have had some rather humbling trips on "Grace Mountain". The first few times, I hurled headlong down... but slowly, I realized that (some of) those poor fumbling players learned from me...

The encouragement (which by the way means to give COURAGE) and the kind words from a pro, more than once, kept me from quitting.

It was pretty humbling to realize that I could have life IMPACT on the 'green ones.' :) and hopefully, someday, those newbies will take the fledglings under their wings... and teach them to fly :D

May your jams be soaring!