Staying in the game: The best practices, attitudes, metacognitive strategies, and intrinsic motivations of aging musicians
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Keeping a hobby, a hobby

9/29/2019

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Keeping a hobby, a hobby.

Sometimes too much is too much. When we plan our hobby activity with the same intensity as a Wall Street management consultant, we may be missing the point. I may be at that place in my drumming.

I’ve two hobbies: drumming and dancing.

Dancing is casual and with my wife. We go to class, we have fun. The only goal is to show up and do our best. I come home from class refreshed and filled with joy. Hmmm….

Drumming on the other hand is an obsession that needs taming. It started out as a fun project to help me get through a divorce. I put in as much as 10 hours a week or more. For 10 years. How do I feel? A little frayed. My hobby has become work. 

So I’m fighting burnout. I’ve done some research.

What to do to avoid burnout?
  1. I’m not planning on stepping back from it. I love it too much. I now jam at a level I never dreamed I would reach. My initial ambitions were to play in a community concert band. Now I jam with professionals and play shows with artists. Band was fun, but this is music making on a much more refined level. I’ve travelled the world to be coached by some of the finest drummers out there. Their expectation was uniform: you will sound professional.
  2. I’m ready for a new plan. And a more uniform path of gradual improvement, but way less frantic. I’m coming to peace with the instrument, my age, and my ambitions.

Step one: I’m narrowing my focus: Jazz with a modern twist and New Music/improv. I no longer have the time or inclination to be well rounded. I was a well round pianist in my gigging days. It was a trap that kept me in gigging (weddings, clubs, corporate etc. work-a-day stuff) but out of the real interesting possibilities open to specialists.

Step two: work locally with drum coaches with who are known for teaching technique. I’m hearing things in my head that I can’t execute.   

Step three: I will work on my drum transcription blog. “it’s all about repertoire baby!” to paraphrase an old line from a Hollywood character. http://jazzdrumtranscriptions.blogspot.com/

Step four: I will stick with my current projects. No new projects for awhile.

Step five: keep up the healthy living routines I’ve build up: Sleep, exercise, clean living, stretching etc. I will keep putting this ahead of all else.

Best,

​David
PS: The Passion Paradox book below. 

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1 Comment
help research paper link
12/19/2019 03:49:51 pm

I think that people do not understand just how important it is to develop a habit of scheduling. I know that there are some who do not even think about it, and that is a problem in my opinion. Once you start doing things as you go, then you are just wasting a lot of time. Life is short, and we need to be efficient in how we use the time that we have in this life of ours, man. I hope that you start scheduling your stuff.

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    Author

    David Story: Professional pianist, drummer, composer, and educator. Well into his 5th enthusiastic musical decade, David works with adults pursuing musical dreams in the autumn of life, while he maintains an active presence in the Toronto arts scene.

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