As a bass player I always enjoy getting these bass lines to pop out. I mean, I’m still a total novice with Abelton Live, but I’m having fun, which is the point.
Stef from @pexels
Month: January 2021
This Is America
Photo via @DrDenaGrayson
Can America sink any lower? It seems the depths that this country will fucking sink is without limits.
For years, Mr. Trump had built his influence with rapid-fire tweets and by reaching out to millions of people on Facebook. Since losing November’s election, he had used the platforms to challenge the election results and call them fraudulent.
NYTimes
Write For 10 Years From Now
From Seth Godin, who I’ve been reading and following since about 2003.
“The blog you write each day is the blog you need the most. It’s a compass and a mirror, a chance to put a stake in the ground and refine your thoughts.”
That Tweet or Instagram post might get 10 likes, but will it even exist in 10 years? You can read Seth Godin’s first post from 2002 on his blog right here.
Social media is the the box of sugary cereal, being that you have to eat a whole box to feel full, but it just leaves you feeling like garbage 20 minutes later.
Daily Loop #5
Vibrant and upbeat. Some weird little samples in there that you can hear in between the percussion. Also I think this is one of my first dives into audio to MIDI, which you can hear with the melody line.
Video by Edward Jenner from @pexels.
Your Website is Your Truth
A friend looking to possibly maybe starting down the path of a new gig. They’ve got this experience, but how do they really show it off?
“A website,” I exclaim!
“But how will people know it’s stuff I really did?
“Because your reputation precedes you. You’re a good person, you’re not a crook. If it’s on your website, it happened.”
Of course, that takes a few decades of building trust, establishing character. Day after day of trying to do the right thing, with the right people. But that’s the work.
Photo by Christina Morillo from Pexels
Back to Things Without a Break
Usually a Christmas holiday break means spending time with family, dinner with friends, ice skating, nice conversations in cute coffee shops… but not this year.
That’s what makes getting “back to work” that much more difficult. There was no unwinding, no reprieve. No break from the tragedy. No break from being vigilant. No break.
So we start January with a Slack outage, which is about as on-brand as you can get for the state of the world we’re living in now.
Daily Loop #4
Playing around with keyboard and synth “patches.” I’m not really well versed with piano-type instruments. Usually I just throw a few lines together, then edit the MIDI notes later.
Video by Stef from @Pexels
Can I Live In James Gilleard’s Illustrations?
In James Gilleard’s series Japan By Car, you’re whisked away on an adventure of color and fun. I know these are just illustrations, but I swear I feel like I’m there, sitting in the passenger seat and experiencing each scene as if it’s passing by me.
Forming Good Habits in the New Year
Sticking to a new habit, especially one like running which isn’t exactly know for being enjoyable, is tough.
Think of other things you enjoy around running that you can work into your system. Treat yourself to a nice running cap, or maybe your favorite album in your earbuds. Make a playlist for Mondays, something you can look forward to. Schedule a reminder in your calendar.
In my latest Soft Run newsletter I talk about supporting your goals with systems, which I learned from Atomic Habits from James Clear.
“The purpose of setting goals is to win the game. The purpose of building systems is to continue playing the game. True long-term thinking is goal-less thinking. It’s not about any single accomplishment. It is about the cycle of endless refinement and continuous improvement. Ultimately, it is your commitment to the process that will determine your progress.”
My first reason to start running was because I had friends who were runners and I wanted to join them in their adventures. It’s the same reason why I started playing music – my peers in high school were learning to play music, and I wanted to be a part of that.
Eh, maybe that’s some peer pressure, but 30 years later I’m still making music. And this will be my fifth year running.
Now, I’ve always wanted to be someone who says they do 100 push-ups a day, but never had the motivation. It never stuck. I’ve stopped and started (I wrote about it here in 2018), but ultimately I guess I really don’t want do 100 push-ups a day.
Could I make it a habit? I suppose, but I just haven’t built a system to make it happen, and I’m just not in a big hurry to do it, either.
Photo by Olya Kobruseva from Pexels
Daily Loop #3
Snagged this guitar sound from my friend Gino DePinto’s Instagram story! Captured on my iPhone, transferred to my computer, then chopped up in Abelton Live. The drums are a little over the top, but I still think it’s a fun little loop.