MasterMind Drummer
Newsletter #18
April 22nd, 2024
The Future Is Inevitable…
Hey,
Phew! What a week! I’m still buzzing!
Before we kick off, right at the top here, just a quick reminder that the MAY 30-Day MasterMind Drummer Coaching Program is approaching, and all my Newsletter subscribers, aka YOU! Get $50 off.
Just enter ‘MASTERMIND’ at checkout.
Remember, this is designed to develop the person as well as the player, so if you feel like you’re struggling to show up on or off the kit, I can definitely help.
Each week I teach a new curriculum, diving into high-value ticket items to take your playing to the next level, coupled with a lesson on 1 of the 5, of what I like to call, ‘pillars of life’. So:
– Mechanics and Dynamics Reset / Health
– Applied Mechanics and Practical Patterns / Wellbeing
– Single Kick Development / Relationships
– Creativity and Facility / Business
So, if you’re keen to take your playing, mindset, and your life in general, to the next level, click HERE and let’s go!
Sorry to hit you with this straight away, but 30-Day offers so much value for those involved, and I love doing them, so just wanted to get that out of the way first. 🙂
Any questions, just ask!
Now, on with the show!
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Well, one thing you can ALWAYS bank on, is that no matter what you do, time will always pass. It’s inevitable. And the moments/situations that you are working towards will eventually come… And eventually go!
That, you cannot change.
What am I talking about here?
Well, I’m riffing on the heals of my MasterMind Drummer Clinic I held last Wednesday night.
It’s fair to say the clinic itself was a massive success, (which I’ll get to in a second), but first, there is an opportunity here to discuss something else, something that was a very big lesson for me in my early years as a touring drummer.
Specifically, I remember touring down the West Coast of the US, with Kimbra, on her first international headline tour.
At that point, I had done a handful of international gigs, with various artists, but this was definitely the biggest to date. Headline shows, all sold out, massive tour bus, festivals along the way, etc etc.
The set was a solid 80mins from memory, and Kimbra was really popping off at the time.
(It was actually this period where we recorded these ‘Live at Sing Sing Sessions’)
There was a big team of people behind her – the crew was amazing, and we had quite the show dialed in.
I remember the night of the very first show, in Vancouver, I could hear the crowd. There was a lot of nervous excitement in the air, and if I’m honest, I was pretty dam anxious!
And it is this that I wanted to touch on to for this newsletter. I actually had an epiphany that night.
I suddenly realised that no matter how nervous or anxious I let myself get, the moment was going to pass regardless.
This was quite liberating. It was a sudden awareness that…
A. Nothing I do changes that outcome – the show was going to continue regardless, so what’s the point in getting worked up? And
B. I was in control. I had the ability to stop these feelings that I had, just as easily as I had started them.
So, at that very moment, I stopped feeling nervous, and did not get worked up before another show, for the rest of the tour.
The mindset shift meant I was able to relax and just enjoy the experience. What a relief!
I learned the moment will ALWAYS pass, so why add stress to it? Nothing I do in the lead up is going to change the fact that the next 90 minutes are happening regardless, so I may as well just enjoy the process, and enjoy the experience.
And by and large, I have been that way ever since.
Sure, there are always going to be new experiences that still make me feel a little nervous or excited from time-to-time, but it’s never going to be over-the-top, or more than you’d expect.
Let me put it this way, I stopped making it worse than it had to be.
So, with that in mind, back to the clinic on Wednesday. It was very much how I approached this, too.
As I often mention, it is extremely important for you to be working towards a goal in some shape or form. Always.
Whether self-imposed, or due to others, you need to constantly challenge yourself in order to progress.
So, 8 weeks ago, I booked the MasterMind Drummer Clinic, with an outline of a concept that had been brewing in my head for some time now. I knew roughly what I wanted to do, but it wasn’t fully fleshed out just yet, by any means.
And guess what happened? Time kept on moving.
Each day, I got closer and closer to the 17th of April, and no matter what was happening in my day-to-day life, time kept on moving.
Sessions, lessons, gigs, 30-Day program, a baby that won’t often sleep through the night, as well as daily reading, writing, exercise, my daughter, my wife… All of it! And still, time kept on moving.
The moment was approaching, and unless something extreme happened, it was inevitable it was always going to come, and then go.
So, because of this awareness, I just never got worked up about it. I just made sure I did the work I needed to do ON the kit, as well as the necessary work OFF the kit, too.
As pointed out in last week’s newsletter, the work on the kit was just making sure I was prepared. So, playing through the tracks, looking for pressure points, going over them, getting them to the point where it was second nature etc.
Whereas the work off the kit was pretty simple – a little bit physical, a little bit mental, and when I would go for my morning run, I would visualize myself on stage, talking through my dialogue, and mentally going over all my key talking points.
I should say, too, 18 Newsletters in, I do A LOT of visualization. I always have. It’s such a power tool that is powerful, it’s free, its always available, and you can access it at anytime. It’s such a fantastic way to help prepare for any big task or event.
Visualizing what was going to happen in advance basically meant that nothing I experienced at the moment was a surprise, because I’d already thought it through. I had already imagined myself at the venue, on stage, lights on, and in those ‘tough conditions’ mentioned last week, as well as performing to a room full of drummers.
I must say, too, there really aren’t too many situations that are scarier than performing to drummers, let alone a ROOM full of them. Horrific you might say!
So, if we were to expand on last week’s thoughts regarding preparation, the perfect combo leading up to a big event like this is –
Preparation + Visualisation
That’s the winning ticket.
That’s a sure fire way to get ahead of yourself.
And then, also, knowing that no matter what you do, the moment is always going to come and go, so there is no point adding any unnecessary stress to it by getting worked up.
Keep that in mind, and in your back pocket.
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Well, here we are. The week after the event. The moment has passed now, the clinic has come and gone, and it’s fair to say it was a massive success, and exceeded ALL my expectations.
I’ll be honest though, it exceeded all expectations because I didn’t really have any going in. I had slight hopes that at least 1 person would come, yes, but no expectations overall.
Much like with my drumming, I removed all expectations a long time ago. Expectations only ever get in the way of the pursuit of the craft.
I didn’t really watch the ticket sales or anything like that either, as I didn’t want that in my head leading up, but two days prior I looked, and it was at 32 tickets sold, which I thought was great! 32 is a fantastic turnout.
I then looked again on the day of the clinic, and it had now shot up to 65!
65 ticksts! This was going to be an epic night!
With people lining up out the front, we opened the doors for a 5:20pm, for a 6pm start. I was manning my merch stand, just so I could greet everyone as they came in, and amongst sales of my ‘Grab n Go’ Stick Bag, my Signature Sticks, and my Aluminum Practice Sticks, I actually sold another 30 door sales!
So, it turns out 95 people attended the clinic. Hows that, right?
Insane.
As mentioned, I’ve had this concept brewing in my head for some time now, and it wasn’t one that I had seen before, so I wasn’t really too sure about how it would go, or if it would work.
The format was:
7 tracks, from 7 artists l’ve worked with over the past 20 years.
The tracks were performed in chronological order, and with 7 core messages –
• Guarding your Creativity (The New Caledonia)
• Learning the Rules (48May)
• Leveling-Up (Kimbra)
• Preparation (Drumeo)
• Collaboration (Josh Dela: Hey Zeus)
• Knowing your voice (Georgia Lines)
• Playing with Intention (Black Comet)
Before performing each track, I discussed the core message of that track, and the lesson learned along the way, and how it helped me grow and develop as a player and as a person – on and off the kit.
I then finished the event by sharing how, overtime, my personal philosophies became fully integrated into my 1on1 teachings, which then became the backbone of what MasterMind Drummer is.
So diving into my 5-Pillars etc.
The clinic itself was 105mins, which then finished with a 75min open Q&A, with a range of fantastic and intelligent questions. It was at this point I then proceeded to give away a bunch of amazing gear provided by Agop, Wincent, Mono, Remo, and sE mics.
What a night!
This is probably a great time to say thanks. Firstly, to everyone that attended, it wouldn’t have happened without you, and secondly, all my sponsors. As always, I appreciate the support.
I’m now locking in venues and dates for Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch, and am in discussions for Melbourne, Sydney, and Byron Bay too, so keep an eye on my socials if you live at any of these locations, as they’ll be announced soon enough.
I’d love to take this to the US and UK, too, but we’ll get these clinics done first and see how the cookie crumbles.
This has been such a fun experience, and by far the most enjoyable clinic/festival/drum performance I have done to date.
So remember, set a goal locked in for the near future, something that really challenges you and that will help you grow in the process, and as the date (or dates) start approaching, just remember that no matter what you do…
The Future Is Inevitable…
…so just enjoy it.
As always, I appreciate the feedback. I read them all. So please, if you have any thoughts, send them through, and let’s get a dialogue happening.
Stay Hungry, and see you next week.
Stan
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