Play the part, and over time you will become the part…
Lots on at this end. Just got back from an epic private gig down in Christchurch. Here in NZ. With some of NZ’s ELITE musicians! (In my humble opinion) lol.
No, but seriously – Tiki Taané, Fran and Laughton KORA, and Joel, the lead singer of L.A.B. An A-list band all the way.
These guys collectively have contributed an insane amount to the NZ music scene over the past 25 years, so to do these sorts of gigs with them is always a treat.
Rehearsals last week –
So…. THIS is where we played. Nuts, right???
I’ve done this gig before, and with this crew, too. It’s absolutely insane. Hard to put into words really. But so much fun. Great people, great money, and a total pleasure/honour to be part of it.
Here’s the setup that was waiting for me in Christchurch – A 60s Ludwig & Supraphonic.
*Now, as a side note, here’s a quick book recommendation too, as I knocked this out over the 3 days that I was away at this gig. I just couldn’t put it down!
The Ultra Marathon Man – Dean Karnazes
If you need a little something to help keep that daily motivation going, this will defintely do it! An amazing read.
What else? Well, I’m in Auckland this weekend, for something just as fun as Christchurch, but completely different – it’s a Drum/DJ Duo I do with a friend on occasion, for corporate events.
He rips it up on the decks and sax, and I rip overtop of him, on the kit. Also, soooooo much fun. 🙂
I’ll share more about that next week.
Aside from that, I am now within 4 weeks of hitting the UK and Europe with Natasha Bedingfeild, so I am in full ‘pre-tour-prep-mode’.
I take this shit seriously, and don’t take it for granted, so do everything I can to be as prepared physically and mentally as possible.
I’m basically doing a much tighter daily exercise and mobility routine – rain, hail, or shine, and starting to familiarize myself with the new live set, too.
It’s a killer set. The shows are going to be a lot of fun! I’ll keep you posted as I prep more.
Now, on with this week’s topic….
Look. I can only ever share things from my perspective. Nothing more.
Do I have all the answers? No. Do I have a certain set of answers that you may benefit from? Absolutely. But like with anything, take it or leave it.
There is not one way, just one path. Meaning, what I am about to share with you is just one way of approaching things, but the path you are currently on, that is it. That is your path.
You can make micro-decisions all day, every day, that can change the path, but it’s important to understand that the second you take that step? Well, your path is your path. Thats it.
There are no sliding doors here. No ‘could-have-beens’. There is no alternative reality. You are walking it – you are living it.
This doesn’t mean you can’t shape your future accordingly to your desires… Quite the opposite, actually.
You can 100% dictate and determine what happens in your life through the decisions you make, but you can’t change the path you’re walking, once you are walking it.
Just think about that for a second.
What it means is, if something doesn’t work out for you – like a gig or a session etc, that’s OK! Because it was never going to work out for you. It wasn’t yours to begin with.
And it also means, when you get a great opportunity – you were ALWAYS going to get that great opportunity. It was always yours. You did the work, the timing was right, and it was yours for the taking. One path.
This is how I live my life. There are multiple ways through life, but only one path that we take.
It’s the decisions I make on the daily that determine the ‘way’ in which I move through the world, and then, at that point, all I can ever do is step forward on my ‘path’, one step at a time, and watch the results of those decisions take shape.
Why am I talking about this? Well, it’s simply a reminder that YOU are in control here.
Look at the 3 titles I chose to use for this newsletter –
1. Optics is EVERYTHING! (Newsletter heading)
- How people see you is how they will determine you.
2. Consider how you position yourself (Subheading)
- What you share is what you’ll be known for.
3. Play the part, and over time you will become the part… (Title)
- Head towards what you want, with conviction, and overtime, you will become that.
These are all saying similar things. It’s the idea and understanding that people will believe what you show them, and what you say you are, you will become.
I put this post up this week –
What I am saying here are a couple of things.
1. Your social media profiles are a window into your career – past, present, future. So what are you letting people see?
2. What you post is what you will be known for.
3. Understand where you want to go, and curate your pages accordingly.
4. Be genuine, as that’s the most sustainable approach, but be intentional. Consider what you post.
This is important stuff. Basic stuff, yes, but honestly, this is something that most people get wrong.
It goes beyond social media too. It’s the basic idea that opportunity is nothing more than the byproduct of work. Thats it.
Look…
- If you only post chops – I’d think you probably couldn’t hold down a pocket gig.
- If you only post pocket – I’d think you probably couldn’t hold down a gig that required a higher level of technical proficiency.
- If you only posted educational content – I’d think you probably couldn’t hold down a high-profile gig.
- If you don’t post any educational content – I’d think you probably don’t teach.
- If you don’t post at all – I’d think you’re not an active working drummer.
What you show me (or don’t show me), I will believe.
Now, NONE of this may be true. I get that. You may be completely capable of all of the above and more, but guess what? Without seeing it first hand, how am I supposed to know that?
And guess what else? We live in a world where DMing to confirm any of the above requires a little too much effort, so instead, I’ll just keep scrolling until I find someone that looks a little more obviously appropriate for what I am after.
Meaning – Your socials are a business card, so what you choose to show people is what they will associate with you.
Take my IG for example:
Even within that one screenshot alone, it lays it all out pretty clearly and concisely.
You can quickly see –
- What I offer – Live, Studio, Lessons, Clinics.
- Artists I have played with (button under profile).
- Artists I have recorded with (button under profile).
- Courses I sell (button under profile).
- Links to MasterMind Drumer, and my DrumGear store.
- And a couple of pinned videos I see as noteworthy – Tuning Course, Primus Audition, Single-Kick Course.
Within a few posts you will always find a video of me playing pocket, some chops and facility, some education, some thoughts and opinions, some gear I sell. Remember, no guesswork.
I want to dive a little more into this topic next week. Optics and positioning yourself, but at the very least, today, understand that what you post is what people will take you for.
So, to close, think about your goals and what you want from your drums – and life in general, and then work your way back.
Share parts of your playing that you want to be known and hired for. Be a customer to your page. Make it easy and take the guess work out.
You want to be a pro, right? Cool! Then present yourself like one. Play the part, don’t just wait for it.
Don’t forget, Optics is EVERYTHING!