Welcome Back!
Another week, and another tangential journey we must go on!
This is the way…
You ready? Well, here we go!
What a week it has been!
To start with, I released my ‘The Key To Double Stroke Mastery’ course, which I’m very stoked about!
So firstly, thanks to everyone who has already jumped on board. I really appreciate it.
The positive feedback is already coming in, which is amazing, as it’s only been a few days!
To quote a member, “I am already seeing more power and control”.
That’s a great feeling.
I’ll be honest though, I’m not surprised as I know this works. I’ve been teaching/correcting students doubles using this method for some time now.
It turns out the mechanics and key elements in this course are severely underrepresented in drum education, which is why I put it together, and given how much we utilise doubles throughout our playing, I still find that VERY surprising.
Everyone needs WORLD-CLASS Doubles.
Anyway, I’m ranting now…. I’ll stop.
I also somehow managed to drop a solid 2000 word mid-week emergency newsletter to help answer some questions around my 30-Day Coaching Programs.
“Look mum, I’m a writer!” Haha.
So yeah, things have been busy this week.
Busy. Busy. Busy.
Actually, I really don’t like that word. Busy.
Do you?
“How are you, man?”
“Busy, bro. Very busy”
Are you though? Are you really that busy?
Tangent 1 : It’s funny, that word, for me, has actually been hijacked for the rest of time, by my good friend Russ and his band 12 Foot Ninja.
They have a hilarious skit about ‘being busy’, at the start of their video for the track – One Hand Killing. It’s worth a watch HERE.
Actually, take the 6 minutes and watch the whole thing. The track has quite possibly one of the most brutal riffs I’ve ever heard.
When I hear it, I think of a swarm of wasps.
Wasps are brutal, right? Well, a swarm of brutal wasps definitely is.
Anyway, busy….
Maybe we are busy? Sure.
Or maybe we just need to refine the schedule a little more, tighten the bolts, create some time at the front end of the day, and spend a little less time on those low-value ticket items etc.
“Learn how to separate the majors and the minors. A lot of people don’t do well simply because they major in minor things.” – Jim Rohn.
This just means we tend to spend a lot of time on things of little to no value.
It seems to be the way we humans are wired.
Distraction is more prevalent than ever, and it is quite a serious problem.
I quote Jim Rohn a lot, but it’s because he always puts things in such a basic, yet elegant and digestible sort of way.
Perfect for someone like me. Haha.
I’ve always said I’m very basic. The only thing I know how to do, is show up. That’s it. But it seems that that is actually enough! Especially in this day and age.
Now, I know I’m projecting here, with this whole ‘busy’ situation, but I will say, even at my ‘busiest’ over the years, I’ve still found room for things of value and importance.
There is always room for majors in life. Always.
It really just comes down to a list of priorities.
And I get it, don’t worry, we all get a little tired and need to wind down, especially in the evenings. Right?
Whether it be with a show, a movie, or even the dreaded death scroll on our phones… whatever it is, yes, we need to power down.
All I’m saying is, maybe approach it from the angle of earning that downtime, first?
A great way to do this by getting ahead of yourself. So counteracting those inevitable moments with some positive and productive steps forward, and at the front end of the day.
This approach really works, and it’s much easier on the head, too. It tends to keep inevitable self-loathing at bay, or at the very least, to a manageable minimum.
No one feels good when they fall into the death scroll on their phone. But we do it everyday. And usually just before bed, too.
But trust me, you’ll feel much better about it all when you’ve balanced things out by starting the day a little earlier, a little more focused, and a little more intentional, that’s for sure.
Just something to think over.
But as I always say, I’m not your mum.
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So, what the hell are we talking about this week?
Great question!
Well, I had actually already made good headway on this weeks newsletter, discussing the topic of reading.
I was diving into my personal journey with reading, and the value it has in my life. I threw in a few tangents, as always, and I am offering some book recommendations, too, as I know others will benefit from hearing how I’m not actually a natural reader.
Seriously. I just found the right books, the right time in the day for me to read, and then just started putting the work in.
Without a doubt, reading has literally changed my life. But I worked at it. Which is the point of the newsletter.
Don’t fret, I will still release this newsletter, most likely next week, but as always, I was struck by a moment of inspiration, (again, while running), so once I got home I jumped right in, and that’s what led to this left turn we are taking today.
So, this week I want to discuss SEASONS.
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I exercise every day. I see it as a daily gift to myself.
Daily exercise is by far the highest value ticket item in my life. This is for a multitude of reasons, some of which you’ll know as being quite obvious, but the main reason is actually the gift of an active mind that I get from it.
I’ve said it before – the power of blood flow, oxygen, dopamine, oxytocin etc, it’s like a direct line to mental clarity, wellbeing, self-worth, and a source of constant inspiration.
I really feel I’ve cracked the code on this one.
Anyway, I was out running to my ballads playlist, (yes, the Meshuggah Drum Medley guy is a ballads man through and through), and one of my all-time favourite songs came on…
‘Seasons’, by Chris Cornell.
What a powerful track!
And what I love is he’s in no rush with it, too, coming in at a whooping 5 minutes and 45 seconds.
He takes his time to get the message across.
Mini-Tangent 2 : I always think back to how tastefully this track was used in ‘Man of Steel’, when a young and nomadic Clark Kent is poignantly wandering in search of himself. In search of his Superman, I guess. Deep stuff.
We can all relate to that, wandering through life in search of our own inner Superman.
(Tangent end)
Whenever I hear this song, I always hear drums in my head.
This often happens to me with acoustic songs.
I start to hear what the drums could have been, had they actually tracked them.
So after a few more listens, and with the idea fresh in my mind, I got back from my run, jumped in the studio, and put some drums down over Seasons, which you can check out HERE.
I mention at the start what a powerful tool this is for working your ‘songwriting muscle’, as you haven’t yet been tarnished with any preconceived ideas.
It’s a clean slate, a blank canvas, and a very effective exercise in nurturing creativity and inspiration.
I’ve used this ‘tool’, or approach, for many years now, and if you haven’t already, I highly suggest you give it a go.
Find a song you enjoy that has no drums, and spend some time writing drums for it, and see how you go.
Put yourself in the shoes of a studio session great, and see what you can come up with.
Actually, even better, how about you do exactly what I did, write some drums for Seasons!
That’s actually a really cool idea. Write some drums for Seasons, upload it, tag me, and then I can reshare it.
Now, my drums may have tarnished you a little now, BUT, it’s still a very cool idea nonetheless.
If you do give this a go, definitely post it and tag me in it. I’ll totally reshare it. I’d love to see what you come up with.
But yeah, just a cool idea I thought I’d share with you this week, as a way to get those creative juices flowing!!!
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There was actually another element of this song I wanted to touch on, too, as listening to it multiple times really got me thinking.
It’s in the title itself, and it is the idea of life having SEASONS.
Take a second here, and read through Chris’ lyrics for this track.
You can read them HERE.
My lord. What a powerful assembly of words. Right?
There are so many elements of this that I love, but in a nutshell, for me, (and because we know more of his nature now, too), he’s talking about the MANY ups and downs life has.
The highs are high – Summer.
And the lows? Well, the lows are low – Winter.
It tells the story of his struggles with that transition from Summer into Winter (‘Winter Blues’ is a very real thing), and then he tries to pull himself back out of it.
He can see and remember that feeling of summer, but he can not climb out of the hole, to ascend back to joy.
It’s a tough read.
“Summer nights and long warm days,
are stolen as the old moon falls”
“Now I wanna fly above the storm,
but you can’t grow feathers in the rain”
When I read that, it makes me sad.
The struggle is very real, and was very real for Chris. We all know that.
Another song that highlights the emotional roller coaster that is the human experience, is ‘Four Seasons in One Day’, by Crowded house.
You can read them HERE.
“Even when you’re feeling warm,
the temperature could drop away”
“Sleeping on an unmade bed,
finding out wherever there is comfort there is pain”
That’s it, right there.
In a single day, you can feel on top of the world, or as low as it gets. And man, it’s dam exhausting at times, right?
Without going too deep this early on in this newsletter journey together, my mum was consumed by the struggle of the seasons, and it was very hard to watch. Especially in my teens.
She never won the battle either, unfortunately.
But I learned a lot from that.
I now try to stay ahead of it, and just view things as waves that come and go.
The tide comes in, and then it goes out.
When I feel a little lower than usual, which happens, firstly, I keep in mind that this IS normal. It’s a part of being human. We are powerful chemical factories and all this IS natural…
BUT! It is NOT permanent. I won’t let it be.
It will come, it will go, and whilst its happening, I do one of two things –
1. Go for a walk or run. That ALWAYS helps. Always.
2. I reduce my required contact with people over that period, and just let the moment move through me, but not become me.
I know, I know, easier said than done. I’m just sharing my process with my Seasons.
And, I’m not undermining the seriousness of mental health here, too, I really do know about it all too well, trust me.
I’m just offering a way to approach the lows. An awareness that they will come, yes, it’s inevitable, but they will also pass, too.
As I said, the tide comes in and then goes out.
Another lesson I’ve learned is to not get too caught up in the highs either.
ALL seasons come and go. Don’t forget this. Even Summer.
Stay balanced, stay measured, stay centered.
Another line I wanted to touch on from Seasons, is this –
“Dreams have never made my bed”
This is brilliant, and also very powerful.
I read this as –
It’s not enough for one to just think, one must also DO. So take action.
Another way you could frame it is –
Less talking, more doing.
Same, same, in my mind, and something we could all implement a little more in our own lives.
I guess that’s the beauty of lyrics too, we can take from them as we choose, and use them for what we need.
What a gift. What a joy.
Life can be a battle, actually, scratch that, it WILL be a battle, but remember to face the inevitable seasons balanced and measured, and with a little tongue in cheek.
Neil Finn beautifully captured this approach with what I actually used as the title of this newsletter…
“Smiling As The Sh*t Comes Down”
Now THAT is a cup-half-full attitude if ever I read one.
Anyway, that’s it for this week.
Stay hungry, and see you next week.
Stan.