Hi!
Firstly, I would like to welcome all my new newsletter subscribers! I’ve had a bump recently, which is fantastic to see.
Remember, if you would like to read previous newsletters, you can do so HERE, down the bottom of the page. Take a bit of time to have a look through MasterMind Drummer also. I’ve just added a brief video to the homepage, explaining a little more about what it is.
This week I want to talk more about the idea of improvement.
I think about these sorts of things a lot. The things that help take us to the next level.
Whether its making sure our health is prioritised, so that we can get all those amazing benefits I’ve mentioned in previous newsletters.
Things such as dopamine, endorphins, serotonin, which all impact the brain in such a big way… as well as strengthen our body and galvanize our mind, so we can show up daily, rain, hail, or shine, for our creative pursuits. Because in order for us to see our true potential, THAT is what it takes.
Or whether it is taking extra effort to dial in our wellbeing, which is not only extremely important, but actually very hard in this day in age.
Distractions are absolutely everywhere, and basically impossible to avoid at this point, so we need to take extra steps to not fall prey, and have the mind wander.
I mean, the very device you’re reading this on has been making things extremely difficult over the past few years, when it comes to wellbeing.
I’ve said this before, but the smartphone is either a tool or a weapon, and its up to us to make sure it doesn’t become the latter.
Health and wellbeing are just two of the four ‘pillars’ of growth I focus on in my 30-Day MasterMind Drummer Coaching Program.
The other two being Relationships and Business.
This is all alongside a rigorous and thorough drum curriculum.
These four pillars are essentially what started off as pursuits within my own personal philosophy, areas that I have worked on for quite some time now, that then naturally carried over to become the backbone of the MasterMind Drummers philosophy.
Remember, MasterMind Drummer is about developing the person alongside the player. If you dial in these areas off the kit, things get much easier on the kit.
I mention all this again, as basically, we need constant reminders.
The whole point of these newletters is a weekly check-in for you, to hopefully help you stay motivated.
I get it, some days are stronger than others, and we aren’t perfect, but we need to set our lives up in a way where we can stay in the zone as often as humanly possible, and in some cases, against all odds.
I have plenty of books and audios I refer to on a daily basis (some of which I recommend in 30-Day), as keeping the fire stoked daily is essential to keep moving forward.
If you are not moving forward, you’re not staying still, you’re actually moving backwards.
Entropy : The general trend of the universe toward death and disorder.
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I’ve just come out of a busy few weeks doing recordings for Black Comet, and session work for others – specifically Dan Sharp and Georgia Lines, but next on the agenda is my Auckland MasterMind Drummer Clinic in 3 weeks’ time, and I can’t wait.
I really enjoy doing these clinics, getting a chance to share the MasterMind concept in front of a live audience. Its fun, but at the same time, its a great challenge for myself, so it’s nice to get back into that frame of mind.
I have more cities here in NZ to announce shorty, but the Clinic has actually also been picked up for Australia, too, by the cymbal company I endorse – Instanbul Agop Cymbals.
They asked if I’d be keen to do a run in Aus, to which I said ‘SURE!’, so they’ll be flying me out to Melbourne, Sydney, and Brisbane in August, to present the clinic over there, as well as showcase their amazing cymbals.
Given my history in Australia, that really is going to be a blast.
So, with the MasterMind Drummer Clinic in mind, I wanted to go over the key message with you, here today.
7 Ways To Level-Up.
These are 7 core areas I identified as apart of my own personal growth and journey, which I share within the MasterMind Drummer Clinic.
1. Creativity.
It all starts here. This is how we enter our pursuits on this instrument, from a place of creativity.
There are two parts to this for me.
Firstly, creativity is a byproduct of two things – facility and inspiration. Work on these two things at all times, and you will stay in an abundant state of expression on the kit.
The second, is thinking about creativity purely as your desire to sit down to play. Thats your gift. The desire to play.
What I’ve realised over the years is that everything stems from this.
The only TRUE superpowers we have on this instrument, is that we even care about it in the first place. That’s the only real ‘talent’ we have, the desire to play, so our creativity should be protected and nurtured AT ALL COSTS.
If you ever come across anything that compromises that desire to sit down and play, cut it off at the head, right then and there. Be ruthless with this, as NOTHING should come at the cost of compromising your desire to play.
That’s your true talent and gift, so don’t waste it.
2. Learning the rules before you break them.
I went over this topic in a recent newsletter, but quite simply, this just refers to approaching every collaborative situation on the kit, from a place of
A. Assessing the environment
B. Understanding the expectations of those involved
C. Learning the parameters you must work within
D. Meeting those expectations
E. Earning the trust of everyone
and then, at that point, you can look at injecting more of yourself into the equation.
3. Challenge yourself.
Another way to word this is to walk towards fear.
This is very important. If you do not challenge yourself frequently, you are not progressing.
You only need 80% of the skills required for any challenge you are presented with, as you will be able to make up that remainder 20% difference, in the moment.
This can be scary as that 20% is the unknown. It’s the areas you have not gone to before. But you will be fine, trust me, and will quickly become your new normal.
So keep moving towards the fear. Challenge yourself.
4. Preperation is KING.
Everything comes down to preparation.
We’ve heard it before, but failing to prepare is preparing to fail.
You can never anticipate or create the realworld situations we find ourselves in, in our safe little practice rooms, so the only way to combat those environmental shifts without compromising the quality of our performance, is by preparing. Thats it.
Drillers make killers. Practice your parts to death!!!! And then do a little more 😉
5. Collaboration.
We are musicians, which is built on a solid foundation of collaboration.
Get good at working with people creatively and personally, as this is truly the essence of why we do what we do, and how we need to do it.
Remember, for that 1 hour onstage, there are 23 hours offstage. Are you a good hang? Are you easy to deal with?
This requires a heightened sense of self awareness (or sometimes, just some brutal feedback, which is helpful, too).
You only have the gigs you’re meant to have, and you only get the gigs you’re meant to get. Think about that.
Your opportunities are a result, not an accident.
6. Know your voice.
You have something to say, so say it.
Make sure you know who you are on and off the kit. Dig deep into this one.
Another way to look at this is to make sure you understand your own personal philosophy, and stand by it. Stand for something!
In my opinion, there is nothing worse than beige – in person, player, and opinion. It all sucks, so figure out who you are, what you stand for, and what you have to say on and off the kit.
Don’t be beige!
7. Intention.
Do everything with intention.
Are you here? Are you doing it? Then DO IT! Be present.
This is your philosophy now on display, so make sure your presence is known, and you put everything into every moment. This is the true representation of who you are, the intention behind what you do.
Whether it’s sitting on the practice pad, playing in front of 15,000 people, teaching a student, going for a run – any of it! Make sure you do it ALL with as much intention as you can muster.
This is you on display. Your philosophy with a microscope on it.
Play with intention… Live with intention.
As Steve Jobs poignantly said, “you can’t connect the dots looking forward, it’s only by looking back”. So it’s purely through the lessons I’ve learned myself, after 27 years experience on the kit, that I’m now able to sit here and share these with you.
Give some attention to these areas, and you will see growth. Give a lot of attention to these areas, and you’ll see immense growth. It’s just how it works.
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Don’t forget, my new course, ‘The Key To Single Kick Mastery’, is now available for pre-order. (release date June 16th).
As a newsletter sub, this is the last week you can get a little discount. Just enter MASTERMIND16 at checkout, for $10 off. (The perks of putting up why my weekly rants in these newsletters, I guess haha.)
Head over to MasterMindDrummer.com, and secure your spot now!
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We’ll leave it there for this week. Just remember, if you want to go to the next level, then just focus on these…
7 Ways To Level-Up…
…and you’ll get there.
As always, thanks for taking the time, and thanks for all your feedback, too. I appreciate it.
I read them all. So please, if you have any thoughts, send them through, and let’s get a dialogue happening.
Don’t forget… Stay hungry! See you next week.
Stan
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PS. Not happy with how your kit sounds? This is an easy fix. Trust me. It doesn’t take much. You can purchase my TUNING course here –
‘The Key To Tuning A Modern Drumkit’
PPS. Feel free to book in A 1on1 with me, HERE