The Magic of Mastery: Continual Improvement is the Key

I often think "what's the point?" when I look up at the clock and realise that I've been messing around on my synths and FX hardware for hours. Time has disappeared. Time I could have spent doing something else. Something productive.

But I also realise that there aren't many things I get to do that I really enjoy. Where I can 'lose' time. Where I can have fun. Chores. Kids. Bills. Life. These all have to be done. But making music and exploring new 'toys' is definitely optional. No one is forcing me to do it. And I guess that is the point. I choose to do this. I choose to lose time. And I'm pleased that I do.

You Don't Need Goals to Get Better

Mastery is the process by which you compete against yourself and try to be a bit better tomorrow than you are today. There is no point to this. There is no ultimate goal. Or rather there may be but it is not the goal which drives you today. It is the process of moving forwards. Learning something today which you didn't know yesterday. Becoming better. Learning a new skill. That's what I love about making music.

I also love music. Listening to music has been a constant in my life and I find it amazing that in 2023 you can sit down at your computer and make a track. Sometimes it even sounds good. Maybe even good enough to get released. But that is not the point. At least not for me. I have released a few tracks (you can check them out below) but it's the process that I love. Starting with nothing and creating something which didn't exist a few hours ago.

Like you, I'm sure, most of the time the output isn't great. but the process is still fun. So this month's message is just to encourage you to keep playing. Keep exploring. Keep learning. And if my videos can help you learn something a bit better, a bit quicker or a bit easier, then that is all I can ask for.

My Spotify!

A few of the tracks that I have deemed worthy of a 'self- release'

💕 My Favourite Things this Month

Video - This video on the importance of failing was great. In it, Christian Henson talking about how success is just a brief interlude between episodes of failure. Embracing failures and owning them is the first step towards creativity and personal growth. He also says that self-doubt is like a "comfortable shitty nappy" that prevents us from enjoying success and growth, and I really liked that quote. This is another one from the video: "The only comfort I get out of being 50 and feeling like I'm still 15 is that I failed, learned loads, and have been on adventures." Love it.
Another Video - This video on the PlayFader has me intrigued and excited. I backed this project a while ago and I can't wait to get hold of my unit and start playing with it. I don't really know what to expect but it's such a unique idea and so playable that I think it will be a lot of fun. You can look foward to some future videos on this from me.
Yet Another Video - Whatever your views on Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg, the Social Network is a fantastic movie filled with great lines. This clip appeared in my YouTube feed and I liked the discussion of copyright infringement: "A guy who builds a nice chair doesn't owe money to everyone who has ever built a chair okay." In music, with only 12 notes to play with, it's increasingly difficult to be unique. How is YouTube going to cope with monitoring copyright???

🎬 My New Videos

🎬 H90: I've Found the Key to Unlocking this Monster - I've been exploring the Eventide H90 for a few weeks now and in this video (perhaps the last one in the series), I dive into the companion app which really unlocks a lot of functionality and make the pedal a joy to use.

✍️ Quote of the Month

"A growing body of research suggests that even the smartest people tend to seek out evidence that confirms what they already think, rather than new information that would give them a more robust view of reality."

From Think Like a Freak by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. Resurfaced using Readwise.

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