Writing About Creativity, Music, Self-Doubt, and the Path Forward
The Talent Trap: How I Learned to Choose My Development Areas and Be OK with Boring Practice Routines
The Talent Trap: Embracing Boredom for Mastery
We often admire the talent of our favorite artists and athletes, but behind every performance lies hours of slow, repetitive practice. In this post, I share my journey as a songwriter and musician, learning how to love the grind of practice and the power of small, daily improvements. With insights from my mentor Stanton Moore, I explore how going slow and embracing boredom can unlock true mastery. Read on to learn how focusing on 1% progress a day can transform your skills.
Is Jazz Camp the New Las Vegas?🎷
Jazz camp is like Vegas for musicians—minus the neon. You take chances, crash, soar, and sometimes hit the jackpot. At the Port Townsend Jazz Workshop, even wrong notes lead to wins. It’s all groove, growth, and great people. Forget the slots—roll the dice on jazz camp instead.
My Year of Fearlessly Finding my Voice
This year, I fearlessly embraced my voice as a songwriter, releasing several songs that hold deep personal meaning. From overcoming grief to finding catharsis in music, I leaned into my doubts and discovered a new passion. Join me as I reflect on my creative rebirth, share my journey, and offer insights into how you can unlock your own voice.
My Bumberdrum Performance at Bumbershoot
Here's a fun and historic piece of music I performed on with Michael Shrieve (The original drummer for Santana who played at Woodstock ‘69)
I am so proud to have played at this event and am thrilled it ended up being something that Michael released.
I even helped composed few of the drum set grooves along with Michael and another Seattle drummer named Conrad Ormsby.
Make your own Mantra
I want you to forget what you might believe about your voice and give yourself permission to explore.
Instead of judging yourself or your voice, I want to invite your 5-year-old self to do a little exploring by making up your own song (perhaps even a mantra).
By the way: You might also notice that your self-critical voice about your singing is similar to other limiting voices that you hear in other areas of your life.
For this exercise, I want you to explore soothing yourself with a song or at least some vocal sounds