We get out what we put in. If we don't let the music into our hearts and let it effect our emotions we can't expect to release or express music from our heart. Honing in on an emotion can help eclipse a lot of the extraneous aspects of music that weigh us down and prohibit us from expressing a solid musical thought. Expressing emotions through sound and movement puts us in tune with our mood and spirit, allowing us to tell with music what we can't tell with words. This can heal some wounds and put us at peace. You have to feel music before you can put feel into your music! Express yourselves!

The ego is us looking in the mirror and judging ourselves. Ego is usually associated with thinking to much of ourselves(Inflated ego), where as self esteem is usually associated with us not thinking enough of ourselves(low self-esteem). In reality these words are neutral and our society has pigeon holed the meanings. Although ego is an important part of us monitoring ourselves, being in the moment and truly BEING is priority. Buddah says we are all that we have thought. If we focus our thoughts on true intentions and positive thought we can usurp the fight with the ego!

What people judge others on is often a reflection of their own character or lack there of. Bob Marley said "as you sit there pointing fingers someone else is judging you". I believe refraining judgement is a virtue. Sadly ones ability to refrain from judging ones and things in this world, is rarely noticed. Ones ability to judge something/someone and all its components is revered as intellectual and correct. Those who refrain from judging are wise, and true wisdom is often hardest to see for it need not be spoken. Quite ironic how me saying this is a judgement in itself. Rushing to judgment is often dismissive and negative. Take the time to understand your fellow human beings and try to help make a positive impact!

A music portrait. I imagine bass notes as the grounding valleys, and the snares as uplifting peaks. The notes proximity in time directly correlates to the distance of the peaks and valleys I see in my mind. Their dynamic intensity as well as their staccato or legato articulation dictates how pronounced the curve is. The harmony manifests itself visually as texture, the tambours become colors and the melody is the weather in the skyline. As time passes by, I see the landscape shift as if I was driving in a car looking out the side. The music has taken me on a journey. I arrive knowing something I hadn't known before, or thinking what I haven't thought before.

The beautiful thing about art is that it's not about beating the game. It's about changing it. It's not so much about competing with our peers but more about inspiring our peers and being inspired by them. It's about moving forward with the craft, not being bond by the past and the rules imposed by those who don't want to see change! Different is most welcome in art, as is abstraction and contrast. Be artful with your music!