Making the most out of limited time.

[NickyBass]

Hey Janek. First off, thanks so much for taking the time to contribute and offering your knowledge and expierience. You are truly a wonderful person for caring so much.

I'll give the short version.
I went to college for music. I spent at least 5 hours a day in the practise room. Then I would either go to the local jazz club and sit in, or I'd have a gig or rehearsal lined up.

Now, I just don't have as much time for music anymore. Don't get me wrong, I have been blessed with a great wife, a healthy and beautiful new born son and a super cool dog. I have a good day job, and I crawled out of debt. I have alot to be happy about. However, I don't have alot of time to play.

Do you have any advise on maximizing my time?

[cybersnyder]

Dude, from the title I thought you were dying. Glad that's not the case. I'm kinda like you though, too much stuff, too little time to play. My advice would be to take some lessons either with a good local teacher or online like MusicDojo.
Play in a different location. I get stuck in ruts musically and sometimes just playing somewhere other than the usual spot in the house makes you approach the instrument differently.

Anyways, hope it helps. I'm sue Janek has some better thoughts.

[janekbass]

I would try thinking about it as not maximixing your time as such, but let whatever you do get to do musically come from a really inspired place.

Don't even think about touching your bass until you hear something that really draws you in, and makes you want to figure it out, or listen to it over and over.

Taking some lessons with someone that inspires you can be a great way to do that. But also just listening to music that you might not have checked out before can be just as effective.

The way I practice at home a lot is to put my iTunes on random for a while, and flick through a number of songs until something comes on a catches my ear like it hasn't before. Then I'll dig into that, whatever it might be. It could be a radiohead song or a Sonny Stitt solo, it doesn't matter. As long as I'm inspired by it, I'll get way more out of studying it than if I'm not.

Easy,

Janek

[NickyBass]

Thanks for the reply. The one thing that I have going for me is that I can now focus on MY music. I made a decent living playing jazz gigs, covers and small time studio and theatre gigs. That was when it was only me, though. Now, I don't have to worry about getting paid, so when I do get to play it is a truly wonderful expierience.

I think that listening more is great advise. I may be too focused on my limited time that I don't have much direction when I have my bass in my hands. I guess, in the end, it's all a mental thing that I need to overcome.