Hi Janek,
I can't believe I hadn't heard of you till last week. So ashamed! I teach with Paul Eshelby and he told me he'd been blown away at the Bull's Head gig after seeing you in NYJO a long time ago.
Anyway, I think I've spent the last few days pretty much soaking up this part of the forum and reading everything you've had to say and it's really inspired me. I've sold my soul to a covers band for the past few years, thinking that because I was making a living out of playing music that I'd achieved my goal, but realised I've been getting ever more pissed off about playing the same ****ing songs over and over etc... Seriously, if I play Sweet home Alabama one more time I might just do something I regret!
I'd like to thank you for opening my eyes to what's really important, and also to tell everyone how interesting I found this article about whether or not there is such a thing as a genius:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008...tliers-extract
It's from a new book; basically it boils down to not only right place and time, but also to those freakish enough like you who have such a drive to practise 14 hours a day. The 10,000 hour rule, basically. I use the word freakish in the nicest possible way, because I admire it and am jealous of the time I've wasted by not getting as awesome as I could be on my instrument.
Well, that's my stupidly long introduction to this forum but I wanted to thank you for giving me the inspiration to forget scratching a living from playing and not doing something that I believe in. I've got my manuscript paper out and Miles at the ready on iTunes and I couldn't be more happy
Thanks again,
Dan
