To Thine Own Self Be True

But Jon... what you do is so much more happening than what I do... When I listen to your work, I find myself thinking, "Someday..."

Gotta read that article again!

-robert

 

Do you know what does the MOST damage to me? People's bragging about me. It doesn't happen a lot, but when it does, it makes me think about how far I have to go. It also makes me wonder what the hell are they seeing that I'm not. I also agree with Pacman.

 

IME, after the years started racking up, I realized I was busting my butt to be able to sound like all these others but my own playing didn't have any identity because I never pursued it.

I guess it's a matter of maturity. If being "awsome" is your true voice, that's cool. But as an end in itself, it's pretty hollow.

 

Great article Jean, I love reading stuff like that, thanks for posting it.

Personally I'm still very self conscious about my music, just can't help it. Seems no matter how much I enjoy my own stuff that there's always some other music or musician out there that makes me re-evaluate and question everything I'm doing.

I always want to be able to play everything I hear from every musician that plays it, at a more than proficent level. I get bugged by the fact that there are players out there that can do things that I just can't get even get a handle on, makes me feel like less of a musician sometimes. Maybe it's a bit of an ego thing, but more than that it's a never ending challenge and I enjoy that.

It's nice to be reminded of what really matters, self expression. It's so damn easy to let that slip your mind.

 

Good article. Makes me remember to always strive to become better, and not level off. There is always new things to learn or improve on.

jtbp

 

I find it hard to be a bass player, and have to stack up so all these greats, and these guys that have been playing for decades. Actually, what takes time and patience on my part is accepting who I am as a bassist, and not measuring myself up to a "standard" I obviously can't compete with these guys, and it would be foolish for me to try, but you know, there's a part of me that still compares me to the others. It's hard to have idols and legends, and then try to accept yourself as a bassist. For me anyway.

My great lesson is accepting I'm not good, but I am getting better, but not better towards somebody, rather, something.

 

Whenever I think I suck, which is often, I try and remember how much worse I was six months ago.

I'm getting less crap all the time!