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I’m a bit of a nerd. Sure, there are the occasional LAN parties, but they’re few and far between. Beyond that, though, I mean, c'mon, I’m an engineer. It’s to be expected. I analyze EVERYTHING. I track changes and try to make informed decisions based on statistics. Wouldn’t it make sense that the more informed decisions you make, the better your decisions can be?

I have spreadsheets for everything. I track my weight, my 401(k), my schedule, etc. There’s just something about organizing data into a palatable form that makes so much sense. A single number means nothing without it's context. By analyzing data, you can see patterns and can predict response based on decisions you make.

And, of course, this flows into my music. I track how many CDs I sell at each show, how much I get paid at venues, how I do on tips, and I even track what elements I am using in each song. The last point there has helped me in writing/forming album 2 and has helped frequently in creating set lists (whether they are pre-planned or made up on the spot).

So I’ve got all of this data. And I organize it on my own. It’s not nearly as daunting as it may sound, but it is nice to have the work done for you every once in a while. Such is the case with this blog. Conveniently, blogger tracks everything from which posts get the most views to where the viewers are geographically and what internet browser they use.

Most of these trends make sense. Sometimes my writing is better or sometimes I get some views from friends mentioning my blog, etc. My Kaki King post, for instance, was mentioned by my friend, Ken Mueller. Compared to most of my other posts, it blew up! Likewise, I reviewed a Kyle Rictor show and, after he posted a link of it, it started to get a lot more traffic.

But here’s one that doesn’t quite make sense. A while back I wrote a post on my new Adamas guitar. Since then, it’s gotten more views per month than most of my other posts ever do. And it’s consistent. A few views per day, usually. So either Adamas guitars are booming right now or I really hit on something with a review of the guitar…


So I think that will be up next on the agenda... Reviewing some more gear. Specifically, my guitar collection. It'll help introduce everyone to the family and will give me topics that aren't just calling everyone out for not trying hard enough.

PRG Rope Burn

This past weekend, Kelly and I went to the Philly Rock Gym Oaks and competed in their Rope Burn competition. It was actually her idea. The comp was open to all skill levels, so we went in as novice, expecting there to be tons and tons of competition. After all, neither of us had ever competed before and when the guys ahead of us said they climbed 5.10s and 5.11s, they were only placed in as intermediates. We may have climbed a few 5.10s, but not more than a handful and definitely no 5.11s.

I’ll get right to the punch with this one – we both won first in our level and were told we should try intermediate next time. Kelly would have placed in intermediate with her score, but I would have fallen short by a few hundred points… It’s something to work towards, but not too bad all the same.

It was a great experience and definitely a new view of climbing. One thing that really stood out, though, was the number of young climbers there. We’re used to Reading Rocks where the kids there are either with boy/girl scouts or birthday parties. The regulars are college aged and older. Naturally, we figured there’d be tons of adults in the comp. Instead, we were outnumbered by the youth – and those were only the youth that had made it to the final round. We later found the score sheet from the youth comp, which was 2 pages of names in about 8 point font; probably about 150 kids or thereabout.

I think it shows an interesting shift. When I was a youth, kids played team sports. Unless you were practicing with your team, you really weren’t able to practice the sport. Sure, you could practice juggling a soccer ball, but without others, you couldn’t practice playing soccer. It’s not quite the same.

With things like cross country it’s a bit different. You can run on your own and, ultimately, no one cares about your team’s performance. And maybe that’s a good comparison because I think that these kids were also on teams, where there was a team score, but you worked for your own individual score. The team performance is a great measure of the caliber of your training, but that’s all.

What it seems like is that we have this changing definition of what a team is. We now have climbing teams in the way that we have snowboarding teams. You’re no longer reliant on the rest of the members of a team to be successful.

And that’s what we’ve seen in music in the past decade. You no longer need ANYONE. Whether you’re a band or a solo act, you no longer need a “team” to succeed. As technology has advanced, more and more is able to be DIY. You can record in your bedroom, do your own publishing, book your own shows, and publicize your own material. It’s a full time job, but it’s the full time job of an individual, not of some corporate entity.

This aligns well with the ever fleeting need for a label. It used to be that that was the only way, but now it’s common knowledge that you don’t need them. They can enable a lot of neat things – organizing tours, collaborations, etc – but are not necessary. You can succeed without them.

But to succeed, you have to dedicate your life to it. While we were there, we talked to the one kid’s dad about the youth programs. They were from North Jersey, but would travel all over the place to compete. The previous weekends, they had been up in Massachusetts for competitions. For climbing competitions?! On top of an almost certainly grueling training schedule, this kid is traveling up and down the east coast. And all of the kids there were pretty much like that from what I could gather.

These kids are competing. So are you. You may not be lined up next to your competitors, but know that you’ve got every other musician out there vying to flood peoples’ airwaves. And there will always be someone who will do it for cheaper or for free. You have to be the best. And that takes no team.

Guitar Lessons

You won’t get better if you surround yourself with mediocrity. Sure, if you’re any good, you’ll stand out in a mediocre crowd, but you’ll stagnate. And where does stagnation and mediocrity get you? Nowhere.

The key is to continue learning in whatever you do. And you need to learn from the best. The guy down the hall in your college dorm may have put together this really catchy tune using garage band, but you’ll be hard-pressed to learn much from him. Using garage band is great, but to be a recording engineer, you need a lot more. Likewise, his one song won’t help to teach you how to compose. The I, IV, V and gritty vocals won’t quite get you to the top.

Now I’m not saying you need to necessarily take music theory classes or even lessons, but you do need to be immersed in exceptional talent in some way.

In my time at Messiah, I listened to tons of mediocre singer/songwriters who played all the same songs, all the same way. Of those, there were a few gems who were inspiring; who could teach you something. And you could learn something from them. Those were the people I tried to surround myself with, musically. The few collaborations I did in my time there, especially, were huge growth experiences.

Since then? I’ve got a single room in a city that tries, but doesn’t do anything great. I’ve met a ton of great people at open mics, but I can’t walk down the hall at 2 am to find someone to give me a hand with a new composition. I’ve played guitar more than I got to at school, but there’s been something missing.

Within the percussive fingerstyle genre, who do I really have to look to? Trace Bundy, Andy McKee, Antoine DuFour? Since I can obviously just stroll over to their respective houses and soak up their imparted knowledge and skill… Right. It’s not that easy. It never is.

Then one day I get this email. Along with hundreds, if not thousands, of others… I mean, it’s mass fan-mail. This guy I had a gig with a couple years back had some slots open for lessons.

Now those that know me …like really know me – know that that would never entice me. I’ve recently talked about taking cello lessons or jazz lessons, but regular guitar lessons? I took lessons eons ago and quitting them was one of the best things for my progress. They were great to start, but I was just sitting there learning other people’s songs that I didn’t want to learn. That’s not me. So why would I want to take lessons ever again?

Well, see a few years ago I played a gig with a guy by the name of Trevor Gordon Hall. A percussive fingerstyle guitarist who loops, uses distortion, and does everything with tonal perfection. I’ve never known anyone to have better tone. Ever. Hands down. Ever. I have never met a single guitarist with better tone than this guy. EVER. If you follow my blogging at all, you’ll see his name pop up every once in a while with regard to innovation and tone.

So lessons with Trevor? He’s right outside of Philly; actually only 5 minutes from Kelly’s parents place… So I gave it a try. I’ve had two lessons and feel I’ve made years worth of progress. I’m doing things I didn’t know I didn’t know. And I’m practicing?!?! For the past 8 years, my practice has consisted of me writing new material. Practice wasn’t working out kinks or getting better, but writing new, exciting things. That’s how I practiced. Over the past two weeks, I’ve practiced only finger exercises, fingerpicking technique, arpeggios, sweeps, and scales.

It’s enlightening. It really is. This guy makes me feel like I know nothing about playing guitar. Every time I sit down to practice I can see and hear where I am getting better. Whatever is going to transpire of this will blow minds. In the meantime, I’ll be locked in my room.