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Perfection Was Never The Goal: So Why Is It Now?

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 I've spoken previously about how "offended" I am when people call my musical efforts a "hobby".  If I think about it, perhaps I am hurt by that because I expect more than that from myself.  Perhaps I am keeping myself from reaching a level of quality in order to stay in this safe zone as a songwriter and musician.  Perhaps I need to reexamine what I want out of this business I have started, and which seems to drag along at tortoise speed. Initially, I just wanted to perform my music for an audience.  When I do so, it is not out of any expectation of adoration, nor a strong desire for monetary success (although a little would do nicely, thank you very much), nor the fulfillment of some narcissistic ego trip.  I wanted to just play.  I felt I was given a gift, that I had developed that gift to a certain level of quality, and I felt the desire to share what I created with others.  Honestly, I am happiest with smaller audiences.  I am a solo performer, for the most
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  Do you define yourself by who you are, or by what you do?  I have struggled with this question for years.  It was particularly acute in 2016, when I left my teaching career to pursue my passion for music.  Everywhere I went as a musician, I was being defined as a teacher who has this cute side gig as a musician.  In my online travels, too, I find many people telling me how nice it must be to pursue a hobby like music now that I am retired and have free time.  I will admit that I am irked by such comments.   I didn't leave teaching to pursue a hobby.  I worked 30 years at a job that enabled me to pursue my passion as a musician, a passion that has been with me as long as I can remember.  I am not a teacher who plays music, rather, I am a musician who had a day job as a teacher.  Since my middle teens, I have worked at writing songs and lyrics, developing a personal style of playing and performing, and connecting with other musicians when opportunity presents itself. I write a blog
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A Moment of Perfect Clarity

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 " January is the quietest month in the garden.  But just because it looks quiet doesn't mean that nothing is happening."                                     Rosalie Muller Wright “February is even better, though, because it lets us study why so many of those resolutions are broken.” – Sendhil Mullainathan Emotional Weather Report I don't know who needs to hear this now, today, but know this...YOU ARE ENOUGH.  The Doldrums of January make way for the blustery winds of February, perhaps a  couple of deep freezes yet on the horizon.  The darkness of these two months begins to break mid-February, but the depletion of one's vitamin D stores is fully taking its toll.  So, to you, whomever you are, in whatever situation you find yourself, know that you are a shining, gleaming being, and that you are enough.  Take those extra 30 seconds of daylight and breathe it in.  Hug a pet. Dance to a song.  Be a little goofy.  Do something in this moment that lifts you up just a li
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