I recently finished a CD project with my long-time playing partner Harlan Mark Vale, that we called "Nowsterday", that's taken me (& Mark) in ever new directions.  For me, that's 'coz it was created using a lot of "drum machine", & that IS a new "dimension" for me.  For Mark, it was new because he's using a grand/flashy piece of software to generate a lot of his sounds... & those sounds are new... for him, as well as for the listener.

     Who can tell where we will be 5 years from now with our creations?  I know I certainly can't, nor would I (necessarily) want to be able to do that.  It takes the sense of anticipation for the new away if you know what's going to happen.

     That is kinda' like "life". don't you think?  If you knew what your partner(s) were going to do every time, life would be the ultimate in "boring".  Be sure you keep your sense of anticipation alive... never bring the mundane atmosphere of work home to invade your creative spaces.  Now, that's not to say that you shouldn't take the "GOOD" things you learn at work & apply them in your "away from work" environment... it's just to state that you should (& sometimes must) make a conscious effort to ensure that you've stripped away any "work ethic" stuff from the tool you bring home.  If you stop & think of it like "virus protection"... just don't let business practices or procedures creep in under the eaves of your household.  I think that's especially true for us "guys"... at work, we design procedures that allow us to ignore those who don't like what we've said... & if you've been in a relationship with another person for more than a day or a week, you'll know that if you do THAT to 'em... they'll cut & run.

     Of course, I should be the last one you seek advice from on this little nuance... I've been guilty of doing it over & over... the only reason I offer it up here is that I have (with the help of my friend Kim - my wife) been able to "nip" that tendency in the bud during several years of my life... I still don't have it down to "perfection" yet, but since we're comin' up on Spring... give this one a lil' thought & stop/examine what you're doin' at home a bit... make SURE you've left your "work-style" in the office... only bring in th' door what is YOU, ok?

     Though this may not seem like it belongs in a "music 'zine"... that's EXACTLY where it belongs... 'coz we musicians are (quite) often the biggest offenders in this arena... think it OVER... use th' boo-ful Spring season to "renew" what you have in your relationship(s)!  & pick a Daisy or 2.

Till next time...,

Rotcod Zzaj

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