Some writings that I’ve read and enjoyed over the last month or so:

In the Next Industrial Revolution, Atoms Are the New Bits | Wired (Link)
Giant Steps: The Jazz Pianist Fred Hersch | NYTimes.com (Link)
Accept Defeat: The Neuroscience of Screwing Up | Wired (Link)
The Prospects of Recording | Glenn Gould (Link)
Writing Good English | William Zinsser (Link)
Mind - Research on How the Brain Perceives Time | NYTimes.com (Link)
Media: A world of hits | The Economist (Link)
Modern procrastination | Seth Godin (Link)

Sometimes the internet is the bane of my existence.

There’s always something more to check out; and it’s so easy and tempting.

I might find myself browsing so-and-so’s website, and then linking to another website, and another. I’m not learning or researching; these people don’t inspire me. I’m just curious. I’m creeping! Eventually, I’ll catch myself and realize, I don’t care about all this; I shut it down and return to the task at hand.

Does this sound familiar? Don’t you hate it when a one-hour task in front of the computer ends up taking two hours? This happens because we’re multi-tasking…or so we think. It’s actually physically impossible for humans to multitask. What our brains do is trick us into thinking we’re multi-tasking by switching our focus between tasks very rapidly. Once we’ve switched, it takes a second or two to regain the focus level we had on the previous task. Hence, our focus levels are always low and tasks take longer to complete.

There are ways to break these habits. Over the next month or so, I’m going to share some of my favourite time savers. Some are very subtle, but others have significantly enhanced my time management.

Here’s time saver #1:

All of my tasks are derived from my goals list. I’ve made a commitment to myself; nothing else matters except their completion. In this regard, sometimes it’s okay to be selfish.

Without a goals list, I’d be spending my time aimlessly. I’d be lucky to achieve anything significant. Even if I did achieve something, there would have been much time wasted.

My goals list tells me where to focus my attention

A transcription of Bud Powell’s Dusk in Sandi from his record ‘The Genius of Bud Powell’ is now available on my Post page. Hope you enjoy!

It’s getting out of hand; I’m averaging one “stranger” request every day. Not from people who are interested in me, mostly from people interested in promoting themselves. Along with their requests, I’m receiving their event invites, multiple page invites and desperate messages with links to their music.

So in two weeks, I’ll be erasing my Facebook profile!

I appreciate your readership, and want you to continue reading. If you’re interested in my work and like receiving and reading my updates through Facebook, please become a fan of my Facebook page. My page is mostly identical to my profile so you should receive all the same updates through your news feed. I’ll also send out a Facebook page invite in the next few days (only one I promise!).

If you’re interested in self-promoting, adding strangers as friends is counterproductive. At best, they’ll ignore you. Most likely, they’ll see you as a spammer; nobody likes spammers. But they’ll definitely think you’re boring.

Learn how to stand out; learn how to make an impact.

Here’s a link to part 7.

Quick recap: When it comes to playing solo piano, I’m always wrestling with physical issues, aesthetical issues with audiences and subsequently, issues getting gigs.

I decided to pursue solo piano for a number of reasons. One reason was because of its lack of representation. What do you think the ratio is between ensemble jazz pianists versus solo jazz pianists? How many jazz pianists have released more solo records than ensembles records? My guess is that it’s very unbalanced. I see an opportunity; there’s a void to be filled!

Side Note: Why is it unbalanced? Is the community to blame? The pianists? The listeners? The business? The tradition?

I’ve come to terms with many of the aesthetical issues surrounding solo piano. I mentioned previously that I can’t change listeners’ interests and that all I can do is share mine. But then again, maybe I can change their interests…

From part 6: “Could a Joe ever become a Bob? Whose job is it to convert him?”

If Joe represents an individual, then no, I don’t think he can ever change. But if Joe represents the culture or community, then yes, change is possible…gradual change. After my performance at Hermann’s in Victoria BC in October, I had a number of listeners comment that they wished Hermann’s would host more solo piano performances. That’s a start!

It was a magical evening; solo pianists can make powerful impressions. My hope is for students to pursue the glory of solo piano, as I am.

You can expect much more solo piano from me in the coming years!

Thanks for reading!

Here’s a link to part 6.

Quick recap: When it comes to playing solo piano, I’m always wrestling with physical issues, aesthetical issues with audiences and subsequently, issues getting gigs.

In July 2008 I participated in the Nottingham National Jazz (Solo) Piano Competition. Twenty minutes before we performed in the final round, we were each notified that we had to alter our predetermined programs to include a blues. The judges were sending a message: Solo jazz pianists should be adaptable and spontaneous. I was very disappointed; their aesthetic undoubtedly contradicted my own.

Solo pianists have the freedom and luxury to access a vastly wide spectrum of musical vocabulary and repertoire. I consider adaptability and spontaneity a means to an end. More ironically, I consider them limitations, both physically and aesthetically. Besides, what use is adaptability when you have no ensemble to adapt to? What use is spontaneity when it would spoil a perfect score?

Of course to a certain degree, adaptability and spontaneity are important skills for solo pianists. I always need to adapt to the piano, the room, the audience and their energy. But judges requiring a last minute substitution of a blues to test adaptability assume a very shallow view of adaptability, especially in a solo piano setting.

Side note: The Nottingham judges also criticized me for sounding “too Classical.” Their aesthetic undoubtedly and severely contradicted my own!

Stay tuned for Part 8!