The Focus of Practise

From my perspective the focus of practise or in other words the precious little time one has to spend on guitar playing should be centered on composition. To focus on just getting "better" doesn't do it for me. Sure for a while I was obscessed with becoming more technical but that becomes a soul-less dry exercise. One can spend one's time learning a tune of a favorite artist and surely that can be a tremendous accomplishment but somehow at this moment in my life it is unsatisfying.

I'm sure that the answer is to focus on creating something from within. Technique will get better, time and feel will get better, all aspects of musicianship will get better. The joy and agony of art for an artist is not just in the creation of the art but also about the reflection of the art created.

To not compose music will leave me an unfulfilled and bitter man. In a way I blog because I believe it will keep me on the path.

Change of Focus

I previously used this log as a private journal for my guitar practise. I decided to change the focus so that it becomes instead an account of my adventure in trying to independently publish a CD of original music. My music is basically of the genre of jazz fusion. It is instrumental guitar music. My inspirations are varied but I guess the two guitar players that I most prominently listen to and try to emulate are Al Di Meola and Pat Metheny. One of my other efforts is in trying to promote the work of a friend and composition teacher Jon Raney , a great Jazz pianist and son of the legendary Jazz guitar great Jimmy Raney. During the day I’m a Smalltalk programmer. I’m the project lead for a small but established financial software firm in the NYC metro area. I also run the NYC Smalltalk User’s Group.