Sight Words

In an effort to empirically and scientifically compare the practice and harnessing methods of martial arts to music, I'm learning it mostly relates itself to athletic training. If I work out harder, I play better and perform better. If I challenge myself daily in my workouts and behind the drum set, my level raises higher. My next feet is the mental portion. Like most women, I've been subjected to horrible comments like, "You can't do that; you're a girl" or "Only boys do those things" and my personal favorite: "You can't do that; you're not good enough; you're inept." That last one always made me extremely sad. YOU can't speak to people like that. Unfortunately, that saying always stuck with me since the people whom I respected the most would say things like that to my face. Thankfully, those sayings became the fuel for many of the extracurricular activities I enjoy pursuing. And wouldn't you know it, one of those became a part of my annual income. I'm noticing I'm gaining all my inspiration from Rocky movies. How is it my notion for playing relates to that of a fighter? I know many musicians in my field of experience that often have to fight with their hands and feet to get paid. I wonder if that ideaology is from where this behavior originates? THIS WEEK: DRUMS: Feet curriculum - rebuilding speed with hand and foot timing during DB drills TKD: Focus curriculum - nunchakus; re-learn form in an effort to regain my memory of the movements I studied last year. Man, getting older is a total drag.

Oh, For Crying Out Loud

Yup. I am about to get candid. Hopefully, we'll still be friends... Did you ever fall off the wagon? IT SUCKS. You absolutely hate yourself and beat yourself up relentlessly until you hopefully chisel into your thick skull that what you just did was the most horrible thing on Earth and that you should never, ever do it again! Um, I shouldn't eat ice cream again?? I shouldn't eat what I want when I want??? Hey, screw you, me! WTF do you know about the stuff I like... Oh. Right. I should come clean: I had kidney stones several months ago and I decided to re-examine lifestyle and form a more healthier way of living. So I asked around for a trainer that worked "economically" and she turned me on to a fitness plan and eating plan. I lost over 40 lbs since I started in March. I have tons more energy for my children, husband, gigs and jobs. I can keep up with the children I teach. I'm playing better. I'm performing better. Holy cow, losing weight is amazing... I'm eternally grateful for this wonderful trainer in my life and helping me re-establish my relationship with food. My trainer's name is Sarah McCarney (www.sarahmccarney.com). She's awesome. Do yourself a favor, and check her out. Unfortunately, I've hit a snag. They happen. Thankfully, all snags are temporary. I had a sinus infection this week and the doctor gave me antibiotics. However, I was broke. My mom actually had to pay for my doctor visit, since my health insurance likes to eat a hole through my pocket. So I got some cash from my savings to tie me over until I got paid, then wait for the weekend to go food shopping. Since I had to save that $ for groceries, the only items available to me where random things for the kids and whatever was left in the fridge. The food plan is incredibly specific, but I needed to eat... That was Friday. I kinda haven't stopped since. I feel my body paying for it, too. Around my knees feel full of water. It's bizarre. I think, though, Monday (tomorrow) will bring a blue skies. I made all my meals for the week and I began my usual routine tonight so tomorrow morning I can actually practice for the major shows this week. In school we were taught to always ASK (Assess our Skills and Knowledge) of a certain situation. I always imagine that this concept encouraged the assessor to view circumstances objectively, yet still remain optimistic. I have to admit that during moments of struggle, that mentality is difficult to maintain, however everyone is blessed with a mind that can overcome anything. Since we as individuals are assessors in our own fields of experience, we possess the skills and the knowledge to crawl out of the little hole of which we dug for ourselves. Or something. Whatever. Feeling gross is a drag. Tomorrow, I get back on the wagon.

The Drum Dojo...

In an effort to discover the correlation between music and martial arts, I've decided to embark on a personal journey that combines my two greatest loves in the world. What makes martial artists love to play music? Equally, what makes musicians want to practice martial arts? Here's what I discovered: I'm not the only one who ponders the same question. I recently came across a great blog from my friends at fretterverse.com that also attempts to dissect the similarities of musicians and martial artists. Dr. Matt Warnock wrote this wonderful piece called "The Music and Martial Arts Connection" and he determines that both arts possess the same degree of discipline: Art, Timing, Training & Revelations. Even though these concepts fall right on the money, for our purposes, I feel it's necessary to dive deeper. Music and martial arts are exactly what they claim themselves to be: art. When combined with consistent training and practice not only will you become nimble and faster, but the movements will become more fluid and executed with less distraction. Congruently, whether your instrument is your body or an extension of yourself, constant training enables the user to establish quicker and concreter results. Not only will on gain self confidence, the artist will also gain self awareness through setting boundaries and personal goals. As a martial artist, I'm learning to be patient with my progress. As a drummer I often felt frustrated that I couldn't break through the walls and get the fast feet I've always wanted. I'm finding, for me anyway, that martial arts calms my soul and clears my mind of all negativity, thus enabling to me perform better and with more focus. I believe wholeheartedly that music supplies much more than just the soundtrack to our lives. It expresses our deepest emotions in ways words can not. It provides another means of honest self expression. This leads me to believe that perhaps we all have our own soundtrack, that is, maybe there's a Rocky Balboa in all of us - complete with our own version of "Getting Stronger" and our own flight of stairs we dream of conquering. I want to trade stories with you: what song gets you going? What song gives you that extra wind to complete your training? So many factors contribute to maintaining motivation. Where does your motivation lie in training your instrument? Mine? Honestly, it depends on my mood. But if I had to pick an absolute favorite, I would pick The Who's "Love, Reigh O'er Me." It's perfect. It's so epic and soul bearing. As the song climaxes, you can practically feel the rain baptizing you as it falls on your face. It's almost like being born again into a whole new person, a better person, a fearless person. Here's a link to the good doctor's blog post: http://fretterverse.com/2010/08/13/the-musicmartial-arts-connection/

Plateaus

So I checked out this site in passing just to see exactly where I'm at in my head. For Huffington Post, I must say, it was very insightful.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/01/10/science-meaningful-life_n_4570843.html?utm_hp_ref=mostpopular

I asked someone once, "What do you do when you feel you've plateaued?" I wish they would have told me to relax, take a deep breath and go balls deep into acquiring your ultimate goal. However, I felt that would sound lame since I need more of a scientific explanation revealing the cause of my current complacent-ness. Cue the article above.  

When you've plateaued, change a few things around. Practice something different. Work on something else. Relax more. Take a break for a bit. Above all, DO NOT STOP.  I've learned that it's OK to take it easy. It's extremely possible to burn out very quickly when you run multiple goals simultaneously.

In my case, I want to work on my feet but my right food is injured. I swear I'm becoming more clumsy as I get older. I want to be a better martial artist, because it appears that I think about music and fighting equally. Is that weird? I know so many musicians who absolutely adore being a martial artist. I guess they apply that mentality to their music. I must admit, however, I feel silly applying any Bruce Lee philosophy to playing like Dave Lombardo or Buddy Rich. On the other hand, they're the best at what they do.  

I was told that one needs to get out of his or her comfort zone in order to honestly grow as an artist and an individual. Baby steps, I suppose.

All I know is, I just want to move forward. NOW. Then again, patience is another goal I have of which I definitely need to more work...

The Next Step

20 lbs. lighter and 4x faster on my feet.  Back to basics works!  

The next step of envisioning my goal is to remove all negativity out of my head.  People tend to be negative towards change, especially those who fear it.  Change can be absolutely painful, I understand this.  One minute everything's cool and then the next minute the rug is swept out from under you and there was nothing you could do in the first place to prevent it from even happening... Or maybe you could have.  But hindsight is a bitch like that.

One's past has the capacity to be one's ally.  Forget yesterday.  You did what you could with what you had, and it probably wasn't much.  Overcoming our own personal obstacles and fears ensures we are in control of our own lives.  I sincerely wish I had this mentality back then (even if it was only last year) so I could regain my confidence and take back what's mine.  I've made mistakes that I'm certainly not proud of... But regrets?  I have none.  I'm not perfect, but at least I'm reliable.  At least, people can count on me to get it done.  Now it's time to do something for me.  Now it's time change direction and fulfill my goals and take hold of what is mine.

I'm eternally grateful for the friends in my life and the family that supports me unconditionally (did I mention my mom is awesome?!?!?!?).  With people like them, I know I can do what I was born to do...

I sincerely hope you all have people like them in your lives.  They are the reason anyone gets out of bed and solves the world's problems...

Back to Basics

Studying the fundamentals of why you took up your passion in the first place is quite possibly the best way to revamp your appreciation of said passion.  Once I decided to take my workouts to the next level, I realized that this concept needs to bleed into other areas that I know need improvement. Even though it's only thursday and it's the first week of re-training myself, so far it's been crazy helpful.  Underscore "crazy."  It's not exactly up to par yet, but so far so good...

Dig this: I wake up at 5am to get my girls' and my lunch ready, then I go practice.  Today was feet and coordination.  This time around, I decided to use fundamental snare drum books, i.e., Stone Killer, Syncopation, etc. and apply them to the double bass drum.  I always taught that what you do with your hands should also be applied to your feet.  I think it's high time I practice what I preach.  

6am: Workout like a muthaf@cker at the karate school/Max mecca.  I don't care how insane the workouts are; they're AWESOME.  My day is not complete without them.... and sticks.  Can't forget sticks. 

7am: the rest of my day commences with the usual shower, get myself and kids ready, feed everyone, make H's coffee, prepare the slowcooker and hit the shop for work time.  Hopefully, at the end of said day I can hit karate class.  I already have my black belt.  Now, I get to learn the COOL stuff...

The support has been overwhelming especially from my co-workers in the office (one of them is an amature fitness model, the other is my awesome cousin) and my children.  Just gotta keep the momentum going...

New Beginnings

Sup. It's been a while. But I must admit, even though this passed year has been eventful, it has put many things in my life into perspective. So this post may seem somber and candid, but hopefully insightful (at least to someone). I gave birth to my 3rd child (hold your applause; but she is actally quite breathtaking :) Before having her, though, I had lost all my baby weight from my 2nd child, Lily, through an amazing program called the Max. It was started by my karate instructor, Bryan Klein, in September 2011 and it has since help hundreds of people. Holy cow, that litte progam exploded into a 15 center franchise and it's still growing. I truly admire him for accomplishing such a feat! It made me take a look into my own life and see exactly how I, too, can take it to the Max. When I tested for my black belt this past April (again hold your applause), my class (which was all kids by the way) were taught different pattern forms that represented the essence of what makes individuals successfull. They were: Conceive, Believe, Acheive, Inspire, & Legacy. The concepts were simiple enough. However, once put to practice, the mere notion of attaining a goal you felt was out of your reach becomes increasingly difficult to grasp. In other words, taking the first step is terrifying. During my black belt challenge, I was obligated to write an essay describing what earnging my belt meant to me. It was by far one of the most candid pieces I had ever written. I talked about all of the obstacles that interfered with acquiring my goal. Single motherhood, soupkitchens, WIC, deep rooted family issues (which are still palpable, b the way), etc., had robbed me of my ability to dream and create opportunities for myself and my music. Once I had acheived my goal of earning the belt that had eluded me for so long, I realized anything is possible... Anything... My goals for this year and next spring(cuz for my sake, I'm putting the out there without fear): - Fight in an amature kickboxing match (cuz I win that match, I know I can do anything) - Begin auditioning for my dream job - Acquire my dream gig - Gain enough income teaching where I won't have to work anymore - Take my daughters overseas for vacation - Make myself and my husband proud Take it or leave it. This is happening. Time flies. Grab it by the balls if what you want keeps escaping you and show it who's f*cking boss. Everyone deserves theirs. It's time to get mine.