lowquality.net

The title of this post is a musical pun concerning resolutions… it isn’t even funny to other musicians.

Kim is participating in a library / book enthusiast phenomenon called “52 in 52″ which means she will attempt to read (and finish) a book for every week of this year. I have encouraged her to blog her progress and her personal reactions to the books over at her dusty blogspot blog. She says she’s gonna, please encourage her to do so. Her insights to literature are far more interesting and valuable that she gives herself credit for. I would love for other people to be exposed to some of the thoughts I get to hear every day.

However, resolving to read a book every week might seem kind of draining but to Kim it’s the challenge of learning something every week. We all do this, but we seldom make a conscious effort to do it.

I have been thinking about this a lot because my life seems so damned meaningless lately and reading seems like a great way to seek meaning, but I don’t think 52 in 52 is the answer for me. At one point in my life, music was king. There was nothing else. I think I owe to myself to make that happen again. Kim gave me a hefty gift certificate at dustygroove.com, which I have dispatched already. My mom gave me a Barnes & Noble gift certificate and I will probably blow that on CDs too (I thought about doing 52 in 52 as well for like a second, but I am instead resolving to maybe finish ONE of the books I’ve purchased in the last five years… I have books I have loaned to people and not actually read myself.)

So I got to thinking that, since I have been working on a few tracks and recording projects with friends, I should make a commitment to myself that I am going to do something that involves me in playing, writing, or learning music EVERY DAY this year, whether it be a short transcription, learning the melody to a bebop tune, writing a chord progression, simply playing along with some music or (heaven forbid) gigging with bands. I will do my best to document as much as I can on the site. I can be bad about keeping a routine once I start keeping record of it, but if I have anything to show for my efforts, I will try to share it.

I have unfortunately wasted this first day of the year, and only have a 1/2 hour left so nothing musicianly will come from this day, but I think I know what I am going to do tomorrow.