Pinned7 Lessons On Practicing Music You Can Take From John Coltrane, the “Athlete” of Improvisation“You can play a shoestring if you’re sincere” — John Coltrane Coltrane’s blistering lines and soaring beauty are often complemented with a sort of zealot mystique. It’s easy to recognize his genius, but it often feels shrouded in unattainable prestige. Apart from his stunning music, Coltrane…Music9 min readMusic9 min read
Sep 12, 2022I Want to Freeze Time in Early AutumnI used to look forward to getting older each year, and I don’t mean with some sort of generalized optimism for change. I mean I enjoyed the act of aging. I was getting stronger, smarter, more adult. It felt like I was being pulled up, ascending through floors — each…Personal Development5 min readPersonal Development5 min read
Feb 14, 2022The View From Halfway ThroughHot water flows with tugging pressure across my back, where it spills over onto my chest and divides into tiny little streams like aquatic roots searching for bunches of hyphae, trying to get plugged in. …Creative Writing2 min readCreative Writing2 min read
Published inRock n’ Heavy·Jan 25, 2022I Interviewed a Full-Time Pro Jazz/Funk Guitarist — Here’s What He Said About PracticingHorace Bray is my favorite kind of musician — the type rooted in virtuosity but with the soul and restraint to know that making music, as opposed to being flashy, is what’s most important. Horace has polyrhythm-stacked jazz records, singer songwriter records, a deep love for producing electronic music, and…Music6 min readMusic6 min read
Published inRock n’ Heavy·Sep 22, 2021How to Play The Music In Your HeadIf you’ve spent any time practicing music, you’ve probably heard phrases like these: “Just play what you hear in your head.” “Play like a vocalist.” “Sing your solos.” This advice sounds simple enough, but when you sit down and start playing, it can be more difficult than you expect. Perhaps…Music6 min readMusic6 min read
Sep 14, 2021How to Live a Wiser Life — 10 Lessons from 28I’m 41 years from 70 today, according to my cousin. This year was a ride, and it’s one that held some of the most tangible periods of emotional and spiritual growth I’ve had yet. Here are a few of 28’s most important lessons: Opportunities don’t wait around. If you want to befriend that neighbor…Life Lessons4 min readLife Lessons4 min read
Sep 8, 2021The Secret Sales Technique Politicians and Master Marketers Use to Control PeopleJonathan Haidt’s brilliant book on moral psychology, The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided By Politics and Religion, begins by explaining the background of modern moral psychological thought and culminates into the argument that morality is split into six essential foundations. These are the six: Care / Harm Liberty…Marketing7 min readMarketing7 min read
Aug 30, 202117 Music Channels & Teachers You Should Be WatchingSince I write a newsletter all about practicing music, it helps to keep a catalog of people I really respect on hand. This gives me ideas on what to practice (and how) and is an endless source of entertainment and inspiration. So I figured I’d share some of that list…Music4 min readMusic4 min read
Aug 19, 202110 Musical Epiphanies That Changed The Way I Thought About Playing Music ForeverIf you start music at a young age, concepts of music theory, proper practice, and pedagogy can feel like they swirl around in your head, often contradicting each other, and sometimes, do more harm than good. Grappling with the complex world of modal theory, tritone substitutions, and classical voice leading…Music5 min readMusic5 min read
Jul 20, 2021It’s Time To Say Goodbye to AgeismI just got back from five weeks in Mexico, and I spent most of it hanging out with people more than twice my age (I’m 28). My friends and I road-tripped across the country in a 1977 Volkswagen Kombi from Mexico City to Sonora, went snorkeling in the Sea of…Relationships4 min readRelationships4 min read
