When Good Things Happen To Bad Chops

[SlimChance]

I think we all identified with Mr A's tale of fatique and despair, when he was jetlagged and burnt out and his arms froze.  However...

I've been going through some personal stress lately, and I've been burning the candle at three ends.  Gigging too much, maybe a little too much partying, and way too much stress at work.  Yesterday I hadda get up early, not enough sleep, and had a gig last night.  I felt lousy and was really dreading the show.  Lo, if I didn't nail it but good.  I don't know where it came from, but I just ramped it up and dominated that little drumkit; plenty of tasty little fills, solid timekeeping, the right attitude.  The rest of the band was in good form, I'll give them that, but I tend to be the pace-setter and mule driver, so I consider it my responsibility to get the energy level up and keep folks focused.  

Maybe the radically stepped-up drumming schedule is paying off.  Looks like I can get the job done, even when I'm a little burnt and feeling low down.  

Thanks for listening.

Slim

[Robyn]

I dunno, Slim. I think you got lucky. Too much stress is never good for anything or anyone.  'Course maybe you were taking out your stress on your kit and managed to turn it into something positive:

~~
Every day when I get home from work
I feel so frustrated
The boss is a jerk
And I get my sticks and go out to the shed
And I pound on that drum like it was the bossââ,¬â,,¢s head


robyn

[Danno]

'Course maybe you were taking out your stress on your kit and managed to turn it into something positive.

That explains, in one sentence, why I started drumming in the first place and how it changed over the years. I was a frustrated kid needing an outlet - then when I got good, the frustrations seemed to gradually melt away, and my drumming got a little tamer and a lot better.

I think you got lucky too, but that's the way it works a lot of the time. Some of my best gigs happened when I felt like crap going into them, but managed to suck it up.

[Chip Donaho]

I think you got lucky too, but that's the way it works a lot of the time. Some of my best gigs happened when I felt like crap going into them, but managed to suck it up.

Boy, isn't that the truth....Being consitant is what made that happen. That came from working to get to that place in time. Question is, can't you do that when you're not stressed and tired? I would think so or that "something" which surfaced would have never happened.    ;)