If you know me at all, you will have seen my recent obsession with the band Snarky Puppy on facebook. I've been posting videos from youtube showcasing their recent (2013) cd/dvd entitled "Family Dinner". Its an interesting project. I'll quote an excerpt from the inside cover of their dvd set:
"On Monday night, we had a stage full of instruments and no music prepared. By Saturday evening, we had learned, arranged, rehearsed, performed, filmed, and recorded 19 songs by 11 different singers. It was absolute insanity." - Michael League, director and bass player
I first learned of Snarky Puppy when I was searching youtube for examples of individuals who could sing more than one note simultaneously. I stumbled upon Lalah Hathaway's performance of "Something", contained in the aforementioned set. I instantly fell in love with the band. The sound. The energy. The attitude. Not even knowing any details about the recording session, I knew this was something special.
I ordered the dvd set as a birthday present from my son (Amazon gift card emails rock!). I've watched it numerous times now. I've checked out their website, read their bios, looked at tour dates. When something good happens by, its normal to want to somehow be a part of it. And honestly, I'm tired of a lot of the "music" I hear on the radio. A lot of it I just don't like. It lacks a groove, a feel, something I've gotten from the music in my younger days. Now before you go crazy and throw a million examples of good modern music, please take note that I said "a lot" of the music. It's not all bad. I really enjoy some, but I need to feel it. So back to the inside cover and Mr. League:
"I love hearing human beings play music. No quantization, no prerecorded tracks, no Autotune - just people (generally all in the same room together) making wonderful, imperfect noise. I think that's why this band makes live albums - what you play is what you get."
I knew it. The first time I heard them, I could feel it. And again, honestly, not everything they do floors me. We all have stylistic nuances that agree, or don't. It makes us human, and individuals.
So what does any of this have to do with Life?
I'm currently listening to the dvd, yet again. It is the culmination of six days of relentless creative work. To achieve this dvd, the solo artists, the band, and technical team had to come together and put in the time and effort to make it happen. If you delve deeper, you will see that in order for a person to be involved in this project, they would have had to achieve a certain place in the music world, build skills and a reputation that stand out and are considered worthy. To get to that point, they would have to spend an inordinate amount of time... rehearsing.
So I have to look at my life and ask, "What am I rehearsing?" We only get one shot at today, but each new day is the culmination of every day before it. It may not seem special. There are many days that don't. But what I have rehearsed in the past forms todays' Decisions. Attitudes. Outlook. Character. Then I take those qualities and showcase them to the world. I may not think I am, but consider this: What band am I in? With whom am I being relentlessly creative? What product has been produced with my name attached? My education, my job, my friends, my online persona... they all speak not of the product, but of the quality of the rehearsal.
What will I rehearse tonight? Netflix? Facebook? Passive listening? While those may have benefit (maybe look hard for it), what I do with my time defines me. I will have big moments, no doubt about that. But most of my time will be spent rehearsing, and from those rehearsals will come the product that is my life.
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