michael edwards [music]

Lately, I look at tasks, skills, and other projects in my life and think about completely obliterating them. I look at a piano and I want to be fluent, smooth, controlled, etc. with it. I see an old 8-bit Ninja Gaiden game and I want to master it, be able to beat it without dying. Think of an idea for a website, and I want to know how to make it happen. Does it require learning new languages? Ok, whatever it takes. My room is a mess. Ok, get it clean, just do it, get through it.

I helped on a video production and 3 audio productions this weekend, over 16 hours of effort.

This is a different level of energy than I like to think I have had for any extended period of time. It seems like for much of my life everything was to be played with until reaching a certain point of resistance or difficulty. Then it’s time to move on to something else. Having a natural aptitude for various things has not either helped or hindered this wandering behavior. I’d play Ninja Gaiden but after I die a couple of times, I need to move to a game that I can beat easily. Record music according to my current ability, but never try for anything more difficult, more nuanced. No multiple takes, no re-imaginings. Just whatever comes out, settle for it.

I’m taking piano lessons, and I’m stretching myself musically in other ways, too.

So, to be able and willing to work longer, with more focus, to accomplish things, well that just seems absolutely crucial to the kinds of things I say that I want to do in my life. I want to create the best music I possibly can, and to write about my favorite stories and authors. It’s also a pre-requisite for any sort of reasonable collaboration, I think. You have to talk, communicate, listen, give your opinion to someone else in a constructive way. You also have to go and work and take what was said to you and apply it. Seems like good exercise.

I practice music almost every day now, instead of only when I want to write or record.