I received the first quote from one of the contractors this morning, but unfortunately they did not want to take on fixing the bathtub and alcove as they thought it would end up being a complete removal and redo of the project – similar to what both of the other contractors had said – and that isn’t the type of work they usually undertake. I’m a bit disappointed, but they did quote on a few other projects we need completed (the stairs and handrail to our porch being a big one, as well as fixing our shed) for a reasonable price, as well as the best quote we’ve received so far for building the 24’x37′ shop on the slab that had been poured before we purchased the property.
I had ordered a book last week and it arrived yesterday. The book is “The Music Lesson – A Spiritual Search for Growth Through Music” by Victor Wooten, one of the most renowned bassists of our time. I’ve only gotten through the prelude and first two measures (why use chapters when discussing music, yeah?) but I’ve been enjoying it quite a bit so far. I’ll definitely be finishing this book over the next few days, and would have gotten through much more if my body didn’t decide it needed a nap yesterday afternoon.
One of the early points of the book (at least my interpretation of it) is being present with Music. I’ve sometimes found myself heading in to practice but my minds not really present and I’m thinking about other things – and I usually end up having a less than satisfying session. But the times I am completely present, right there in the moment with no other distractions, surrendering myself to the groove and just playing… well that is a whole different experience.
I might not nail the riff or song perfectly, but I’m present with Music (that is capitalized for a reason, and if you ever read the book, you’ll quickly understand why) and letting her speak through me. I’ve never played a show bigger than ~1200 people, and the usual audience size when I was actively playing and gigging was probably between one and two hundred – but when I surrender myself to the groove and let Music speak through me, I can feel the energy as if I was walking onto the stage to perform for hundreds of thousands of people.
And there it is – being present. Getting rid of or ignoring distractions. Not just with Music, but everything. If something is worth doing, it is worth being present for – and if it is something you actively do not wish to be present for, then why are you doing it in the first place?
Anyhow, I have a book calling me, and I get the feeling I’ll want to play a South American festival show later too…
Song of the day: Steppin’ Out by Joe Jackson
(A bit of personal trivia: This was the very first song I ever searched for on the internet – I remembered a few snippets of the lyrics from when I was young and tried to find it. This was before there were dozens of song lyric sites and it took about a year before I got a hit, but I found it!)
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