Spirituality

Practicing Music or Practicing Guitar Technique – What’s Better?

Adam Rafferty guitar technique
Often when we hear a soulful musical performance we can’t imagine that the “wonderful music” had to be practiced technically.

Even though we are “feeling it” as listeners, much more than “feelings” had to go in to it.

Master musicians look at music from all angles, musical and technical.

Master musicians love it all…music and technique. They go together.

Music, Matter and Form

By Adam Rafferty 5 Comments

Last night I was getting my daily dose of spiritual musings from one of my favorite thinkers, Alan Watts.

He brings up a point which I think is specially suited to musicians looking to “improve their skills.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Iw9W3vVQw

Discipline, Daydreaming and Your Musical Mind

By Adam Rafferty 16 Comments

Recently I read a post by Seth Godin about the “laboratory” vs the “factory” mentality and it really resonated with me.

Seth went on to encourage creativity in a laboratory / discovery / scientific spirit.

In the laboratory:

we are dreamers
we don’t know how things will turn out
we don’t know or care if we can “sell” what we are making
we may not even know what we will find
we allow time to search

The lab is all about discovery and exploration.

In the factory:

we are “task masters”
we do what works, over and over so that
we can sell more
we tighten up the speed, efficiency and costs involved with producing our stuff
we don’t waste time “searching” for a different way

The factory is about predictability and production.

As I Began to Love Myself: Charlie Chaplin on his 70th birthday

By Adam Rafferty 26 Comments

(Note – a reader just alerted me that this may have been written by Kim McMillen, and somehow was attributed to Charlie Chaplin…well, whoever wrote t – it’s awesome. Enjoy!)

As I began to love myself I found that anguish and emotional suffering are only warning signs that I was living against my own truth. Today, I know, this is AUTHENTICITY.

As I began to love myself I understood how much it can offend somebody as I try to force my desires on this person, even though I knew the time was not right and the person was not ready for it, and even though this person was me. Today I call it RESPECT.

As I began to love myself I stopped craving for a different life, and I could see that everything that surrounded me was inviting me to grow. Today I call it MATURITY.

As I began to love myself I understood that at any circumstance, I am in the right place at the right time, and everything happens at the exactly right moment, so I could be calm. Today I call it SELF-CONFIDENCE.

How To Create Info Products from the Heart (and a Guitar DVD Update..)

By Adam Rafferty 14 Comments

I recently read an article by a buddy of mine named Rob Cubbon. He describes the state of mind & spirit he was in while creating a few of his e-books in his post “My Rules of Product Creation.”

While creating his first one, he was stressed and it felt like rolling a rock uphill. In contrast, the second one just “happened” by itself. Oddly – the second one which was infused with joy and ease is also preferred by his readers and sells better.

I’ve had the same thing happen when I record CDs under stress, so I know full well what he was describing.

I was starting to feel a similar process regarding the upcoming Guitar Instructional DVD which I plan to shoot later this summer.