Being a dad has finalized a change in me. I’ve been working on it for some time and it’s here. I no longer care about certain things. I’m not sure what those things are but I know that I don’t care anymore.

Music had gotten too serious. It had gotten to the point where I did not like it. If I played with someone it was always like “Well, I’m busy that month” or “I get eighty dollars a song”. If I played a show it was always like, who’s coming?,and who’s on the guest list?, and what’s the venue?, and is the booker gonna kill me? If I wrote a song it was always like, is it a hit? If I made a recording it was always like, where’d you place the mic? and is the guitar buzzing? and how much compression is on that? Then I got into video and now I’m a lighting guy and a director and an editor and if I can’t get a show out in a month who’s gonna know I’m here? I eventually got so overwhelmed that I'd wake up in the morning needing a nap.

Working with kids it’s the same way. Practice that piece or you fail. We turn music into work and kill kids enthusiasm.

When I shoot baskets I know there are 80,000,000 people better than me and 80,000,000 worse. I just like it. Even if I miss. Even if Cory the fifth grade teacher wins the lasagna (sometimes we wager). It isn’t serious. It’s for it.

I grew up with a color TV, a box of Ritz crackers, Nestea powdered Iced Tea mix, a PET computer with Asteroids on it, Elvis Costellos “Trust” on tape, and an ovation guitar with old strings on which I would noodle to my hearts content. I’m headed back there. On some level. With my daughter.
- posted by danvt @ 8:44 AM