The Transformation

      It's not always easy for everyone to just pick up some sticks and start drumming, or buy the trumpet and start wailing. There are multiple variables that come into play when deciding to pursue music. For instance, you need to find the financial support to purchase the necessary instruments and accessories, you need to find a teacher to help you begin understanding the craft, and you need to find the time every week to dedicate to developing your creative abilities. These are no easy feats, but they are the most common obstacles everybody encounters when they first decide they want to learn how to play an instrument. This initial process poses as a problem for most people, but it's also what I refer to as, the transformation. The following section outlines each of these problems that make up The transformation process and how you can overcome them to find pure joy in the miracle of music.

Financial Issues - Money doesn't grow on trees, and I know that we all have financial responsibilities. Whether it's rent, utilities, insurance, groceries, gas, or the occasional social outing...we all have our priorities. But there are practical ways to conserve that will enable you to save up what you need to purchase your preferred instrument of choice. The first step towards forming the solution to your financial dilemma is to create a budget sheet. These tools help you understand exactly where your money is currently going, and how you want to change your expenditures moving forward. This leads me to my next point, which is to determine what you NEED, versus what you WANT. These are very distinct terms that mean very different things. We don't always need to go to the bar every weekend, we don't always need to drive to work, and we don't always need to leave the lights on in the house. Making small changes to your daily lifestyle can help you save up additional money you didn't even know existed! Also, you have the accessibility to develop a donations webpage. There are websites already made that assist you with this by offering templates and identifiable URLs. Such websites include:


Finding a Mentor - This is a crucial part in every musician's transformation process. When beginning your journey into the realm of performing music, you need to have someone along your side to guide you. I say this for a couple of reasons. First, you can't ever do it all on your own. There are so many possibilities and options with music that it's most helpful to have someone that can relay their own personal experience. Second, having a mentor keeps you motivated. It's pretty easy to just give up on yourself. You can always come up with an excuse to drop your dreams of becoming a rock star and settle with the nine-to-five job, but you will never be truly happy with this sort of attitude. When you have a teacher to help you along the way. you are more likely to practice and remain committed to the instrument, because you have someone else who has equally invested their time and energy into helping you become a better musician. They can teach you lessons that they had to learn the hard way. Lastly, I can't even express in words how it feels to see your instructor 10 years later. The memories you make with these mentors will last forever. This is because they are with every step along the way as you harness your creative abilities with the teacher, making you a stronger human being. These bonds that are made are very rare and most often last a lifetime,

Finding the Time - This is by far and large the most difficult challenge in the transformation of becoming a musician. A true musician finds time to practice their instrument everyday, because they choose to devote themselves to something greater than the physical world around them. This is the mentality you must have in order to be successful in picking up an instrument. Your friends will always want to hang out, and there will always be times that you would much rather be doing something else. These are referred to as your "walls", or the external forces keeping you from sitting down and practicing. More times than not, you aren't even doing anything else very important. It's just a matter of making the choice to focus. To aid you in overcoming this natural tendency to be lazy, I suggest creating a practice schedule. Start small of course, then work your way up. Maybe its just for 15 minutes, five times a week. Then it grows to become a half-hour every day. Soon enough it will become every spare, waking minute you have, because you just want to keep progressing and growing as a musician. The chase for excellence becomes addicting. So believe me when I say, once you overcome this obstacle, you are on the home stretch to becoming a true musician. 

     The transformation process is long, one that takes a considerable amount of time, energy, and money...but it is worth it. Finding your true calling and focusing your creative abilities to develop an expression of emotion through your instrument is what's called letting free your soul. When you finally feel this expression and you experience first-hand what it is like to influence someone else with the sounds YOU make, it will change your life forever. From my own experience, it took both of my parents, three different percussion teachers, and over two years of practice before I began to feel confident as a drummer and a musician. It wasn't until about my third year drumming that I began to understand what I was actually capable of doing. The transformation process is a problem for most  people looking to become a musician, but take my advice here today and it will be painless, quick, and enjoyable! And soon enough, you will be on your way to becoming the next Travis Barker!

Now what are you waiting for...go get it.
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