Hard to believe we are at the start of another new year. For some, it’s just downright depressing; for others it is an exciting opportunity to “try again”. I highly encourage our readers to saddle up in the latter category–Carpe Cyprinus! (Seize the carp). Take a look at your musical goals this year and implement the strategies and tasks necessary to achieve them. Work hard and smart to get where you want to go. Network as much as possible to gain new fans, friends and colleagues in our industry. In addition, here are a few thoughts on how to improve you musical experience this year:

First of all, resolve to add music to your life everyday, in every way. When you’re in the car, tune in to KUVO (or whatever station you fancy), put in your favorite CD or stream your favorite satellite station. When you’re at home, turn off the TV and play that new Pandora station. When you’re traveling, bring the ipod and headphones with you. Make it your business to listen to music everyday. As you populate your ears with more and more music, your subconscious starts to add the various instrumentation, arrangement, note phrasing, lyrics, etc., into your psyche. Listening to music not only assists and augments the listener’s creativity, it helps support the learning of the style of music (or instrument) that you are listening to. In other words, if you want to play like Coltrane, you gotta listen to the man first. If you want to play better jazz, start listening to more jazz. If you want to be a more adept musician, listen to more music! It really is that simple. Economize your music exploration by making sure that the background is filled with good music rather than the noise from non-musical audio.

Second, go out and see live music! Yes, it can be a pain these days to get to all the concerts that you want to go to and it’s quite expensive. However, the musical experience gained by being at a live music show is unquestionable. In addition to the enjoyment of watching/listening to your favorite band perform, you the listener are inputting many subtleties that you many not even be conscious of. Watching a band perform live–the way they communicate to each other over various changes, dynamics and grooves is a great real-time learning experience for any musician who has performed or currently performs in an ensemble. Pay attention to how the band looks from the audience perspective and how they interact with the crowd. Are they commanding the people or just playing the part of wall paper? What kinds of things is the band doing that are unique? Also, listen to the room acoustics; watch the sound guy mitigate different sonic issues; watch and learn the back end experience of the “house”. Every opportunity to view live audio, whether it be a small combo, large big band, or even classical orchestra is an enriching experience to the mind as well as the soul.

Third, turn the people you know on to great new music. I can’t say enough about word of mouth. There is collective responsibility amongst of us musicians to help raise the bar with respect to the aggregate music listening population. Let’s get their ears away from today’s bullshit pop music and instead expose them to more complex and thought provoking audio from musicians who have spent a lifetime dedicating their efforts to the craft. In some cases, this means that you (yes, you laddy!) have to expand your horizons and seek out new music as the quality “influencer” among your friends. Don’t be afraid to check out new music and sounds. When you find something good, make sure to pass it on!

Last, remember to support the industry you are a part of. Whether you are streaming audio, purchasing CD’s, attending a live concert or picking up a new instrument, you are supporting the infrastructure of the musical world that you want to be (or are) a part of. It is important that all of us within the industry have the ability to make a wage so that we can continue to bring great music to the public. So do your part! When you’re at a live show, buy a CD and/or tip the band. Give the gift of music often, not just on the holidays. Help promote a friend’s band, or your favorite band on social media–help get more people to the show. When you see and hear great music, talk it up! Let people know about it, where you saw it and what happened. If you like a particular artist, throw them a bone–don’t steal their music because you found a way to listen for free. Encourage your friends to do the same. Help out a fellow musician whenever possible.

2020 and beyond will bring so much noise into your general listening world that it is important to be selective about what goes into your ear holes. Eliminate the chaff and find the signal. Pay attention while you do so and you will end up learning more than you thought possible. It may sound a little utopian, but we can all do our part to focus on making the music a priority instead of having to digest the same old tired b.s. that wades in and out of our lives. We want to thank you in advance for doing your part!