Travis Vega: Blog

The Career Musician

Part 2: Work Ethic

Here we are with part 2, I would have gotten to it a lot sooner if it wasn't for a busy schedule. Last time we left off, you were getting to know me a little better and through out my post you will get to know me a lot more, so lets get started with this installment of The Career Musician ( T.C.M.) as I discuss work ethic.....

Everyone has their own way, their own groove and definitely their own work ethic. Some folks like to put things off until the last minute (which I sometimes do), others have a plan and stick to it, while some are just flat out hard workers and get the job done! And then you will run into someone who can only get certain things done if they are multitasking their way through it. Either way its hard just to be one thing all the time, our work ethics change, if we are really into our task we become the "hard worker", if we don't really like the job we "put it off" and if we are just unsure of what we are doing we "multitask". 

Music is no different, there is no magical process to writing the greatest song ever, or laying down the sickest guitar lick, it all becomes what you fall into when the mood strikes you. Some of us musicians are into the groove, or the chord progression, or having the sweetest melody that ever crossed our minds and some of us just love every single moment that we stay up all night just to hear what we did over and over again. Either way you spin it we have all sorts of likes and dislikes, for instance what would happen if you take some one who had a great melody line, but couldn't find the progression or the groove was not helping the phrasing at all, that person would get frustrated and would have to walk away from it. 

I work best when I give each instrument the time it needs to develop its voice, each instrument has a purpose to the composition and truly becomes one with the creation. This also helps me free up ideas and fresh new approaches to each song I write and this method has work best for me because I see and hear growth with my music. My work ethic becomes all the ones I mentioned previous, if I "put if off" it means I haven't found the right chemistry and the more it goes on the painful it becomes.

It is safe to say that having a good balance to what you do usually brings out the best results so manage your time wisely.

..... next time on The Career Musician (T.C.M.) I will discuss work ethics on the performance side of things.