Pride, The Killer

To really give yourself as a musician and as a person, you need to have something to lay down. (When I say ‘lay down’ I mean in the sacrificial sense, not the ‘laying down a groove’ sense).

Technique, skills, repertoire, ego – these have to be laid down for the sake of your band, for the audience, and for the music. Pride is the killer of great music and of rich community, and so you need just enough humility to put others first. With time and care, just enough will become more than enough.

As you lay yourself down for others, and as others lay themselves down for you, pride gets no say and responsibility steps into the drivers’ seat. The question stops being “what do I have?” and becomes “what can I give?” This is the point where beauty and glory can be found and is the start point of collaboration.

Pride and selfishness are an incubating partnership of death and decay. On the other hand, humility and sacrifice are a launch pad from which new things appear, a place where delightful explorations begin. Humility may seem foolish, and simplicity boring, but what are combo they are!