Play The Way You Love. Love The Way You Play.

       When I worked at Guitar Center in the drum department, I came across a lot of drummers who had, years ago, stopped playing. Just as bad, they had sold their kits. Now, they were in the market for new equipment. From a strictly selfish standpoint, that was okay with me, because I loved helping them choose new gear, and it put money in my pocket. But from a humane perspective, it made me sad that they had stopped playing music, and even taken it so far as having gotten rid of their tools. I could feel the pain of that.
       As a musician, it’s important to keep playing, no matter what. And not just any music, but the music that stirs your soul. At least some of the time. Why? Because that’s why you started playing in the first place (I mean, after you realized that playing in a band was a way to meet girls….or boys). Something long ago got stirred in you, and you discovered that it gave you something you couldn’t get anywhere else. You brought to life an energy within. If you stop playing, or if you stop playing the music that moves you, that energy inside diminishes. It can even die.
       The good news is, you get to play Dr. Frankenstein any time you want. You get to raise the dead. You get to bring that unique energy within back to life, no matter how long it’s been dead. And you don’t have to rob any graves to do it (but if you play an electric instrument, you do get to fuck around with electricity, just like Dr. Frankenstein did). All you’ve got to do is start playing again. And start playing music that moves you.   
       I’m not sure if it’s worse to play music you don’t like, or worse to just stop playing. But I do know that going through the motions playing music is like going through the motions when you’re having sex. In the long run, it can actually make it worse.
       Think about it. If you have sex, without passion, without fire, without feeling, for long periods of time, what happens to your interest, to your desire, to your fire, for sex? It evaporates, slowly but surely. Now, what if you don’t have sex for a long period of time? That void actually creates desire. And that desire can spur you to action to seek what you want. As opposed to just being on auto pilot, which usually has the opposite effect.
       Playing music is the same way. Because it’s from deep inside. You can’t fool your heart. At least not for long. If you keep trying to kid yourself at that level, you get soul rebellion.
       Whatever you like to play, at whatever age, play it. Find a way and play it. Don’t waste time playing shit you don’t like. Don’t waste time jerking off. I don’t care how old you are. If punk or metal or disco does it for you, find people who are into it too and play it. Nobody but you and your band has to hear it (although I also strongly urge you to perform live, but that’s another blog). But you need to play it. And when you play it, you need to bring it.
       Play the music you love the way you make love. Make love the way you play music you love. Find your flame, stoke it, and let it burn. Play and fuck with passion, with fire, with reckless abandonment, with red hot love. Throw all of yourself into it. At once harness, and surrender to, its beautiful power.   

Photography courtesy of Pedro Blanco Photography

©2014 Clint Piatelli, MuscleHeart LLC, and Red F Publishing. All rights reserved.