How To Manage Multiple Disciplines

If you have multiple interests and commitments you probably have experienced the feeling of being overwhelmed. This can be very debilitating and some days you might end up accomplishing very little. The key is to plan your day the night before and set times for your projects. 

I find that it works best for me to get up at 6am and do some sax practice without disruptions that can occur later in the day. It is a heavy lifting task so if I get it done first, I am less likely to not practice at night because of feeling tired. Mind you, it does not always pan out to get the saxophone playing done in the morning. It is an ongoing project for me to embed the habit of regular practice into my routine. I still test different ways of incorporating it into my day, depending on my energy levels..and sometimes...well it just doesn't happen and I have a rest!

My inspiration comes from a number of players that are absolutely awesome mentors and educators. Greg Fishman is one such saxophonist. He keeps writing and producing some of the best tuitional books available. Check out his collection here: www.gregfishmanjazzstudios.com I highly recommend his books and iPad / iPhone apps.

As an example of his Hip Licks collection, Greg demonstrates taking Lick #53 through twelve keys on the video below. He has a private Facebook page where students upload videos of the weekly riff. It is amazing how much talent is in Greg's Facebook group. This is definitely a constant inspiration for me to keep working toward the level that, at times, seems out of reach.

Ok...So back to the subject of managing multiple disciplines. Well, it really boils down to committing specific amounts of time to each project in order to move forward with all disciplines. One thing that has absolutely helped me is an inspirational video from a young multi-millionaire, Matt Clark. He talks about how he manages to run several successful business projects at once and goes through his daily schedule. 

Additionally, I was prompted by Matt's business partner, Jason Katzenback, to get a monthly desk calendar which lives on my lovingly refurbished white pine desk. Each Sunday evening I sit down and decide what goals I want to accomplish for the coming week. I break it down into tasks and keep checking the list during the week to make sure I stay on track. Again, this is a fairly new system for me and I am still integrating it into my life so that it becomes a positive habit. 

One favourable aspect of having multiple interests is that they can feed each other in some way or another. Listening to 'Birdland' by Weather Report prompted me to create the painting below which was aptly titled 'Birdland'. Sometimes when I improvise on my sax I see visual arrangements and layers in the music. I really enjoy exploring the relationship between painting and music. View this painting on my art website here: Birdland

Aria Stone, Birdland, oil and pigment on canvas, 153 x 122 cm

Onward and upward!