Remember the times when you knew you should practice your drums, but just didn't feel like messing with it? It's at those times you lacked focus. There was a time when I had a studio session to attend to lay down some drum tracks and I simply was not in the mood at all. Hey, I was tired! It was Friday afternoon, it was a long, hard week, and I was done! While driving to the studio that day my mind was consumed with pretty much just wanting to watch television.
Anyway, I remember driving up to the drum studio and thinking, "Man, I don't want to be doing this right now." But, I decided I better get focused on my drumming because time is money in the studio. If you have ever bought studio time you know what I mean. Well, on the way to the drum studio I began thinking about the songs I was about to lay down the drum tracks for. I also began thinking about the fact that my drum tracks will be permanent. People will hear them and I want my tracks to be as close to perfection as I can get them.
I knew I had to somehow get focused and get in the mood - right NOW! So many people will use any excuse for not doing something because they are simply not in the mood. When it comes to responsibility, whether a person is in the mood or not, it doesn't matter. If you have booked studio drum time and paid good money for it you better be in the mood, or at least get in the mood! The best way I have found to change my mood at any given time about something is to simply begin thinking in a different manner. Feelings follow thoughts, and given that fact, I basically just changed my thinking. I decided to clear my mind of all the noise in my head and only mentally listen to the songs I was laying drum tracks for.
I tapped on my steering wheel as I drove along, and honestly, it wasn't even just a few short minutes until I was starting to "feel it." By the time I arrived at the drum studio I was more than ready to play my drums. The next time you have an appointment with your drum set, but just don't feel like drumming, you are not focused. Just know you can change your focus at any given time. Because your feelings follow your thoughts, you can change your thinking and automatically change your mood.
Dan Brown has been drumming since 1976. Sign up for his FREE weekly newsletter and get tips, ideas, articles, and merchandise! http://www.dbdrumtips.com/
