Tour Diary

As Above, So Below…on the Guitar

One of the joys of my musical journey is to discover something musically and see that it also applies to all of life.

(Really guitar and “life” are no different – since it’s our brains looking outward and seeing the contents of our own thought!)

I have been doing a lot of slow, deliberate practice on fingerstyle guitar pieces like “Thriller” and “Aqualeros do Brasil” and “Fly Me To The Moon” simply because I want the groove to be deeper and want the perfect sparkling and coordinated “mix” of melody, bass and accompaniment.

It never fails; once I put my mind on the role and job of my right hand thumb, I see that it has been pulled by the influence of the other right hand fingers, and is not as solid as I thought it was! [Read more…] about As Above, So Below…on the Guitar

You Can’t Learn This From YouTube

By Adam Rafferty 16 Comments

I just got back to NYC a few days ago from a short trip to Germany. I was a guest artist at the Remschied Guitar Festival in Germany – and it was a lovely scene and experience. The students were mainly classical and rock guitar players – and they were excellent.

With each student I see and teach, I see a little part of my past and history, and to be honest – I almost get “tear jerked” as I remember how much my beloved teachers helped, taught and mentored me.
[Read more…] about You Can’t Learn This From YouTube

Perception – Ain’t it a Bitch?

By Adam Rafferty 3 Comments

When a bell is struck, it vibrates and then in turn vibrates the air molecules around it. Waves of air molecules eventually hit one’s eardrum and vibrate the eardrum.

When we hear the sounding bell, we think and perceive the bell as “out there” but the sound is really “in here”. It’s the eardrums reaction to being hit by the vibrating air molecules.

Isn’t it interesting how we perceive not just sounds – but people, events, smells, sights and all sensations as originating “out there” when in fact they are inner experiences?

When the line of what’s “out there” and “in here” starts to blur for me it’s actually quite fascinating. We can change my perception of what’s out there if we want.

Here’s a fun example of how we all have different perceptions of the same “thing” out there. You may see from this that perception could just be an inner experience.

Today in the Aachen, Germany train station I could not help but notice a very attractive woman…long black hair, (looked freshly blown and straightened from the hair salon), silver hoop earrings, tight jeans, black boots and a coat with a big furry collar and to boot she had a gorgeous face. I even got a smile from her. Hey, what’s not to like?

On board the train, I was asked by a female conductor for my ticket. I looked up and – oh gosh, it was her! Huh?

She was an undercover cop, busting riders who thought they’d get away with a free ride on a regional train!

Aha! If they see an official conductor, that could alert freeloaders to run to the bathroom hideout. Luckily, I paid for a ticket and got a second chance to flirt.

Off in the distance I heard desperate arguments from riders (one teenage girl rider was almost in tears) followed by my favorite lady cop’s unwavering demands for 50 euro as a penalty.

Talk about a tough cookie! She was not taking no for an answer. Her job was to shake people down for money, and she was on the warpath!

In review – someone who boosted my ego and made me feel good today pretty much destroyed a few peoples days and caused them to be upset.

She was the same person all day, but depending on one’s perception, you either liked her or hated her.

Perception – ain’t it a bitch?

Thoughts on the Road: Just Go For It!

By Adam Rafferty 3 Comments

Greets Gang! I am on a morning train from Dresden to Osnabruck, Germany today…it’s a sunny morning, and my eyes are barely open…

I just finished 4 days in the Czech Republic playing for the “Guitar Across Styles” festival, and had a wonderful visit there.

Adam Rafferty - Fingerstyle Guitar in Prague October 9, 2011

As I sit on the train, I am feeling tired but very happy. As I reflect on that….

Quite often I get messages from younger fans who struggle with whether to go into music professionally or something more “stable”.

I am in no position to comment on what anyone should or shouldn’t do – so, this is not about choosing music or not.

However, it is important that you, I and everyone just “go for it” in our lives through a position of strength and courage – as opposed to a fearful, careful sense of living.

There was a time in my life that I knew I wanted to play guitar full time, but always had a “backup safety plan” which invariably became the “plan”. (A little study of the “Law of Attraction” would explain why this happens! )

I had to have a lot of courage (cahones) to “go for it”. This came after years of feeling a “dissonance” between my day to day life and my dreams – and living a frustrating life for some years.

Each time I would shed a “steady” job (that I felt I needed for survival) it took an enormous amount of courage.

I would feel like the wheels were coming off, it was so stressful with each courageous step! And like diving from a high diving board, I had to leap – and it was scary as hell.

This morning I am quite tired, sitting on a train, carrying heavy crapola on the road all over Europe…this is a job I’d do for no one if were it just for the money. But it’s not – it’s for the love of what I do.

The warm feeling in my belly is exactly the opposite (and absence) of the gut wrenching aggravation I felt many years ago of having a dream, yet not having the courage to go for it.

Eventually I took the leap…with no safety net. To my surprise, I am flying better than ever. So can you!!!

When you have the courage to go for it, and actually do in fact go for it – it’s the greatest feeling in the world.

So – Swami Raffanada’s advice for the day is….whatever your dreams are, just go for it! It’s worth it.

Garbage Bags and Inner Peace

By Adam Rafferty 8 Comments

Recently I found myself on tour in the Toronto airport, itching for a book to read. I’m kind of a self-help motivational junkie, and the newsstand had a small book that jumped out at me called “How to Save an Hour a Day, Guaranteed” by Michael Heppell.

On first blush, it looked like a quick reference for this type of thing, and I felt “well I have read all this before, but I’ll use this as a quickie reminder.” I figured for the $20 I’d spend, I’d make it back in saved time.

I needed a little “kick in the pants” and thought perhaps there would be at least one good idea in the book.

Actually, I am really knocked out by this simple little book. Some organizational books are a real “geometry project.” With those books, I find myself getting drawn in and then have a hard time following through with the full setup – even if they are more comprehensive.

This book had some quick, but real game changing ideas…here are a few:

1) Define why you want more time. This is a very clever way to get you on track with what you want. This is the positive pre-cursor to eliminating negatives. The stronger the motivation with the end in mind, the better you will do. Hint – don’t skip this step!

2) For a week track what you do every 15 minutes on a spreadsheet or some type of graph. I’m 4 days into this, using Excel. Like a diet, you see where you produce good things, and where you waste time. The time sheet won’t lie!

This alone for me immediately translated into less time spent online. The constant “blood letting” of checking email and Facebook got limited to 3 times per day, and I have got a TON more accomplished as an result.

3) Do a deep “clutter clean.” I remember when I moved in to my place how organized and clean it was – I felt great, free and limitless. Also, when I go to a hotel room on the road…I can THINK because I don’t have every loose end in my life staring at me.

I highly recommend a deep clutter clean…

Anything not used in 6 months…throw out. Business cards you’ll never enter in the PC or Mac – throw out!!! Old magazines, clothes you never wear (donate), crap in desk droors, coupons, all of it. Be merciless and throw it all out.
Big things standing in corners? Get em into a closet so you don’t look at them.
Things you use all the time? Find a home for them, and take em out when you use them.
Instruction Manuals? They can all be found online as PDFs…throw out!

And so on….

4) List your “Time Bandits”. As I became aware of mine, I “woke up” immediately and found I had more time. I set the phone to vibrate, put the computer in airplane mode, just to start.

To Sum it Up…

My whole being has simply melted and relaxed into a profoundly peaceful place since doing this. (Mainly due to the deep clutter clean & purge) I feel it especially as a physical sensation in my solar plexus. It’s not just “nice” – it’s profound.

This may sound odd, but musically I have grown since doing a deep clean…getting rid of crapola helps one (me) be clear and creative. Suddenly new music ideas have the space to “pop” into my awareness.

It’s as if I am letting old things go to make room for the new, now that my environment is reflecting that. Yummalicious!

There’s more in the book, but for now I highly recommend it….and hey – he offers a money back guarantee if you feel the book didn’t help you!

Lastly, the book is written in a way that is easy on the eyes, good subheads…he suggests skimming and scanning, so it need not be read cover to cover (even though I did).

Thumbs up for ” “How to Save an Hour a Day, Guaranteed” by Michael Heppell.