Today, I passed along The Perfect Wrong Note: Learning to Trust Your Musical Self by William Westney. When I consider the repair process I went through after college, this is one of the most important books. I highly recommend it.
Day: February 17, 2025
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What I’m Reading – Empire of Pain
Empire of Pain: The Secret History of the Sacklar Dynasty by Patrick Radden Keefe
I thought this book was fantastic. I listened to it on Albuquerque Public Library Libby audio book app.
It is an excellent reminder that, while our current governmental situation is certainly very messed up, a lot of very nefarious shit has been going down for a long time before. I find the “shock and awe” narrative at the moment is very demoralizing. This book helped me bring things back to, what I would consider, reality. Not that it is anyway pleasant, but I don’t need to be “shocked”. More important for me to continue to do the work that I hope bring folks together to make a more beautiful world.
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Guest Post on Banjo After Dark
I was quite honored when, last summer, Jonas Friddle of Banjo After Dark, asked me to make a guest video.
The topic I choose was one we regularly work on in Guitar Crew; knowing which songs are appropriate to bring to the jam.
In this video I share my thoughts on, why it’s fun to bring a song to lead at an open jam, the types of songs to lead, and a few pointers to smooth the bumpy road that that beginning song leaders alway encounter.
Do you have any advice to share, or an interesting story from a time when you lead a song, or when you heard someone else lead a song? We’d love to hear it!
p.s. I highly recommend joining Jonas’ Banjo After Dark Patreon page. It’s free to join (although tossing a few bucks his way is always helpful) and I think you’ll find some fantastic resources.
Jason McInnes Teaches How To Choose A Jam Song on Banjo After Dark.
