By Carson Braymer

Speed bumps can be a total pain. They force you to slow down and, while you're still driving, you're barely moving. Playing and writing music is a gig that goes hand-in-hand with those lovely speed bumps, but the bumps and problems you face as a musician extend far beyond a traffic inconvenience. Fortunately, just like with driving, we're able to take alternate routes and make our own way with music. Sometimes, we can even remove some of the most annoying or bothersome speed bumps entirely. Everyone is going to have different issues they struggle with in playing- not enough gigs lined up, TOO MANY gigs lined up, a broken piece of gear, a Band member that can never practice, writer's block... the list goes on. Here's how I minimize my speed bumps through simplifying my work in music, understanding failures, and using those failures to grow myself and my career. 

One of my favorite lines from Henry David Thoreau's "Walden" is just three, plain words: "Simplify, simplify, simplify." I'm not going to preach about guitarists using too many pedals, nor am I going to preach about overproduced, electronic, computer music. Instead, I want to direct our focus towards the notion of simplifying your approach towards the musical projects you are involved with. If you're playing in more bands than you can keep up with, respectfully and maturely resolve to focus on two or three projects that really deliver what you expect from a musical endeavor. If you need to pay rent, don't play for bands that don't get paid. If you need a creative outlet for your original songs, don't play in  the Radiohead cover band that keeps calling you. Find a niche and work your way in.

By no means am I implying that there's anything wrong with playing for free or jamming in Radiohead cover bands (I love Radiohead), but just make sure the projects you commit yourself to will be beneficial to your career AND the band. If you're only playing in projects you love but still feel the need to cut back on stress, consider rearranging your current gigging rig to a more minimalist setup or even just maintaining a more consistent rehearsal schedule- those little things can add up to be higher stressors! It's only a matter of trimming the fat- assess what is necessary and what can be put aside. It's been said a million times, but less is more ESPECIALLY in music.

   This one might sound wild- I want you to fail. In fact, I want to fail. Not permanently, of course, but it is of utmost importance to understand that the lessons learned from failing help shape and mold us into who we are as people and professionals. It's important to make mistakes because those same mistakes highlight the details that won't be forgotten in the future. I once showed up to play a gig with one of my old bands, Young Valley, at a bar in Vicksburg, Mississippi. We got set up, ate our free meal, and cracked open a few complimentary PBRs. About 15 minutes before we were set to play, the owner of the bar SPRINTS up to us and asks us if we could set up our PA and mics- apparently the PA we were told the bar would provide was nowhere to be found in the venue. Dude, are you kidding? Here's the catch- we didn't bring a PA. The booking agent told us the PA was taken care of, so we didn't think to bring our own. Long story short, we ended up playing a super-low volume, almost instrumental show for about 15 people. Bummer, right? Well, the silver lining is in the fact that we learned a valuable lesson in communication and being prepared. My point is this- even a giant shitshow can be a good thing for your career. The knowledge and experience we gain from failure can rarely be gained from any book or instructional demo, and if you honestly think that a YouTube video is going to teach you how to be a gigging musician, you're wrong. Now, go bask in the glory of failure. It's great.

So, take a step back. Evaluate your projects, bands, work, and gear, then trim the fat. Reflect on your past shortcomings and failures, then use those lessons to expand upon your craft and your professionalism. Just like a relationship with a lover or friend, it takes fulfilling the needs of one another to be successful. Simplify, simplify, simplify, and don't be afraid to fail. You'll grow gracefully.