“Columbus Sailed West”

One of my pet peeves is when musicians take forever deciding what to play. As bad or worse is a group that takes the stage but hasn't discussed the content of their set or even tuned their instruments. I once played in situation where I was able to set up my entire drum kit in less time than it took the front line to decide what tune to start with! I was shocked to say the least. 

So what's this got to do with Christopher Columbus? The famed explorer’s plan had a bit more to it, but Columbus's basic idea was to sail west rather than east. Simple plan, profound results. So even a plan with as little meat on it as “Let’s go that way” kept them on track.

Another useful saying I picked up along the way is “Fail to plan and plan to fail”. Again, the plan doesn't have to be elaborate. Certainly an ambitious project that will take years to complete may need project management software, but deciding how to spend the next 10, 20 or 30 minutes should be a simple thing.

Planning applies to every facet of your musical life. Weather looks bad? Leave a bit early. Snare head is too worn? Take a spare, or maybe change it now. The band is sitting in for a short set?  Line up 4-5 tunes and get the guitars in tune before hitting the stage.

The same applies to your personal practice and band rehearsals. A rehearsal that lacks direction can be soul killing. Same with wood-shedding. Without a clear goal, the chances of achieving something worthwhile fall dramatically.

Aside from helping you appear more professional and generating warm feelings from management and audience, you'll find that your stress level will also drop when you know you're well prepared when you step on stage. And everyone will appreciate the effort:  audience, management, other musicians, agents.