let's compare...

I've been playing a lot of music lately. It's been a great change from the lack of music in my life over the early summer months. But the more I play the more 2 things happen. The first being a pretty simple feeling of enjoyment of making music. the second being a frustration of, lets call it, a lack of ability. There are pro's and con's to this thought process. Pro being it motivates me to practice and try to improve myself. Con being well...it's self deprecating!

I find that a good way to improve is watch people who are better than you. What are they doing that makes what you do sound better (vibrato, little bends can be simple stuff) often though, it's the hours and hours and hours they've put in practicing that I haven't. I have a good friend, Nate Graham, he told me about a book called 10,000 hours (i think...) anyways the premise being, people at the top of their trade, sports, music, computer programmers, whatever have put in 10,000 hours of practice. That's a lot of stinking time. but to be honest, as I think about how i spend my "hours" i waste a LOT of time watching tv or on facebook, if i put that time in to music, i couldn't even imagine.

Anyways, I've played guitar probably for 4 hours today and I'll watch youtube videos of joe pass or brubeck or slash or rehinadrt or john mayer or whoever and i find myself feeling very defeated, but then i think, "they didn't get to be talented by feeling defeated" so i thought i'd throw some encouragement out to people who may need it. Don't let someone better than you defeat you let them challenge you. And it's time to rise to the challenge

maybe motivational speaking is in my future...

well hello again...

hello world...

alright, it's been far to long and i apologize but ive been busy...kinda.

So i guess i'll ease my way back in by giving a quick update on my life. I work for Thousand Foot Krutch as their Merchandise Manager and they have a new record coming out tomorrow, go get it on iTunes. Our tour starts in exactly a week and i have the honor of playing bass for FM Static who will be opening the tour (creationfesttour.com), I feel blessed to be a part of this and really am beside myself at the opportunity. It's a hard thing to act confident and not jump around and scream like a little girl with excitement!

I've been playing a lot of golf this summer and have had a personal best of 4 over. For those of you who know me very well you know how much i love golf and was super excited about this. I think i'm gonna play again tomorrow, so lets hope for another awesome round!

The summer has been really incredible, i've been to canada 3 times, alaska twice, maine, PA and everywhere in between. I keep having these moments every now and again and just think wow, I'm doing it. It's crazy!

Alright, it's gonna be a short one but i just wanted to give a quick update to try to get myself and you back into checking in and saying hi!

-tom

the midnight scandal

I doubt I'm the only person that get these late night emails and personally I find them hilarious soooo...time to blog!

You wake up check your email and Ding, blang, bam, doorslam, doorbell ring  whatever sound your email makes when you get mail happens and you see you have 6 new messages.  Wow, aren't I the popular one.  You start going through and it's all people you have NO IDEA who they are.  Yet they are all distinguished, usually from europe, terminally ill, VERY wealthy people. So you open the email and it's a very verbose, descriptive email.  For some reason this stranger trust ME to take care of 1,000,000 dollars until they get here to the states or till the life insurance kicks in or whatever.  But they want help and why not, i'm a young kid with nothing else to do.  I'm sure i would just let it sit there and not spend it on EVERYTHING i've ever wanted...right

When the idea for this blog popped in my head i had another thought.  What if people really did this.  I'm sure there are plenty of insanely wealthy rich elderly who don't know what else to do with their money but buy gold pampers.  How amazing would it be if we took care of eachother like this.  hey, i have WAY to much money and you could use a couple extra bucks...here have a couple thousand dollars I probably won't even notice it's gone.  Instead of being so eager to save  and die with as much as we can what if it was way cooler to just give it away to strangers.   Maybe this idea would change if i actually had money and realized what all the hoopla is about, but for now i'm just gonna write all these nice english elderly people back and go ahead a give them my address, bank account and social security number...maybe they really do want to give me a million dollars.  

maybe not...

beauty of simplicity

So does anyone else feel like they move at a snails pace sometimes?  I woke up this morning with no real motivation.  I had nothing to do, no deadlines, no time table to work for just wake up and get a couple non-essential errands done.  I cleaned some dishes, folded laundry, watched Nash Bridges, bought groceries yet something has prevented me from feeling productive.  Not sure why?  I guess i have a bad measure of success for a day.  I think I need to change that view or be more satisfied with enjoying a day off regardless of what gets done.  

I don't know how to change that measure but I do blame society for making us crazy, over active, over stimulated creatures.  Why must we feel guilty for sitting still?  Yea I'm probably missing 10 Facebook updates, 22 tweets, and 3 new blog postings but maybe if we slowed down and started enjoying what is ACTUALLY around us and not just on computers we would be a lot happier and much more satisfied (maybe satisfied longer than 10 minutes).  Call it ADD call it impatient call it what you will but I'm tired of it, so no more constant stimulus, I'm not calling it laziness I'm enjoying the beauty of simplicity

top 5 things i'll miss about a tour bus

Well, although my touring days are far from over, it looks like my busing days have come to an end for now.  So as an  easy transition back into me updating my blog and a farwell to the "rock and worship roadshow"  here is my top 5 things that will be missed.

1. Direct tv  

2. my bunk tv that goes from the top of the bunk pretty much to my stomach, suckers huge! 

3. 3 meals a day where all i have to do is show up and eat, no cooking involved!

4. about 10-18,500 people always around to keep me from getting bored!

5. seriously, the entire bus is nicer than my house...i don't want to go home!!!

hopefully i'll stop being a bum and actually up date this regularly.  I'm sorry, let's talk again soon!

On The Road

Well, I started this thing to let everyone know how life on the road is and so...here it goes.

I woke up at 4:30...suck! 

I have 1 suitcase, 2 long (7ft) awkward heavy bags with poles, 2 bookbags

It's 5am, Nashville airport is swamped!

Aside from the craziness of trying to figure out how to carry all that, i had a great smooth flight, 4 hours to lay around till i had to be at the venue, cable (i watched twister, great flick).  I meet joel(joe-l, he's from canada i guess they say joel funny up there) first.  I felt like we really hit it off and i'm pretty stoked about the weekend.  As i met the other guys i got more and more excited about the weekend, they are all great mostly because we all quote the same movies...which really is all i need you to do if you want to be my friend.  Anyways, we were at an indoor soccer arena and the band is playing after the game.  I love soccer so it was fun to hang out and watch the game.  When i set up and meet my volunteer i realized he was more of a professional then i am.  The night went amazing, sold a ton, couldn't ask for a better start.  

I roomed with joel and i felt like i was at summer camp staying up till 2am talking.  we had to get up at 6 which stunk but ah whatever, flew to O'hara (worst airport ever!) had a 2 hour layover and then flew into minneapolis.  

We are at Club 3 degrees which is one of the sweetest venues i've ever been to.  the layout is much like the TLA (but way nicer) for you philly folk and kinda close to 3rd and linsely for you Nashvegas folk.  I get everything set up, go grab food and as they are telling all the bands where everything is then mention they have someone to give complimentary massages...are you kidding, you better believe i was first to get that!

Right now, the 2nd of 3 opening bands is about to start and I'm in the green room on a nice comfy leather couch enjoying a nice relaxing break.

I can't say the road has been all that exciting, I haven't seen much outside of the venue and the airport, but the guys are really fun and heck, it's better than sitting on my couch at home.  i think the hardest thing so far has been not playing any music just selling stuff but it's a step closer, gotta pay my dues!

It's been long days, but I really am enjoying myself and really excited about the next month being on the road!  Hopefully i'll get some pictures up soon...

Top 5 banned clothing!

Top 5 Articles of Clothes I wish would be banned.

5. Uggs

-First of all they are ugly as sin.  Second, if your feet really need an entire Sheep to keep them warm maybe you should go see a doctor about your circulation.  EVERYONE has a pair, get over it!

4. Turtle Necks

-if your neck is cold, wear a scarf.  If you really need to wear one, go teach 2nd grade.  

3. Stilettos

-Anything that makes you walk like a duck, you probably shouldn't wear!

2. Peace Signs

-(earrings, necklaces, shirts, pants, Sharpied on to either, just...no, they should have died with bell bottoms)

And the NUMBER ONE thing I wish would be banned....

1. Peace signs, i just really can't stand them so they get two spots

It's All About Perception

Well here goes post 2...

Story 1...

So a couple months back here in Nashville we had a gas "shortage" due to the hurricanes.  Fair enough, i can comprehend how this could happen.  But here is what I can not understand, during this shortage if you were to drive 8-10 miles in ANY direction away from Nashville there an abundance of gas.  To give you an idea (those who aren't from Nashville) of the magnitude of the crisis people would wait in a line for 2-4 HOURS to use the pump.  and 9 times out of 10 the pump would run out and everyone would scurry to next line wrapped down around the block.  It was pure insanity.  I luckily only had to fill up one time during all this and did it at 6am (i was already at work for an hour)  I waited for one person to finish paying pulled in filled up and by the time i was pulling away a line of 10 cars had already formed.   I literally saw a line of cars following a tanker pulling into a gas station,  It was dumb. 

 So what caused all this? Perception!  There may have been a shortage but not enough to warrant what happened.  Then why? Perception.  All the news medias constantly talked about the gas "Crisis".  Which made Nashville worst than a room full of kindergartners with a box full of pixy stixs.  Everyone would rush to the pump even if they were 3/4's full.  How do i know.  I work at Starbucks, it might as well be a barber shop.  Everyone tells their barista's EVERYTHING, i don't know why they just do.  So people would constantly tell me, i was almost at half a tank but i filled up so i'm good. I would imagine strangling them in my head screaming "YOU ARE THE REASON FOR THIS CRISIS"  but instead would smile and hand them a coffee.

Every radio station, every tv station constantly would talk about why ONLY nashville was having this problem and how it was gonna be fixed.  I really wanted to call in and tell them to SHUT UP cause if they stopped talking about it people would fill up when they were empty instead of half full and it would go back to normal.  

Story 2...

At starbucks we have these little green pluggers.  They go in the lid to keep it from splashing when you are to nervous to hold a cup without spilling or when you are driving back to work and your co-worker was just to lazy to get in the car with you so he had you bring him one, whatever the case they are dumb little plastic things.  We only have recently gotten them maybe November or December.  Well they were a hit, people were hoarding them in their car (when we ran out someone said to me "it's okay, i have a couple in my car")   They were a success but Starbucks didn't plan well (not a surprise) and we constantly ran out.  The fits people would throw about how stupid starbucks is or "this is why you are going out of business" (I thought "Sir, you just payed 5 dollars for a coffee...") or that we owe them something now was astonishing.  I thought, a month ago you didn't even know these existed and now you can't function without one? This phenomena also got me thinking about America and our NEED compared to our WANT and how quickly we get those to confused.

As most of you all know, Slumdog Millionaire racked in the oscars Sunday and deservedly so.  It was an incredible movie.  While the movie was going on they kept showing the slums and the begging and how people washed clothes  it caught my attention more than usual for some reason.  Then just last night Ian(my cousin/roomie)  watched The Pianist.  The holocaust is always an eye opener for me because it was so recent, that kind of destruction happened less than 100 years ago.  As Waldyslaw Szpilman, the main character, fights to stay alive by eating A loaf a bread maybe every 2 weeks and sleeping on cement (along with a constant 2.5 hrs of other hardships) I thought, i may have only made 15,000 this past year (yep, sad i know), but i got it pretty good.  There was a line slumdog millionaire "Money and Women.  The reason for most mistakes in life"  I thought it was a great line that and it probably true about the Majority of America's problems...well depending on your senator it might be money and men but that's a whole different post.  People are greedy and jealous and lonely etc.  I guess i could bust out into a sermon, but i'll leave that to your local pastor.  To me it has instilled this sense of appreciation.  This thought of you controlling your happiness.  As the ever popular country band Sugarland puts it "i believe that happiness is something we create"  I agree.  Am I gonna be jealous of what everone else has or am I gonna love what I'm doing.  I can be happy I woke up today, be happy I get to afford a 5 dollar cup of coffee even though they are out of stupid green little pluggers, be happy that I sleep on a freakin comfy bed etc. etc. etc. There is plenty of stuff that needs fixing in this country sure, (economy, poverty, eduction etc.)  but there is plenty to be happy about too So as i've rambled on about a topic that is overly preached but not frequently absorbed or put into practice.  I am challenged by this..."what's your perception"

This guy is hilarious and gives great insight.

In The Pocket

Well, It's my first blog and i realize there are endless possibilities of where to start.  Actually, If you think about it technically there are only 3 (beginning, middle or end)  So i choose middle.  

I have some exciting things coming up in the next couple months and I thought this would be a great way for family and friends to hear/see what kind of trouble I get myself in.  There is always facebook but lets be honest, who wouldn't want to devote countless hours to learning about me...and only me.   Forget all your other friends, bumper stickers, tetris, relative apps, stickers, and 25 things notes, status updates, "want a girlfriend" ads...well i guess you get the point.  tombeaupre.blogspot.com is all the entertainment you'll need!  

I want to kick things off with a Album Review.  I recently purchased James Taylor, In the pocket.  To start it has guest appearances from Stevie Wonder, Crosby, Stills, Nash, Garfunkel, and Carly Simon.  All that to back James Taylor himself who is a beast.  In the age where it's rare to write your own music, I am so utterly impressed with his talent.  

My favorite track on the record is called "Nothing Like A Hundred Miles"  As a song writer I constantly have ideas floating around in my head.  What makes song writing difficult is figuring out the best way to sum up 1,000 different thoughts in a precise, concise, rhyming manner.  Thus I always am analyzing how others do it.  On rare occasions you hear a song and say..."yep, that's what i was trying to say, wish i thought of that first"  and for me this was that song.  If you don't have this album and enjoy JT I encourage you to pick this up.  

I've been on a vinyl kick, mostly because of value to price ratio.  I payed 5 dollars and got James Taylor and Boz Scaggs.  It's GREAT music and at a very affordable price.   I love it.  

Well, I think I'll stop here,  I hope you've enjoyed learning a little about me.  

Don't be bashful, feel free to comment, even if it has nothing to do with the post.