Hey, where did 2012 go? It seemed to fly by, partly because there seemed to be so much going on (the phrase ‘never a dull moment’ springs to mind). Some of the personal highlights for me (in no particular order) were as follows:
- Lots of gigs with Redtenbacher’s Funkestra (the most we’ve done in one year)
- Gigs with The Staxs that have featured Steve Winwood and Jack Bruce, the latter being the loudest bass player I’ve worked with by a country mile!
- Forming www.bandworkshops.com with long time friend and colleague Ian Edwards
- Giving several masterclasses and lots of private lessons
- Filming several tuition videos
- A fantastic trip back to Wisconsin to reconnect with family and old friends
- Joining the staff of The Institute (www.icmp.co.uk) as a programme leader
- A trip to Seoul, South Korea with The Institute (doing several gigs and masterclasses)
- A positive resolution to a stressful legal battle
- A definite increase in my knowledge and involvement with social media (although that really isn’t saying much!)
With a couple of exceptions, most of the things on this list are things that I never would have expected to happen when the year started. It just goes to show you that life can change quickly and unexpectedly, but if you stay focused and open to new possibilities then amazing things can happen. I feel one of the big challenges for me now is not to say ‘yes’ to more things than I can do effectively. Being fully present and at ease with each thing that you do is vital in order to do it with quality and integrity. It’s a difficult balance to reach, and often I don’t know where the line is until I’ve crossed it – which seems to be fairly regularly. However, I feel lucky to have a few choices – roll on 2013.