Thoughtful and thought-provoking -- thanks for sharing, Chase. I've gone on a few musical crushes recently -- I'm currently revisiting the early records by the legendary indie band The Mekons one by one -- and over the years, I've gravitated to saying I'm "digging into" whatever my current obsession is. I'm not sure how I landed there other than the fact that I often use "dig" in place of "like" -- e.g., "I'm totally digging Alejandro Escovedo's new record" -- and I like the image of digging as in sorting through a stack of vinyl or old magazines.
Your emphasis on the tedium and banality of the creative process is spot on. Doing a rudiment at 140 bpm for an hour, or listening to the mix of a song that you know isn't quite right for the twentieth time, is about as far from a stairwell makeout sesh as one can get. ;-)
I also appreciate your thoughts on the "veiled instantiation of our capitalist discontent." I've worked on shedding most of my stuff (physical and digital) over the last three years -- we donated or recycled 3/4 of our stuff when we moved from Cincinnati to Albuquerque -- and I'm almost allergic to consumption now. I still buy CDs and digital downloads to support artists, but aside from that, if something comes in then something must go out (a new book means an old one goes to the Little Free Library down the street). It makes the crush-related acquisitions of friends stand out all the more.
Thank you so much for reading, Dave! I love the idea of “digging in” — to me it also suggests an active process: of (playful) work, excavation and exploration — searching and discovering, and potentially being surprised as a result. And you have also reminded me that I’m long overdue for some digital and household spring cleaning:)
Thoughtful and thought-provoking -- thanks for sharing, Chase. I've gone on a few musical crushes recently -- I'm currently revisiting the early records by the legendary indie band The Mekons one by one -- and over the years, I've gravitated to saying I'm "digging into" whatever my current obsession is. I'm not sure how I landed there other than the fact that I often use "dig" in place of "like" -- e.g., "I'm totally digging Alejandro Escovedo's new record" -- and I like the image of digging as in sorting through a stack of vinyl or old magazines.
Your emphasis on the tedium and banality of the creative process is spot on. Doing a rudiment at 140 bpm for an hour, or listening to the mix of a song that you know isn't quite right for the twentieth time, is about as far from a stairwell makeout sesh as one can get. ;-)
I also appreciate your thoughts on the "veiled instantiation of our capitalist discontent." I've worked on shedding most of my stuff (physical and digital) over the last three years -- we donated or recycled 3/4 of our stuff when we moved from Cincinnati to Albuquerque -- and I'm almost allergic to consumption now. I still buy CDs and digital downloads to support artists, but aside from that, if something comes in then something must go out (a new book means an old one goes to the Little Free Library down the street). It makes the crush-related acquisitions of friends stand out all the more.
Best wishes with the upcoming shows!
Thank you so much for reading, Dave! I love the idea of “digging in” — to me it also suggests an active process: of (playful) work, excavation and exploration — searching and discovering, and potentially being surprised as a result. And you have also reminded me that I’m long overdue for some digital and household spring cleaning:)