Musicians Beware: The Dangers of the Shed

I get so saddened when I read comments like, "well I'm sorry for ever touching an instrument", "no matter how good you are, there's a Chinese kid who's better". I know they're jokes but many people do feel that way deep down and I wish they'd learn to love the music regardless of skill

Recording kind of changed my life. Late last year I started writing and recording 1 short piece of music a week, without the pressure of it needing to be good. Sometimes it's just a riff, other times it's more fleshed out. The feeling of setting out to record anything at all, and sometimes stumbling on something beautiful that genuinely resonates with you is incredible. It's also kind of cool having a piece of music to represent each week of my life now, like a weird musical journal that captures how I was feeling.

Someone I know once had a successful music career as a young person and then decided to play jazz. Very soon he abandoned electric guitar for piano, took a degree in composition, studying all styles of classical music and jazz, apparently mastered all of them woodshedding for the last 40+ years. But none of us have heard a note of his music in all this time. I suppose Heaven will be the place where we can hear all the fruits of his solo labors for my entire adult life, but not this world.

I was a hotshot “whizz kid” and over-practiced throughout my teens and early 20’- it’s taken me 2 decades to unlearn a lot of the psychological and physical tension i unwittingly habituated. For me now, as an older musician, relaxation is paramount to optimal practice- the more chilled out I am the better. Your insights here resonated with me a great deal. Thank you.

"The world doesn't need more monsters." YES! Exactly what I needed to hear. Great advice. Great video. Thanks for making this for us.

It's easy to look at your peers and get discouraged. It's easy to forget all the work you have put in, all the progress you made. When we surround ourselves with other musicians, we thrive, but we also forget that we are a small group of weirdos, we quickly think the whole world is seeing right through us, seeing us for the fraud we perceive ourselves to be. Music is truly one of the most beautiful things the human experience has to offer, and we get to make it. And when someone is better than us at it, we should be thrilled and inspired instead of discouraged like we often do. Someone on tumblr once wrote "Whenever you're doubting your abilities, just remember that you are literally making an inanimate object sing". You're giving a voice to a piece of wood, or a piece of brass, or whatever else. You're making magic

I heard you say at the end that you don’t think this video “will do well” but if your goal here is to help people just know that I run a small nonprofit organization that focuses on musicians’ mental health in my local community. Fully intend on sharing this with my leadership team, including it as a piece of research in our general lit review, as well as sharing it with my music students. Great stuff, mate and I am so glad you took the time to put this together. A lot of people need this

Thank you for talking about mental health without immediately transitioning into a better help ad 😂

You might as well have saved my career as a musician. People say things come when you need them the most, and I came in contact with this video. Been struggling with the constant battle with myself during my shed practice. Thank you

"You can't win music" can also even be contextualized as "you can't beat the shed". Treating a song like a finished product rather than a changing piece of life. Of course you should absolutely record, soon, and often, and be mindful that you can always change it. Some of the most moving music I've heard is a live version or genuine rerecording of a song i already liked. The shed has no goal. You need to set goals in the shed. Attainable, like, you know you can achieve it in a month's time, goals.

6:05 one of the best investments you can have for an electric guitar is a looper pedal. Quick recordings that you can listen to, play over to practice consistancy, and the recordings arent things that stick around long enough for you to beat yourself up over them well after youve progessed past that skill level, like regular recordings do.

This video hits hard especially since I just came back from a 3 year hiatus from my trombone. I had lost the passion that made music fun for me near the end of my last gig 3 years ago. I didn't really have any will or want to express myself with music anymore so I took a break. In those three years I've done a lot of growing, but also felt shame that I hadn't picked up my trombone in so long. I felt as though I was doing myself, and by extension, my community and fellow musicians a disservice by not playing. But what you quoted really helped me, that we shouldn't feel bad or ashamed to want to take a break. It's our journey and we should take it at our own pace. I found a new vigor when I returned to it and am even more inspired than ever. Sometimes you just need a break to realize how important it really is and to give yourself room to grow in other aspects of your life. The wisdom you gained will translate through your musical expression.

Many times, woodshed sessions for me end up feeling like the movie Whiplash. Being super hard on myself, no grace for mistakes, etc. But I know better, and you’ve reaffirmed the power of practicing with positivity, focus and patience. Julian Lage also had some wonderful advice on this topic at a recent show. Thanks Philip! Great video.

Some seriously valuable reminders from career musicians summed up in a digestible video. Definitely saving this for subsequent watches when I need some advice. It’s so insanely easy to fall into the comparison and chops trap… but obvious that the main enjoyment comes from following your preferences and connecting with the instrument on an individual level! Thank you!!

Justin & Colin really hit the nail with our relationship with music and our chosen instrument(s), and selves.

While it may not hit the algorithm hard, please know it's appreciate. Having a plan and focusing on what you want out of your time in the shed is so important.

Very glad you brought up injury because that's the easy one to overlook. I was victim to this while just grinding super fast 16th notes and ended up tweaking my hand and it started swelling. After some doctors visits that sent me to PT I'm all good now but it definitely changed my perspective on music a lot. It also taught me not to break my body just so I can attempt to sound like Joe Dart 🙃. You live and you learn and now I'm really leaning into my own style instead. I feel like that's healthier for my hands lol. Thanks for sharing Philip.

Having recordings of 11 and 12 year old me learning to play is such a great reminder for me when it feels like I'm not getting anywhere with practice. I've been at it for 10+ years at this point, and it doesn't always feel linear, but progress is happening and it's visible from recording to recording.

Thank you for taking the time to create this video and the channel in general. The world's a better place for it!

Wow! "This is your journey and your music, and you'll be doing the world a service by being sincere with it," --Justin Powell I must frame that and hang it on the wall of my shed! Thank you for posting this! Great vid!