First of all, apologies for not posting this when I wrote it, which was during the baseball playoffs in 2024. I did a video on this subject on my YouTube channel (link below) but I must have forgotten to post the written version here.
I don't know about you, but I take inspiration from a lot of different places. One of my sources of inspiration is sports, baseball in particular. I love baseball. I find that there are so many parallels that can be drawn between baseball players and musicians. One of my favorite baseball players is Francisco Lindor, short stop for the NY Mets. I've been watching him closely for the entire 2024 baseball season and I've noticed some things about his demeanor and the way he carries himself both on and off the field. I really admire him and I want to try to be more like Lindor and I think you should too! Let me share those things with you now, so you can be more like Lindor as well.
He is always smiling. He just looks happy and he seems like the kind of guy that lights up the room when he walks in it. Doesn't everyone just want to be around someone like that? I know I do. He lights up the room or the situation, wherever he goes. I want to smile wherever I go too. Even if things aren't going his way, he is light hearted and has an easy going attitude about life and a good grasp of the big picture. The little things don't knock him down.
He comes through in the clutch. He hits the home run when it matters most. When someone is needed to step up and come through, he's there. We have confidence that he will succeed. I want to be thought of as this type of person also. When I'm in the studio and things aren't clicking for some reason, I want to be the person who comes up with new arrangement idea, or the new groove that works better with the lyric, etc. You see how easy it is to draw these parallels?
He's a leader. He gets the team going and creates positive momentum. He's a motivator, a positive force on the team, that others want to rally behind. When the team was really struggling earlier in the season, he called a players meeting and talked about holding yourself and others accountable for your successes and failures. This created a long winning streak and literally turned the whole season around for the 2024 NY Mets. They're in the play-offs and are currently playing in the National League Championship Series! I want to be a leader too. I want to create positive forces for my band mates and the people I work and play with, both on and off stage.
He's always best dressed. He dresses for success, and so should you! Dress to kill! I'm inspired by this. I like to dress the part because it makes me feel good. This includes hair style, shoes, accessories, etc. People respect you when you respect yourself. I definitely take inspiration from this.
He doesn't try to do too much. He is able to contribute and keep the momentum going for the team, and doesn't put the weight of the world on his shoulders. He knows that he can pass the torch to his teammates and they can help carry it. It's a TEAM sport and a TEAM effort. This is true in music too, unless you're playing solo. But even then, you could look at the audience as your teammate. So next time you have a 2 bar fill or a short solo, don't feel the need to cure cancer with your playing. Just play something that fits which contributes to the song and the overall feeling of the piece.
He plays everyday. There are 162 games in the regular season, half of which are on the road. That's a grind! It's a long season full of ups and downs, peaks and valleys. Some weeks you're hot, and others you're not. You just have to keep showing up and do the work. I can imagine that it must feel like a privelege to play baseball in the Major Leagues, just like it's a privelege to get to play music for a living.
So there you have it. I could go on and on about how baseball mirrors the musician life but maybe I'll save that for a different post.
Do you have a favorite sport or outside interest/hobby that gives you inspiration? Let me know!
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