The Gritty Musician

Just a short update for any listeners out there, to let you know that I haven't forgotten about you, and have some thoughts about how to make this a more sustainable project moving forward.

Take 10 minutes and escape from everything going on around you. You may not be able to afford a vacation at the moment, but this can help you get away and find your center. This is bonus content for those of you who are on the podcast feed - I want you to have access to this first, before I post it on social media for everyone else. Big thanks to Kevin MacLeod for the background music: Garden Music by Kevin MacLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3796-garden-music License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

What a crazy time! I haven't posted anything here in a long, long time, and this short reminder serves two purposes - to give a gentle reminder to all of us and to see if anyone is listening out there. Wanna help me out? Send me a quick note to grittymusician@gmail.com and let me know you're still listening. More content to come, starting real soon!

Well, you asked for it, and here it is! Thanks so much for the support of the short little "podlet" I uploaded this past weekend. I spent most of the ride home from Texarkana deep in thought, and the results are this episode today. As always, thanks for your support and interest. If you know someone who needs to hear this, please share! -Bruce

I'm curious...do you miss me? I have been doing other kinds of media as of late, like YouTube and Facebook Live streaming, but I miss podcasting! I'm willing to bring back the show if you'd like me to! Please let me know if you'd like more episodes!

Welcome back! It's the first episode of 2018, and the first episode in about 10 months. Once again, real life has gotten in the way of my best intentions. A career in music isn't always clean, neat, and direct. You will have to do without some things in order for other things to happen, but that doesn't mean you have to be miserable. If your heart is in your work, and you are convinced you should do this, the things you will sacrifice will pale in comparison to the proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I hope you enjoy today's episode. I would love to hear from you! Send an email to grittymusician@gmail.com.

This week's episode is pretty straightforward and to the point. I am about to enter my busiest season of professional work thus far this school year, and I have a few points of perspective to help handle the potential overwhelm and some rituals and lifelines that get me through each day.

Well, what can I say? It seems like a summer can't go by without a significant podcast hiatus. I had a lot of real life happen since my last episode, and it's given me enough distance and perspective to make this the show you deserve. If you take the 10 minutes to listen, I think you'll appreciate what I have to say today.

In today's episode, "A Profile in Grit," I want to tell you about someone who has taught me more about grit than anyone I’ve ever known. I hope you enjoy this week's episode, which was recorded only on my digital recorder - I apologize for the occasional pop or bump - I've tried to edit them out as best I can! Happy Father's Day to all the dads out there. You all have my admiration and respect! --- On the web: www.grittymusician.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/grittymusician Twitter: www.twitter.com/grittymusician Host Twitter: www.twitter.com/faskemusic Like the show? Tell a friend! Love the show and want to help? Send Bruce an email to grittymusician@gmail.com. There are lots of ways to help!

Hey Gritty Musicians! This week’s episode was inspired by another person’s podcast episode. Check out the show here: https://www.aaronmchugh.com/protect-the-asset-episode-123/ Aaron is rapidly becoming one of my heroes. Here is the top line of his bio: "I want to help you restore balance and discover your path to a well-lived life. I write and speak on how to make adjustments to your thinking, your beliefs and your habits. The rewards are experiencing more joy, adventure and connection.” I like it. I like it a lot. And his story can serve as a lesson for those of us out there who are struggling in this area. He is a writer, podcaster, adventurer, and author of the best selling book, Fire Your Boss: A Manifesto to Rethink How You Think About Work. Now don’t get me wrong, I don’t want to fire my boss. I like my boss! But I DO want to rethink how I do my work so that I can be better at all aspects of my life. I work hard at my job year round. I’m not saying that because I want an award or pity from you. I say it because I think you work hard at your job too, and I bet that neither of us take the kind of time off we need to take. It’s not about “deserving” the time off. It is about creating the sort of sustainability in our lives that give us long term effectiveness, and more importantly, long term health. Look, I may get hit by a bus crossing the street tomorrow. I may be diagnosed with an incurable terminal disease next year. But what is the point of living if we can’t consistently take time to pause? I believe that mastering the concepts presented in this week’s episode to be the single biggest indicator of long term success in life. More on this to come in the future, as I unpack a new approach to life throughout the year!

I’m in a nostalgic mood today, friends. Today’s episode was recorded on the 20th anniversary of my high school graduation, and I have several thoughts knocking around in my head about the past 20 years. This episode is centered around three lists: the goal sheet that I completed around graduation; the reality of what these past 20 years looks like, and how my current life, though very different from my plan, is better than I could imagine. I wrap things up with the list I would like to take back in time and share with myself. I WANT YOUR QUESTIONS! Whether you are at the center of your own journey, or helping someone else along the way, I am happy to answer as best I can! --- On the web: www.grittymusician.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/grittymusician Twitter: www.twitter.com/grittymusician Host Twitter: www.twitter.com/faskemusic Like the show? Tell a friend! Love the show and want to help? Send Bruce an email to grittymusician@gmail.com. There are lots of ways to help!

"Cold brew, a new start, and a story." It seems like a pretty clear title for the first episode of Bruce's relaunched podcast, The Gritty Musician! Today's episode starts with super-concentrated coffee drinks, an explanation for the change in show branding, and a story to help college students trying to explain to mom and dad why their grades weren't as good this spring as they were back in the fall! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the reboot. We're glad you're here! --- www.grittymusician.com Facebook: www.facebook.com/grittymusician Twitter: www.twitter.com/grittymusician Host Twitter: www.twitter.com/faskemusic Like the show? Tell a friend! Love the show and want to help? Send Bruce an email to grittymusician@gmail.com. There are lots of ways to help!

Sometimes in life, it is important to stop and take stock of what really matters. Right now, my wife really matters. My family, career, and faith matter. This podcast matters, but right now, I need to take some time to figure out how to deliver great content worthy of your time and attention. I only ask one thing of you - please stay subscribed - it takes very little space on your device, and when I DO come back with new content, you'll be the first to hear it! Thank you for all of your support, friends!

Our mind is our most powerful tool, but one that we have to handle responsibly! Make sure that the same creative forces that push you to regularly improve and evolve as a musician don’t turn into the dark creative enemy that starts writing chapters of your story to discourage you! Get Some Grit! is available in on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIN, iHeartRadio, and at www.getsomegrit.com. You can find us on Twitter and Facebook @getsomegrit so reach out today! Enjoying the show? Tell a friend! Want to do more? SUBSCRIBE in iTunes! Want to do even more? Leave a review in iTunes! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the use of his music!

Hey everybody! Today’s episode is a short one, but I think the message is still solid. When was the last time you took a break? Working hard is super important, but when you start to see diminishing returns, it’s important to take a break, if only for a few minutes. We’ll be back next week with a much longer episode, I promise! ___ Get Some Grit! is available in on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIN, iHeartRadio, and at www.getsomegrit.com. You can find us on Twitter and Facebook @getsomegrit so reach out today! Enjoying the show? Tell a friend! Want to do more? SUBSCRIBE in iTunes! Want to do even more? Leave a review in iTunes! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the use of his music!

I love technology! I am surrounded by iDevices and can't imagine my life without their benefit - but sometimes, it's nice to have alternatives. This week, I take a few minutes to talk about the benefit of keeping an actual paper notebook and pen in addition to my technology - and five reasons why I believe it can be of benefit to you, too. 1. It makes me slow down! 2. Hundreds of color options. 3. It can be more convenient when used in conjunction with tech. 4. People appreciate and handwritten note! 5. If for not other reason...it brings me joy. Please visit www.getsomegrit.com/writingtools for my suggestions (and links) to materials that will get you started. Get Some Grit! is available in on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIN, iHeartRadio, and at www.getsomegrit.com. You can find us on Twitter and Facebook @getsomegrit so reach out today! Enjoying the show? Tell a friend! Want to do more? SUBSCRIBE in iTunes! Want to do even more? Leave a review in iTunes! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the use of his music!

This episode's topic outlines my return to reading after years of not being much of a reader, how reading has really helped me with some struggles that I thought I might never overcome, and how I believe reading is the best thing you can do right now to "break the logjam" in the creative part of your mind. My list of ten books that have really made a difference include: "The War of Art" by Steven Pressfield "Fully Alive: Lighten Up and Live by Ken Davis "Psycho-Cybernetics" by Dr. Maxwell Maltz "The Talent Code" by Daniel Coyle "The Little Book of Talent" by Daniel Coyle "The Dip" by Seth Godin "Effortless Mastery" by Kenny Werner "Daring Greatly" by Brene Brown "The Art of Happiness" by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Holy Bible :) If you're having any trouble getting back into reading, maybe I can help! Shoot me an email at getsomegritpodcast@gmail.com. Get Some Grit! is available in on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIN, iHeartRadio, and at www.getsomegrit.com. You can find us on Twitter and Facebook @getsomegrit so reach out today! Enjoying the show? Tell a friend! Want to do more? SUBSCRIBE in iTunes! Want to do even more? Leave a review in iTunes! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the use of his music!

This week’s topic is near and dear to me, and I hope that if this episode speaks to you, that you’ll keep this in mind as you go through the week. You probably know the word margin as a part of your word processing software. If you look on a page in a book, the margins are the blank spaces around the text. The narrower the margin, the more words you can fit on the page. Margins exist in many facets of life: financial, emotional, etc. The more margin you have, the better! It’s easy to justify giving up ground when you call it “working hard” or “not settling for average.” It’s hard to stand your ground, be confident in the work you do, and let the world know when you’ve reached your limit. You have to learn how to say no! Remember, “Each time you say yes to something, you’re saying no to something else.” The things on your calendar should fall pretty squarely into three categories: 1. something that is directly tied to our job description 2. something we simply do because we want to do it in our free time 3. something we do because when we don’t do it, others make us feel guilty about not doing it The first two are healthy, but the third is not! Want to learn how to trip the guilt trippers? Tune in next week! Get Some Grit! is available in on iTunes, Google Play Podcasts, Stitcher, TuneIN, iHeartRadio, and at www.getsomegrit.com. You can find us on Twitter and Facebook @getsomegrit so reach out today! Enjoying the show? Tell a friend! Want to do more? SUBSCRIBE in iTunes! Want to do even more? Leave a review in iTunes! Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the use of his music!

Folks, there is A LOT of anxiety in the world right now. Whether it is justified or not justified is up to your politics and personal opinions, but I think we can agree that 2017 is starting to feel more like an extension of 2016 than a separate, bright and shiny new year. In this episode (the first episode of 2017, I know, I know...) I take a few minutes to talk about the sadness, frustration and general anxiety I feel from so many people around me these days, and an idea for how to counter those feelings with something good. If you love the show, let someone know! There are lots of ways to reach us. If you want to help, tell someone who could benefit from listening. If you want to do more, SUBSCRIBE, and if you are an overachiever, leave us an iTunes review! If you aren’t tech savvy and want some help with subscribing or leaving a review, email me at getsomegritpodcast@gmail.com and I will walk you through it. :) Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the use of "Eyes Gone Wrong" and "Memory Lane."

Get Some Grit Podcast Episode #31 - 2016 Reflections Welcome back to Get Some Grit, the show where we learn the many ways that grit can serve artists as they press towards their goals. You can find us on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play, TuneIn, and iHeartRadio! No matter what you’re going through, GRIT is the armor that will protect you from the barrage of attacks that can stifle creativity and output! This week's show is built in two parts: Part One, reflections on past holiday seasons when I had the choice between giving up and persevering, and Part Two, how a late night "mind dump" into the microphone changed my perspective on the show, and helped me define what the show means to me, and how to move forward. I will be at Baylor University for a week long residency January 9-12 to do all sorts of trombone related things and record my first “on location” remote episode of Get Some Grit! Should be lots of fun. If you love the show, let someone know! Lots of ways to reach us. If you want to help, tell someone who could benefit from the content. If you want to do more, SUBSCRIBE! If you are Santa’s biggest helper and want to do even MORE, leave us an iTunes review! If you aren’t tech savvy and want some help with subscribing or leaving a review, email me at getsomegritpodcast@gmail.com and I will walk you through it. Take care of each other this holiday season. There will always be someone more fortunate, and someone less fortunate. Do what you can, where you are, with what you have. Thanks to Kevin MacLeod at incompetech.com for the use of "Thinking Music."