my personal mix

this semester i'm taking a college class for the first time in 10 years. is that crazy or what?! it's called the 'art of mixing' (music) and it's been awesome so far. i was an english major in college, so this was the obvious next step, right? j/k. life is not always what it's supposed to be, all i know is it's looking better to me in 2012. and part of what i'm learning is that 'learning' is what makes life brighter. i remember a time when i would rather do anything but write a paper or read a book. now, i cant find enough time to write and read. ah, irony. youth is wasted on the young...now i get it.

i love the idea of learning how to mix music. it's fascinating that how you mix the components of a band defines the message of that band, as much as, or more than the lyrics or music. how you mix different channels of music is in itself a message. not that this matters to most folks about music, but it crosses my mind that--as far as our lives are concerned--how we mix the different components of our time also says a lot about us.

go with me here. i'm not saying that what we 'do' defines us, what i'm saying is how we blend what we 'do' together--one conversation, another activity, a breath of air here and there--is a mix of life that tells the story of who we are. and just like a studio mix that sounds good or doesn't, i have to evaluate my life, in part, based on how all the different parts fit together...or don't. right now, i'll be honest, things are a little chaotic. lots going on as the new year starts...the mix is a little loud. what's fascinating about this class is the 'art' of finding a pleasing balance has as much to do with subtraction as it does with addition or volume of sound. the most powerful mixes are about what is absent, as much as they are about what is present. in short, i need to learn to be strategic in certain seasons of my life, to subtract some components of my life instead of pushing more and more volume into my mix of daily rhythm.

hope your mix is good for you this new year!