These are my developed opinions over many, many, many years of practicing music. I know that not everyone will share these same sentiments (mostly 6 😜). I have these discussions frequently in-person, so why not spread my unsolicited opinions all over the internet as well?! 

Here we go!

1. Discipline > Talent

I get so frustrated when people pay me a compliment and say, “you are so talented!”. I think being talented is a farce. Sure, some people are born with a natural inclination toward certain interests that they might pour their time into, but I really believe practice and refining any craft is what ultimately sets people apart more than natural ability.

2. You don’t need many words to create a sonic scene.

Obviously composers have been doing this for centuries, it’s not a new concept. But the right chord progressions and motifs can say as much, if not more, than many lyrics.

3. Don’t wait for inspiration to strike…create it.

I am a devout list-maker. I wake up every morning, make a list, and get to it. For times that I’m not feeling inspired but I have a window of time to create something, I turn to my “inspiration list”: a list of things I know always inspire me and are guaranteed to get my creative juices flowing. It’s simple things like going for a walk, journaling, opening up my desk-side book full of Sufi poetry, or scrolling Pinterest. I also find that having pleasant smells in the room (I love my oil diffuser and voluspa candles) can help create a container that’s conducive for creation.

4. Evolve with technology

When it comes to art, nothing will ever replace human experience and the art we create as a result. But in 2025, we have an unbelievable amount of resources to speed up the creative process and allow us to think outside of the box. I’m really fortunate to have a lot of fellow musician friends who are always keen on geeking out on music theory and production, but knowing that when one of them isn’t available, a brainstorm with a chatbot can be a useful alternative.

5. Throw spaghetti at the wall. A LOT of spaghetti.

Write a lot. Make the time. If you think you don’t have the time to write, it’s not important enough to you. I’m extremely committed to producing and recording at least one demo per week. Not perfecting one demo per week, but hashing out an idea, playing with different rhythms, sounds, & instruments…after the week is over, I don't opening it for a while.

I truly believe my writing has improved so so so so much in the last few years because I’ve been writing in large quantities rather than spending excessive time making every little detail of a few songs perfect. The reality is: other than my fellow musician friends, 99% of people can’t tell that you finally found the perfect hi-hat…and you could’ve spent those eight hours making a whole new track that might’ve been your best one yet.

6. Finished is better than perfect

Possibly the most important belief I’ve come to accept. It’s liberating to let go of something you’ve already accepted isn’t perfect. With every song I release, I have a list of about 10 or so things I would maybe change, and that’s okay.

In conjunction with this, I also believe that time is working against us as we make a song. The longer a song takes me to finish, the more I can start to hate it and become overly critical (borderline even cynical) of it. Not to say rushing the project is ever a good idea, but our ears and minds can become desensitized if we give things too much time.

Set deadlines for yourself and stick to them. It’s never going to be perfect or flawless. The sooner you can get that through your mind, the sooner you’ll start to truly enjoy the process. Seriously.

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Above all else, practice. Practice, practice, practice. Doing a little bit each day accumulates over time, and one day you wake up and realize that you’re 50% better than you were a few months ago. There’s a famous poster displayed in most music teachers’ offices that I’ve attached to this post: the answer is always to go practice. And the more you practice, the less grueling it becomes.

All of us musicians do what we do because we love it--I can promise you it’s not for the paycheck.

So even if you’re not a musician and find yourself reading this, my wish is for you to go practice something… anything :)