Nathan Whitney Music

In case you haven’t seen it yet….this is the truth….

I was so busy last week I didn’t have a chance to practise, play or look at my guitar outside of gigs. And I felt it. You know that feeling when you’re playing and everyone else thinks you’re doing fine, but you just FEEL off – that’s the way I felt on my gig last Friday. I didn’t like that feeling. I spent about an hour on Saturday and then about 3 hours yesterday practising. It was glorious. I’m inspired to keep on practising and getting better as a musician.

It’s what I have to offer as my service and no matter how many times I may tweet, blog or say something witty on facebook, what I do on my instrument is what counts and what keeps me employed. And practising is what gets me there.

That being said, it’s time to hit the woodshed.

It’s been a busy few days in Mission Control. Between photo shoots for the new country project, gigging with the old metal project, funking it up with the funk project, and doing homework…my girlfriend and I bought a new car.  It’s been a long time coming. For those of you in this business you know what I mean when I say a vehicle is essential and an opportunity-maker. It’s been great using public transit for the last 12 years, but the frustration has been mounting with every gig that has finished after the buses stop running, or I’ve had to apologize to all the pregnant mothers and elderly people as I crush them on the subway with a dolly-cart full of amps and guitars.

I’ve also come to realize something: I’m an adult.

Holy Sh*t.

And with this realization I thought it was time to make some adult-like decisions (other than deciding which brand of mac and cheese I was going to buy at the store) and made the purchase on the weekend.

I am now accepting any and all out of town gigs to help pay for my car.

Her name is Ruby.

I’ve been up since 6am. Answering emails, getting ready for the day. I went to bed at 1am last night. I feel like it’s a badge of honour not getting any sleep, until that point where I fall asleep on stage and all the coffee in the world can’t save me.

Maybe this could.

I was thinking of beginning a rant this evening until I realized I don’t have my thoughts all lined up and squared away. The best thing for me to do is tell you about the last few days:

1. I play in a classic rock cover band called “The Beggars” (http://tinyurl.com/64fvwup). We played this Friday as a four piece. Usually there are five of us, but our other guitarist was away on some big fancy show in Nashville (I wasn’t jealous at all). Playing as a four piece was fun. I really had a chance to stretch out and didn’t have to worry about getting in another guitarists way.

2. On Saturday I had a gig with a group called “The Professors of Funk”. A private function. We played the funk. We ate lobster (You should be jealous).

3. Sunday was spent doing homework (I’m what they call a “mature student”) and reconnecting with my family.

It’s funny, I play guitar professionally, yet sometimes I feel like I don’t get a chance to play at all. The thing we have to remember as musicians is that at least 50 – 75% of our time is going to be spent networking, emailing, make phone calls, doing the social media thing, taking care of the business end of the business. So if you’re a student right now, use your time wisely. Dedicate yourself to the craft.

That all being said, I’m going to go practise.

If you know anything about me, I am a man of a thousand musical interests. Country music has been a main musical interest for a few years now. I’ve been spending a lot of time listening and learning all about country guitar and now I have an outlet.

I spent this evening with my good friend Jack. He’s an amazing songwriter, singer, guitarist and all around nice guy. Jack and I share a common passion for country music. There is something vital and real in country music that speaks to both of us and we have decided to start our own country band.

Yes, I said it. Country band. We have a name and a domain already picked. We just have to work on deciding which country’s music we’re going to play.

Don’t worry, I just boo-ed myself.

We’re off to the races with this idea and we have a lot of work ahead of us to get the band off the ground. That being said, I’m really excited for this business that is music.

I was about to go on a tangent, but I’ll save that for later. I have an episode of “Little House On The Prairie” to get back to.

Anyways, lots of musical and non-musical fun coming up in the future months. I’m glad you’re along for the ride with me.

I’m going to start, ever so slowly, revamping this site. Lots of new things coming your way. Videos! Albums! A regular blog! Who’s reading this? Leave a comment, let me know you’re out there Interweb!

As musicians, we learn from others all the time. I’m going to be sharing some concepts and licks I’ve learned from my teachers over the years. I hope you can gain something from it.

I’m sitting here reflecting and realizing that there is so much music to be made, so many people to meet, so much gear to try out. 2011 is going to be an amazing year. I can’t wait!

Been on the road for 2 months now. Spent some time looking out the window of the bus, listening to some music. Here is a small sample of what I’ve seen and heard.