Success By Any Measure

When I first started leading my band, I was still in high school. I had already played in a few bands with friends over the years, but this time I had a different vision. I wanted to create a world-class event band that could deliver at a professional level, not just jam in someone’s basement. I wanted to play high-profile gigs and put on the kind of performances that would stick with people for years.

To do that, I needed the best musicians I could find. Instead of sticking to my peers, I hired seasoned musicians, some of whom had been playing professionally for decades - guys who knew the craft inside out, with decades of experience at weddings, corporate events, and concerts. Some were twice my age, others even older, and all of them were far more experienced than I was. It was a bold move, but I knew if I wanted to push myself and build something truly exceptional, I had to surround myself with musicians who would raise the bar.

The First Real Challenge

Here’s where the first real challenge came in. As a drummer, I couldn’t lead the band through songs the way a lead singer, piano player, or guitarist might. I couldn’t just nod my head and expect them to follow my tempo and dynamics without a structured plan. I needed sheet music for them to follow. The problem? I had never really notated music before, and definitely not at the level needed to guide a full band of top-tier musicians.

This was the early 2000s, back when the internet was a fraction of what it is today. Sheet music wasn’t just a Google search away, and I wasn’t proficient enough to handwrite dozens of charts quickly. But if I wanted to lead this band, I had to solve this problem fast. I heard about music notation software - programs that could help me write out full arrangements, also known as "charts", for the band. But I had no idea what software to use or even where to find it.

The Search for the Right Tools

I ended up bouncing between different computer stores, asking anyone who would listen if they had the right software. After enough searching, I got a lead. Finale - a professional-level music notation program that wasn’t sold at regular electronics stores but at specialized music shops. So, I schlepped out to Guitar Center, shelled out several hundred dollars for the software (even with a student discount), and headed home with a very expensive Finale 2001 CD-ROM. Yes, that long ago.

But buying the software was just the first step. I had no idea how to use it. I had a gig coming up at my former elementary school in a few weeks - my first major event with this newly formed band - and I needed to figure this all out fast. Deadlines have a funny way of creating clarity and urgency, and this one hit like a freight train.

Learning Under Pressure

Over those chaotic few weeks, I locked myself in my room, learning the ins and outs of Finale. I figured out how to notate 30+ songs, made decisions on what to include and what to leave out, and even learned how to write parts for different instruments like trumpets, saxophones, and trombones. This was critical because different instruments read from different types of sheet music, and I had to get this right if the band was going to follow my lead. I had to think through every detail: the chords, the arrangements, and the cues. It was trial by fire.

When the day of the gig came, I was nervous, but I was ready. I had put in the hours, learned the program, and written the charts. I knew I was walking into a high-pressure situation, but the stakes pushed me to learn faster than I thought possible. And when the band hit that first note, it worked. The charts held up, the musicians played their parts, and the audience loved it. That gig was a success by any measure, and it taught me a valuable lesson that I’ve carried with me ever since: when failure is not an option, you find a way to make it work. You figure it out.

The Takeaway

That experience set the tone for how I’ve approached every major project since. It taught me that when you dive into the deep end, when you willingly embrace discomfort, you grow. It’s like weightlifting - you have to push your muscles to the point of exhaustion if you want them to grow. And just like in the gym, this kind of growth isn’t something you get by playing it safe.

Action Steps

1. Find Your Deep End: Identify a project or goal that genuinely scares you - something that forces you to learn new skills or operate at a higher level.

2. Set a Tight Deadline: Create urgency by setting a deadline that pushes you to move faster than you’re comfortable with. Make it public if you have to, to add accountability.

3. Embrace the Process: Accept that you’re going to make mistakes and feel uncomfortable. That’s the price of growth.

4. Reflect and Iterate: After you push through, take the time to reflect on what you learned. Apply those lessons to your next challenge.

Let this be a reminder that sometimes the only way to move forward is to dive headfirst into the unknown. It’s uncomfortable, it’s messy, but it’s the path to mastery.

Keep pushing, keep creating, and keep leading.

Until next time,

Elliot