Vibes

I always used to roll my eyes when musicians talked about the “vibe” of a gig being good or bad. “Dang hippies” I’d think, glad that I was a little more logical than they are. It didn’t help that most of the people I knew who talked that way smoked weed. 

Then I read “Blink” by Malcolm Gladwell, an amazing book about micro impressions and snap judgments. It changed me, and made me realize how many of my actions are caused by tiny/subtle things I’m not consciously aware of. 

You are giving off vibes. No, you might not be toking up (and just for the record, I don’t smoke and never have been into the green stuff). But you do wear a certain kind of shoe. You use certain adjectives more than others. You go to certain music licks more than others. That song you listened to the radio last week? There’s a good chance that you’re unconsciously putting in flavors from it into your next composition. 

Don’t freak out. This is a good thing. We can’t possibly consciously absorb and recall all of the stuff we’re exposed to each week. Fortunately for us, our subconscious does some of the heavy lifting, sifting out things that are important, and pushing the rest into the depths of our memory.

I believe the thing that we call creativity is those elements bubbling to the surface and being organized by who we are as people. And the byproduct of this process gives us a very distinctive “vibe”. 

Why is so important? Knowing that my vibe is a byproduct of what I fill my life with makes me re-examine how I spend my day. It’s the single biggest factor when music directors are putting together bands for major tours, or hiring for sessions. It can make or break your career. It also is a great barometer for indicating if something is not being consciously addressed in my life, either spiritually, emotionally, or physically.

The great thing? I can’t control what my vibe is. I can control how I spend my time and what I think about.

P.S. I am not emphasizing a "Good Universe" or putting forward a philosophy as found in the book "The Secret". I'm simply trying to explore a tiny corner of how we build our personality, and how it interacts with others. Thanks!