Too smart for their own good

I remember in my early days of being a podcaster, someone who’s opinion I highly value personally recommended to me that I listen to a particular individual who had achieved a certain level of success in his own right doing his own show, running his own business, etc.

So I tuned in for a few episodes of the person’s show, and it was decent. Nothing spectacular, but then again a successful show is more often than not a string of decent performances put together consistently, using certain principles that draw people in and keep them in. The ones who have spectacular content (in their mind at least) but put it out sporadically never succeed. Burnout is always the result, every single time.

Well, this guy was doing all the right things, but one thing that amused me was how he was always bragging about how he considers himself an “audiophile” meaning someone who’s a total nerd when it comes to audio equipment, mixers, “levels”, etc. but his audio was always subpar. You could tell he had an expensive microphone for example, but it was never very good. Not necessarily terrible, but it left a bit to be desired.

Meanwhile I’m doing interviews with my $70 ATR-2100 USB mic, plugs right into my laptop with no mixer – and I would routinely get compliments on how crisp and clear my voice sounded.

This other guy, it seemed every single episode was saying, “I’ve got my levels just about where I want them…” or something like that. And truth be told, it sounded as bad is it did the episode prior.

All that to say that it’s so easy to get caught up in equipment and forget that the real value comes from within us.

I know fellow trumpeters who are constantly pimping out their expensive equipment, trumpets, mouthpieces, etc. ‘cuz they’re “sponsored” by so and so – and you listen to them actually play and it’s okay, but nothing special. Personally I found an instrument a few months ago that plays as well as any horn I’ve ever played, and I paid $200 for it.

That equipment, aside from the heart and soul of the person using it, is a collection of tubing, wires, metal, whatever the case may be. Sure there might be some heart and soul put into the craftsmanship to design and make it, but the real music doesn’t come from the tool, it comes from the one using it.