I found a reason to write again, and it is Joy!

Don't get me wrong, I have found enjoyment nearly every time I have played an instrument.  And I never try and hide that I have a great time every time we hit the stage.  Whenever someone asks me where my favorite show is I always reply 'where do we play next?'.  I would hate to think that the best shows are somehow behind me, and I know they can't be.  I believe we are walking the path that we are meant to be on.  Music has given me the keys to a Good Life and as long as I am breathing, I will let the music flow through me.

As many of you know, there have been a lot of changes in the musicians that we are surrounded by.  Many drummers and bassists have come and gone and recently Kris got a call from Indigenous' management saying that they weren't gonna take us on the road with them.  These are changes that I am not only used to but have come to expect in our careers.  The only way for me to look at it is with gratitude.  I am grateful that so many great musicians have chosen to let me play music with them and one of the people at the top of that list is Mato Nanji.  How cool is it that me and my friends from Lincoln Ne got to join up with such an incredible musician and honorable man to play so many shows together?  So much has changed since we first got that call and somehow, really nothing has.  We are still walking that path.  I gotta give some credit to John Fairchild for the Indigenous gig.  John is a gifted drummer and hopefully when he gets his life together he will learn the value of music and the honor of the Good Life that we can all live.

And speaking of drummers, you might have heard that I have again switched stations in KLB.  Yes, I am on drums and I love it!  There are many reasons why and the most important is because I Want To.  It is the newest source of Joy in my life.  I am so much happier now than I have been in previous lineups.  I feel a stress shed and a new life breathed into me as I am now the beat maker, the groove holder.  Kris and I have been together for a long time now and I have played many roles in the group but this is the one where I feel most viable.  There's something about being needed that makes a man feel good about himself.  Plus, the history that Kris and I have makes it easy for us to play together (hopefully) without having to talk about it too much.  We play creatively and passionately just like we always have except now it's just us.  No other personalities and egos to try and gel with (ours are enough for now).  And I try to bring something to the table that a 'drummer' couldn't.  Melody... music.  Playing a beat and playing a song are totally different things.  Many focus on just keeping good time, all we want is to keep having a Good Time playing good songs for people who want to hear them.  And Kris has written so many great songs recently.  It's amazing to me the creativity that he has and I believe that we will continue to be creative for a long time to come.  That is the Joy that I am feeling.  I'm a part of that creative process, doing what comes natural and honing those skills to make soundscapes that evoke emotion out of us and hopefully out of the listener as well.  The more time we spend practicing in the basement or jamming on the stage the more I feel that we are on to something real and not just a survival phase of the band. 

So, I know that change can be difficult sometimes but it is inevitable and I embrace that.  The key is to find the Joy that allows us to continue.

I have found mine today.  Come see me and Kris as we continue on the path.

Hopefully we can share the Joy with you.

thank you for reading.  thank you for listening

your friend

-miah