American Garages

 

I've been a fan of Pat Metheny since the Bright Size Life album, released in the late 70s, right when I was literally jamming on American Garage in an American garage--a place in the 70s where lots of tinkering and innovation were happening. 

What's magnetic about Metheny is his passion and drive for music, which hasn't waned for over half century--and he's still touring. He's kept going with the same intensity, especially amid the political upheavals over the last 15 years.

What drives us to carry on? I'm not sure what drives Metheny, but he makes it work, probably because it involves liking to work. (In a lecture he gave in the early 80s after he acquired the Synclavier, he said he was always thinking that it was in abeyance in the other room and thinking about getting right to work). This actually relates to the What's the Score? post about being driven by dopamine and serotonin. Everyone is different in how those work for or against you. Most people are in a feedback loop of cortisol and perhaps a hunger for serotonin. If you can force the wins, you'll get the serotonin and dopamine releases to offset the cortisol. It's the forcing of neurotransmitter releases where things go awry because it involves craving, which is subtly different than hunger. You'd be hungry after 12 hours, but you can crave all day. Both are probably essential because hunger is routine, whereas craving makes it more exciting because you're on a hunt for serotonin. It's not just on a stroll through the woods--it's the potential Catch. (I experience this when I'm out with a camera. I'm not just strolling).

Dick Van Dyke is another example of someone who was always in a positive feedback loop: He was looking forward to the next project while working on the current one. Perhaps there's a craving, but it wasn't for the attention. It's for the inner gratification.

Also interesting: Metheny was only playing for only 5 years at the time of Bright Size Life, writing all the songs--many of which were all harmonically complex, and recorded perhaps over two days. He's the ultimate stylist--right down to the tousled hair and plaid (or striped) shirts, a look he's kept. It's a part of the packaging of the whole thing.

"Discuss drive and motivation and the lack thereof"