Manic Music Manifesto

"Manic Music Manifesto", a book written by Jim Gaven, takes a deeper look into the obsessed mind of musicians and why music is so important to their well-being and essence as well as non-musicians alike. With several clinical research studies bringing to light the powerful effect music has on every day life mixed with first hand experiences of musicians caught with the music 'bug', this book is poised to make waves in the industry and beyond.

For your viewing pleasure, I've copied and pasted the foreword to the book. The foreword sets the stage for what is to come, and gives a little insight into the mind of a creative type and inspiration to those who take on the challenge of creating art every day.

Foreword:

"Music has always been there for me. It is the one earthly thing I've been able to fall back or lean on in times of doubt or despair. I feel like I am truly myself when performing and listening to music. I'm able to tap into a 'flow' state, or being 'in the zone'. I am able to be fully immersed in the moment. Losing track of time and losing all inhibitions are both inevitable. In fact, it is something I very much look forward to. I was that kid in high school rocking out a drum solo on the dashboard of his car, all the while head banging, at a red light. I'm sure other drivers thought I was out of my mind, and, they would be right. When I am engrossed in the recording process, I regularly skip meals to finish an idea. Obsessed much? I'd say so. Heathy much? Probably not. However, as food and water nourishes the body, so music nourishes the soul. 

Music inspires me to be a better musician. 

Music inspires me to be a better person. 

Music inspires me to inspire others. 

And for all of these reasons, music is a drug for me.  It is something I am addicted to. This is not a unique epiphany by any means as I've heard this statement revealed by many music lovers in the past. But, this epiphany, revelation, or discovery has been a life-changing experience for me. 

Without it, I believe I would be miserable.

Without it, I'm sure I would be unfulfilled.

Without it, I know I wouldn't be me.

Music isn’t what I do. It’s who I am.

-Raquel Castro

And, that would be a crying shame, now wouldn't it? I'm guessing that if you're reading this, you feel somewhat similar, if not exactly as I do, regarding music and its direct, positive impact on your life and the lives of those around you. 

For the musicians and anyone with the inner desire to become one, here's my two cents, so take them for what they're worth...Let the music move you to feel and achieve greatness. Don't ignore it. Don't put it on the back burner. Don't squash it forever. Let it lead you through this dance we call life. 

I’m dancing to the music of the madness inside me.

-George C Wolfe

Life is too short to play the, 'what if' game, and I'd hate for you to be at the end of your life wishing you did things differently in regards to following your passion for music. Both a blessing and a curse, I am eternally grateful and forever in debt to the gift of music I have. Although it took me over a decade to realize it, music has always been the tool used to make a positive difference in other people's lives, which, in turn, has fueled, and continues to fuel, my love for it all the more. Call it obsession. Call it escaping reality. Call it madness.

No great mind has ever existed without a touch of madness.

-Aristotle"

If you'd like to read the book in its entirety of 134 pages, you can do so by purchasing it here:

https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/jim-gaven/manic-music-manifesto/paperback/product-1yjw5w7k.html

If you'd rather listen to it as an audiobook, you can do so by going here:

https://jimgaven.bandcamp.com/album/manic-music-manifesto

Either way, I hope you enjoy the book, find value and meaning in it, and learn something new that you can apply to your every day life.