Some decisions are hard to make. Now, I'm not talking about whether to have soup or salad as a starter (although I won't deny it can be a touch choice), I'm talking about whether to carry on with a project that has lost some of its momentum.
I've recently made the hard decision to abandon one of my musical endeavours. It had become an activity that was neither productive nor enjoyable, and while I had no problem working with the other guys in the band personally, we weren't on the same page musically, so there were always going to be creative differences.
One of the things that spurred this decision was realising what I actually wanted to achieve. I realised that while I enjoy rocking out, it doesn't give me the same satisfaction of playing a tricky progression or coming up with a catchy turn-around.
I realised this through playing with a world-music/jazz band and a ska-punk band. The jazz band allows me to push myself when it comes to holding down a groove to really sit in the pocket, while the ska-punk band is just plain fun! Between them they helped me realise want I want from playing with a band and that I wasn't getting it from playing in the other. This simple realisation made the decision much clearer and therefore easier to make, despite the initial feeling of resentment.
My revelation should be a wakeup call to any establishments that are languishing and are wondering whether it's worth carrying on. Identifying whether your work is productive or enjoyable could be the kick up the arse you need to either put your foot down or bail out. Simply knowing what you want to achieve will make this decision much easier.
Al Lyle is a writer and musician