I Have a Life Changing Disorder: Please DON'T pray for me!

[DataNick]

I have come to fully embrace MAS(Mandolin Acquisition Syndrome)/MAD(Mandolin Acquisition Disorder) because I have come to grips with an undeniable fact in my life: it's making me a better player!

So I'm at the Ramona Bluegrass Festival in SoCal yesterday with my new JBovier F5 Studio; everyone who sees and hears it loves it, great reviews, and in the miidst of all that, I negotiate to buy a friend's RL Givens 1987 A2 mandolin later this summer. She'll hold it for me as I save up the $$ to purchase it from her; never mind that despite owning 3 mandos I have an Audey Ratliff custom made Country Boy F model about 2-3 weeks away from shipping to me! That's when I admitted to myself, I've got this thing bad!

So I know I'm sick, but you know what? I fully embrace it because it's helping me to be a better player. How? Because I am totally obsessed with the mandolin and in particular becoming a "good" player. The variety in mandos helps my practice regimen which is now 3-4 hrs/day, and my near future goal is 5 hrs/day. It's nice to practice chops on different mandos; helps prevent the boredom of routine. I believe I'm making progress as a player because of the almost incessant compliments I get from regular Joes and musicians alike. Just yesterday, a friend that I think is a better player than I am asked me what is it that I'm doing. He said that he's never seen so much improvement, so fast in anyone's playing ever! My answer is simply work. Sure there are a zillion people with more talent than I, but one thing in life that I've learned, is when I am motivated/obsessed, no-one will out-work me, period!

I've got a new saying:Playing Ability Never Sleeps! I'm averaging 3-4 hrs/nite now of sleep, and you know what, it doesn't matter. I wasn't sleeping because of the ex-girlfriend anyway! Now I have figured out how to bump my practice time up to a total of 5 hrs/day. MAS/MAD has played an integral part in my development as a player, and now I can identify to what Adam Steffey posted here awhile ago about being "addicted" to all things mandolin! That's me, and I don't want to be cured, don't pray for me, I'm having too much fun!

The highlight of my life this year was yesterday eve as I'm leaving the festival, in the jam area where I had just finished picking, I overhear one of the guys saying "that boy can sure pick!". Trust me, I know who I am, and would categorize my playing generally as sloppy, but when I get an almost incessant stream of compliments wherever I play, at work (people re-arranging their lunch schedule to hear me "practice"), when musician friends that I look up to compliment my playing, well I conclude I must be on the right track.

So take your MAS/MAD and work it to be the best mando player you want to. By God's grace and sheer force of will, that's what I've determined...so please DON't pray for me and my affliction..me, myself and I are having too good of a time!

[Jim]

Dude, you got it BAD!!!! Have fun

[DataNick]

Dude, you got it BAD!!!! Have fun

Jim,

Thanks for the sympathy! LOL

The upside is: no wife, no kids, no mortgage...so I'm good with my time/devotion being relegated to me!

Oh, BTW: this post is between practice licks! back to pickin...

[shortymack]

Only one next step, cancel (or sell) the Ratliff, cancel the givens on hold, sell the rest and get a good one.

[David Rambo]

I'm sure that if you get too many, some of us would be very happy to store them for you! Meanwhile, enjoy the ride!

[DataNick]

Only one next step, cancel the Ratliff, cancel the rigel on hold, sell the rest and get a good one.

Hey Vick, good to hear from you!

The Ratliff in my estimation should be almost a swap for a Gibson F9, so I will check it out closely and plan to keep it.

The other one is not a Rigel, but an RL Givens (they are collectibles) and probably my only chance to own one, so I don't forsee not purchasing it.

Have a good one Bro!

Back to pickin...

[Ed Goist]

We are all playing a short set.
Enjoy it to the fullest.
Hats off to you.

[DataNick]

We are all playing a short set.
Enjoy it to the fullest.
Hats off to you.

Thanks Ed!

Yeah, as I like to say "You can't die any younger!"

I guess the overall intent of the post is I'm done appologizing for MAS/MAD..it's making me better in the long run!

[Clement Barrera-Ng]

You do have it bad Nick.. as they say resistance is futile. Have fun while at it!

[DataNick]

You do have it bad Nick.. as they say resistance is futile. Have fun while at it!

We are the MandoBorg, your individuality will be added to our group consciousness, you will think collectively as we do with one mind, assimilating all mandolins you come into contact with, resistance is futile...

[Michael Bridges]

We are the MandoBorg, your individuality will be added to our group consciousness, you will think collectively as we do with one mind, assimilating all mandolins you come into contact with, resistance is futile...

So going by that, I can assume your new Mandoborg name would be Loarqutis? Hey, MAS is one illness ya don't really mind having, if the treatments weren't so dang expensive!

[DataNick]

So going by that, I can assume your new Mandoborg name would be Loarqutis? Hey, MAS is one illness ya don't really mind having, if the treatments weren't so dang expensive!

Mike,


Classic! Loarqutis... I love it!

[SincereCorgi]

Careful not to burn out, man. I don't think I'd be playing very well on just three hours of sleep. Besides, isn't part of the fun is laying there, falling asleep, and thinking your way through patterns on a mandolin neck?

[Jim]

My Mandoborg name is 1 of 9

[OldSausage]

Seriously, though, depriving yourself of delta sleep like that is very dangerous. Lab animals die under similar conditions. I'm sure you're doing well, but in my opinion as someone who is not a doctor, but has seen one on tv, in the long run the sleep will do your playing more good than the practice. Practice smart, not long. The best players don't do more practice than average players, they just spend more of that time focused on their goals. Then when they are done, they stop and do other things to relax.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/op...anted=all&_r=0

It's a long read, so here's a key quote:

Chronic delta sleep deficits in humans are implicated in many diseases, including depression, heart disease, hypertension, obesity, chronic pain, diabetes and cancer, not to mention thousands of fatigue-related car accidents each year.

[barney 59]

Seriously, though, depriving yourself of delta sleep like that is very dangerous. Lab animals die under similar conditions. I'm sure you're doing well, but in my opinion as someone who is not a doctor, but has seen one on tv, in the long run the sleep will do your playing more good than the practice. Practice smart, not long. The best players don't do more practice than average players, they just spend more of that time focused on their goals. Then when they are done, they stop and do other things to relax.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/op...anted=all&_r=0

It's a long read, so here's a key quote:

Quote: "Only fools and women need more than 5 hours sleep." Napoleon

" I haven't slept since 1973." Marty Stuart

[DataNick]

Careful not to burn out, man. I don't think I'd be playing very well on just three hours of sleep. Besides, isn't part of the fun is laying there, falling asleep, and thinking your way through patterns on a mandolin neck?

My, My Hey, Hey...it's better to burn out, than to fade away...LOL

It's usually 4-5 hrs of sleep...

[DataNick]

Seriously, though, depriving yourself of delta sleep like that is very dangerous. Lab animals die under similar conditions. I'm sure you're doing well, but in my opinion as someone who is not a doctor, but has seen one on tv, in the long run the sleep will do your playing more good than the practice. Practice smart, not long. The best players don't do more practice than average players, they just spend more of that time focused on their goals. Then when they are done, they stop and do other things to relax.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/04/28/op...anted=all&_r=0

It's a long read, so here's a key quote:

Thanks Dude!

My practice regimen is broken out into 2-3 different sessions, no one session lasting more than 2 hrs...been sleeping 4-5 hrs a nite for years though on the average...just too high strung...LOL

[Bertram Henze]

I wasn't sleeping because of the ex-girlfriend anyway!

Aha! That's the secret behind it all. Better make as much progress with all those surrogates as possible while the madness lasts, because with a new love life will suddenly re-balance. I had this phase myself, long ago.

Quote: "Only fools and women need more than 5 hours sleep." Napoleon

...just look what it has done to him.

[DataNick]

Aha! That's the secret behind it all. Better make as much progress with all those surrogates as possible while the madness lasts, because with a new love life will suddenly re-balance. I had this phase myself, long ago.

Bertram,
I'm on sabbatical from women...LOL

[Bertram Henze]

I'm on sabbatical from women

That's exactly what I said just before I met my wife (past 24th anniversary now).

[Darren Bailey]

Why did your girfriend leave you again? Only kidding, but hope you have time for a little people-interaction.

[Michael Bridges]

Guess mine would be 5 of A!

My Mandoborg name is 1 of 9

[Bertram Henze]

The Generator says I'm 1 of 1

[DataNick]

That's exactly what I said just before I met my wife (past 24th anniversary now).

Uuh-Oh! LOL...