I’m doing it for myself.

At least that’s what I’m telling myself about this little side quest writing project. Lately, I’ve wanted to publicly write about my experiences as an athlete and a musician, because I’ve found that my lifelong experiences as a musician have informed my more recent adventures in endurance athletics and functional fitness. It turns out that my newfound love for sport has a lot to teach me about being a better musician.

Thus this little writing project: Motor Rhythms. What is a Motor Rhythm?

Motor Rhythm is a 20th century term used to describe music with an insistent, propulsive rhythmic drive. Bach made great use of it throughout his musical career, and Gershwin said Rhapsody in Blue was inspired by the sound of the subway on the train tracks. And yes, late 90s house was built on motor rhythms. It’s my favorite kind of rhythmic device, and it is the soundtrack to all of my endurance training and competitions.

Motor Rhythms will be a place where I live journal about my training for competitions and practice for concerts. I will be competing in an Olympic length triathlon on April 26, and I will have a run of concerts as a collaborative pianist throughout May. I will share what my training routines will be throughout the spring.

Motor Rhythms will be a place where I reflect on what music and sport can teach each other. Both require disciplined practice, sacrifice, patience, resilience, and creativity. I’m a firm believer that you don’t have to choose one or the other; it’s possible to passionately pursue an interest in both.

I hope that someone out there finds this blog and gets some kind of inspiration from it. But even if not, I’m writing this blog for myself, to better understand my love for music and competition.