One Year of Growth: Challenges, Progress and Opportunities

One Year of Growth: Challenges, Progress, and New Opportunities

From a basement rehearsal space to bigger stages and the status of a professional instrumentalist. A story many musicians can relate to — though still a rare one within a genre that, in this environment, is often seen as purely amateur or hobby-based. Nearly a year has passed since an article with this very title was published on local webpage/journal site Kamnik.info, where my story was first presented to a wider audiences.

Deciding to pursue a career as a musician was one of the bigger and more significant turning points in my life. Over the course of just one year, a lot has changed. On one hand, I successfully started teaching, published my first handbook, and established a regular income. On the other hand, my hunger for new challenges and self-improvement remains just as strong. I’m grateful that opportunities presented themselves in the form of presentations and clinics in the local area — and as a true highlight, even in London next year. If someone had told me this a little over a year ago, I probably would’ve questioned their sanity.

Yet here it is — now a reality. I’m heading to London with the goal of further developing my musical knowledge, as well as building connections within their drumming community and musical culture, which remains one of the most influential in the world. Just like with the handbook, this step also requires thorough planning and commitment, so that meaningful work can begin from day one.

Along the way, I’ve also encountered obstacles that, despite all the enthusiasm, prevented me from fully realising some ideas. One such example was the ongoing “video saga,” which now finally seems close to becoming reality. The project was conceived months ago, but because I wasn’t able to execute it within the planned timeframe, I initially saw it as a personal failure. Over time, however, I’ve come to accept that this, too, is simply part of the “game of life” — and something you learn to carry more lightly with experience.

Every story has two sides, so instead of dwelling on frustration, I shifted my focus toward possible improvements and upgrades. My hope is that these adjustments will ultimately lead to a better result and added value for both handbooks. Similar changes and refinements will certainly find their place in the second part of the handbook as well, which will lean more toward creative development.

After a slightly longer break in December, we’ll also be continuing to develop our live performances with Sarcasm. As one supporter from the so-called “second generation of listeners” once put it: everyone seems to know us, yet knows very little about us. We’re all hungry for concerts again, and it felt like the right moment to let the “beast” loose once more. The overall quality of bands in our scene continues to rise, pushing the bar higher and presenting an even greater challenge for every band involved.

That said, it’s difficult for our local scene to reach the level of the world’s major music capitals — despite the fact that more and more music is now being created at home, on computers, all over the world. The alternative music scene still largely struggles to survive. Still, I believe that every successful step made by an individual or a band helps, at least a little, to move things forward — and encourages us to better appreciate what we already have.