AXE WORK, PART TWO

Fair warning on axe work: Be Careful.

With one you could get maimed pretty good.

Sink a blade into your shin or foot and what do you get?

Lots of noise, concern, and a feeling that you shouldn’t be trusted with sharp tools.

But that’s not you, right?

None of my axes have that reputation, but axe work needs some sharpness; so does the person handling the axe.

Be sharp, or else.

After mastering one axe, move to the next for more refined axe work.

Same rules apply: Be careful.

Avoid cutting your soul with the wrong song, and you know what song I’m talking about, the one you should never sing too high.

Stay down and stay safe. If you have an inner Bradley Cooper, channel it.

“But I have range,” you say.

Fine, stay low.

“But Neil Young goes high,” you say.

Here’s a gently reminder: Unless you’re Neil Young, stay low.

To be your best in a performance, welcome the challenge. Meet it on the lowdown.

Another helpful tip: welcome ladies to join in, guys too. Someone else’s good time won’t take anything away from you, if a good time is the goal.

And it is.

I didn’t coin the phrase, but I’m repeating it because I believe. Once you stop doing things for the sake of fun, you’ve lost the most important spark of life.

Work hard, do more than you think you can do, and then stand back and admire it for the fun it was.

What? It’s not fun swinging an axe, not fun doing axe work of any kind?

I’ll break it to you gently: You need to stoke that spark.

Let the magic of music take over.