Stanley Clark and Me...

-Devlyn Steele

Growing up, music was a very big part of my life. It still is, but in our youth, music is generally a bigger center piece. We spent more time listening and discussing music when we are young. It creates a social framework amongst our peer group. It is a way we relate to each other and share experiences. I might be dating myself with the word album, but when a new album came out it was an important event that we all talked about.

Listening and knowing music can provide for an instantaneous connection with other people.  Groups and artists are not just about the song, they are creators of experiences and there are those who really shine brightly. In the typical make up of a band, the singers and guitarist took center stage, but Stanley Clarke takes center stage by playing the bass. He is considered by many people in the industry to be the best Bass guitarist of all time.When I discovered the music of Stanley Clark, that all changed. 

Although, I first got exposed to Stanley while he was with Chick Corea, his solo release "School Days"  had a major impact on my musical experiences. My friends and I listened to that album non stop and always rushed to see him when he performed at the Beacon Theater in Manhattan. What a powerful performer, and seeing him live back then was a uplifting experience. His love of the instrument and ability inspired you to want to be better at what you do. There are certain masters of music who can reach inside you in a more meaningful way than just the music itself.

Well more than 30 years later a good friend took me to see Stanley once again. The years in-between disappeared as I watched him. His mastery put me in the same place I was in back then. As his hands found ways to hit cords in the bass that you simply didn't think possible, it made me think that you can do anything if you want it enough.  To do anything though, means just that, wanting it, living in it, loving it, and being extremely passionate about it.

So as he had that impact on me, I want to transfer what I can to you. Transfer the idea of wanting to be the most you can be. It is not about being better than others, or even being the best. It is about you being the most you can be. You have to want that out of yourself. If you want to be more, you can. You create the definition of your life with how you approach it.

Approach your life by wanting to be the most you can be. If you are going to be a friend, be the best friend you can be. Be passionate about being a friend, and love being a friend. Treat your life with that energy and you will get more out of your life. Nothing in your life has to change in order for you to enjoy it more and have a different experience other than the way you are involved in your life. Like Stanley Clarke is the master of the Bass, you be the Master of you. Learn how to master yourself and play your life to the fullest.

If you treat your life as just getting through the days, then you are not in it, and you are not experiencing the magic that surrounds you in every moment. Nothing gets between Stanley and the bass. When he is performing, you are not just listening, you are mesmerized by the connection between him and the bass. The energy that he creates in being in the moment and giving it his all captures you.

Take over your life. Get in the now of your life. Live your life with passion and give every part of your life your all. Just like Stanley can transform and captivate space and time with his performance, you can transform your life with how you decide to perform at living.  

Well 30 plus years later I got to meet Stanley and I have to thank him for being who he is. He has reminded me to not only to be your best in life, but to be passionate and to love it. Stanley smiles with joy the entire time, and hope that his inspiration to me gets you excited about being you and that you too smile as you live your life the best you can in the now. Finesse the moment.