Bobby Rock

The Bobby Rock Newsletter #62 (6-11-22) - All the Power's in the Process!

Hey Everyone - 

Welcome back to yet another installment of the BR Newsletter. Always happy to see you here…

Let’s jump straight in!

In This Issue:

• Process Before Outcome: In this goals/effect/outcome world we live in, it’s actually focus on your process or system that gets you further down the road...
  
  
• Down and Dirty with Dragon Dirt: Another “magic mushroom” that’s clearly a nutritional game-changer for superior health.
  
  
• Drum Vid Vault: A solo clip from a Lita Ford tour in Europe… this one from Sweden (we think)...
  

Tonight!

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All the Power’s in the Process

It’s another show day with the Lita Ford camp, here in Chicagoland.  We will be heading out to soundcheck soon. I got up early and hit the hotel gym, which was surprisingly well-equipped. Now—in and around final tweaks here on my weekly newsletter—I’m engaging in the first of a series of practice sessions I’ll do on my practice pad (with weighted sticks), throughout the day and right up until showtime tonight. I will also hit the drums at soundcheck, do more stretching and range-of-motion work this afternoon, and be especially strategic about what I eat and when. 

A daily process...

As we get within an hour of hitting the stage, I will engage my pre-show process: change into stage gear, wrap my hands with tape, get my in-ear monitors out of their case and around my neck and, most importantly, get some eyeliner happening. (Kidding… well, at least about the importance!)

I will continue to sip water (1 to 1.5 gallons per day, every day) even as the band convenes for our pre-show rehearsal, “unplugged”-style: my bandmates play their guitars and sing, and I tap out grooves on my pad. Obviously, we know these songs well, so we don’t really need to rehearse at this point, but the repetition and vocal warm-up tend to make for a better, tighter show.

Another daily process!

In and around this practice time, I will continue to swing the sticks and stay loose right up until minutes before we go out and play. And then, at two minutes out, I will join my bandmates in “Zenning”—a time-honored pre-show ritual that I’ve established with virtually every band I’ve played with since the early ’90s—which is simply a matter of getting everyone together and taking a few seconds to let go of all mental clutter and get centered into the present. (Almost like a brief group meditation.)

And for this band, even the song that always blasts through the PA every night before we go on is part of the process. (“Balls to the Wall” by Accept.) Talk about the ultimate pre-show trigger mechanism. Boom!

My point here? It’s all about process… about paying attention to what I can control today, so I can have a great show tonight. Sure, that’s always the goal: a great show. But the focus must remain on all of the processes and rituals I’ve refined through the years to ensure that, when I hit the stage, I’ve put myself in the best position to have that great show.

In other words, everything I actually focus on today is Process. How the show goes is Outcome. Focusing all day on Outcome would not be doing me any favors. I can’t control what the weather does (outdoor show this evening), or how the audience will react, and/or what other factors might affect the gig. But I can control all of my processes leading up to the hit so I am in the best possible position to deliver my best possible performance.

A Philosophy of the Elite

I would guess that most “performers”—that is, those who have to show up at a particular time and do a particular thing, like musicians, athletes, public speakers, actors, etc.—have some kind of pre-show ritual where they focus on a predictable process. But the thing about elite performers, is that this is almost exclusively what they focus on: Process, with little regard to Outcome.

Many years back, I was stunned to hear that John Wooden, considered by most to be the greatest coach in college basketball history, never talked about “winning" a game or “beating” an opponent (both of which are outcome goals). Instead, the focus was always on his players engaging in their various processes: at practice, and before, during, and after games. Why? Because by giving full focus to process in the form of all the proper procedures and protocols, they would have their best chance of an optimal outcome.

Same with us. 

A Final Twist…

I recently revisited that great book by Dilbert creator, Scott Adams, How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big. He refers to this “Process Before Outcome” model as “Systems vs. Goals.”  I dig that. 

Adams says:

“The systems-versus-goals model can be applied to most human endeavors. In the world of dieting, losing twenty pounds is a goal, but eating right is a system. In the exercise realm, running a marathon in under four hours is a goal, but exercising daily is a system. In business, making a million dollars is a goal, but being a serial entrepreneur is a system.

For our purposes, let’s say a goal is a specific objective that you either achieve or don’t sometime in the future. A system is something you do on a regular basis that increases your odds of happiness in the long run. If you do something every day, it’s a system. If you’re waiting to achieve it someday in the future, it’s a goal.”

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So… what’s your System, your Process? Is it bulletproof? Can you most always engage it? Is it maximum bang-for-the-buck efficient? Could you improve on it a bit?

The better the process, the better the outcome...

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Down & Dirty!

In January of 2021, I launched my very own custom-blend superfood powder called Dragon Dirt. In this section, we offer tips and insights for our kick-ass new DD community. Our Ingredient Spotlight provides info into the why, what, and how much of our ingredients in the Dirt.

An All-Star Mushroom with a 6000-year Track Record

The shiitake mushroom is among the oldest superfoods on the planet today, having been used medicinally by Chinese culture for more than 6000 years. In more recent times, a groundbreaking study from the University of Pennsylvania found shiitake to be the most abundant food source for ergothioneine; a highly-unique amino acid that can actually protect our mitochondria—the power plant of our cells. Additionally, shiitake’s sterols, beta glucans, eritadenine, and numerous other compounds can help lower blood sugar and cholesterol levels, as they promote heart health and reduce inflammation around the body. There is a full 600 mgs of shiitake in a single serving of Dragon Dirt.  Find out about all 18 ingredients at www.drinkthedirt.com

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Drum Vid Vault: Back to Europe!

Here’s another solo clip I just stumbled across in the archives from a Lita Ford run through Sweden and Norway a few years back… I believe this one’s from a club show in Sweden. It’s another scaled-down kit situation, but we always try to make do.

Scope it: Drum Vid Vault 2 - Scroll down to #7

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Thanks again, everybody. Connect next week! Until then, BR _______________ For Your Quick Reference: My main website at www.bobbyrock.com is constantly updated with cool new stuff. Be sure and take a moment to sign up in the upper right-hand corner of any page on the site. It only takes a minute. This will give you a much more customized experience, and also grant you access to various members-only areas, events, etc. Tour Dates: If you are signed up to the site, you will receive an automatic email notification any time I'm playing within 150 miles of your crib. Newsletter Archives: Scope all the back issues here. There is even a Table of Contents reference so you grab an "at-a-glance" view of what's in each issue. News Feed: Stay in touch! Think of this as Facebook and Instagram rolled into one location, plus extra posts exclusive to the site. The Bobby Rock Store: Books, Music, BR drumsticks (stage-played and brand new), T-shirts, Signed 8x10s, Dragon Dirt and more... Dragon Dirt: My brand new custom superfood powder. Scope the site for tons of info!