I try to spend an hour a day practicing. I have a little mp3 player I plug into my ears and an hour later, I’m sore, happy and need a shower. Here’s the track list:
1) Don’t Walk Away (ELO)
2) Last in Line (Dio)
3) The Prickly Bush (Steele Eye Span)
4) Teenagers (My Chemical Romance)
5) Hey Hey What Can I Do? (Led Zeppelin)
6) You Took the Words Right Out of My Mouth (Meat Loaf)
7) Nobody Again (The Awful Lot)
8) Goodbye Yellow Brick Road (Elton John)
9) Dear God (Sarah McLachlan)
10) Kick Out the Jams (MC5)
11) Something for Nothing (Rush)
I like ending with that last song for a lot of reasons. I can barely keep up with Peart’s basic patterns–let alone his absurd fills–but just trying pushes my abilities to the limit. And the lyrics are great way to end a hard rehearsal.
You don’t get something for nothing
You can’t have freedom for free
You won’t get wise with the sleep still in your eyes
No matter what your dream might be
Damn, I wish they’d play that live.
So, here’s some Rush, mixed with some Full Metal Alchemist, for your listening pleasure.