100. "Music" Develops Us.. Steven Jenkins w/ 'Favazza'

What's your definition of a commitment versus obsession?

I think "Kanye West" is obsessed now he's committed to, so I'm not hating on Kanye. I'm looking at his situation and, uh, you know, he wants his wife back, which my heart goes out to him for that. Um, but I think he's both committed and obsess, right? My opinion. And that's commendable to a degree, um, as long as it stays within, you know, it's not a harassment situation. If, um, I think it's a good question as you come on with the succession is, is sometimes like you're not doing the work because you're obsessed with something, but you. You're not really going to do the work to get to it. You really like it and lingers you go back to it. And that's been me before.

"How can you create a transformation and others, if there's no transformation in yourself?" Join your host, Greg Favazza @followfavazza As your voice on the hard truth of leadership, Your Transformation Station,#connectingclarity connecting clarity to the cutting edge of leadership. As millennials, we can establish change not only ourselves, but through organizational change, bringing transparency that goes beyond the organization and reflects back into ourselves extracting, extracting, actionable advice and alternative perspectives. That will take you outside of yourself. Steven Jenkins. Welcome to Your Transformation Station. How you doing, doing ? alright. I appreciate

you waiting for me. Trying to get my skin. Okay. I didn't know what screen I had up. How you doing? I'm

doing all right.

Morning. Yeah.

Yes. I'm excited for today. I'm really excited. Yes. Before we go right into this, are you near a piano?

I am. Uh, I actually am. I got, gotta, I got my keyboard on top of my keyboard because I was having problems connecting with my laptop. So I had to make some adjustments, but yeah.

Beautiful. I like to have an authentic conversation with my guests when I have them on. And I like to throw shit at them when they least expect it. So if you can like play something for us, just something to really grab our attention, pull us right in.

Yeah. I can do that. I mean, are you live right now?

Yes, I can put it on live right now. Want to give me a moment right now? I'm recording it, but um, if you want to put it live, I can put it on.

Nah, I don't want you to put his life. I, I was, uh, I wasn't sure if he were logging in there for a minute. So hang on. Let me get my stuff real quick. Yeah, see,

can you hear that? Yes, I can.

Okay. As your family

now they're sleeping.

I was like, man, I thought you went back to you to sleep or something like that. I think I'm good. Just waking up myself too. So just bear with me.

Okay, beautiful. Yeah. So we're actually, we're, we're recording right now. So if you want to just jump into something, whatever you feel.

Yeah. All right. Is there early morning? So let's see how we want to do this. it's early. So, you know, just for that, I'm here.

Beautiful. Let me fix this here. Thank you so much for that. I wanted it to, usually when somebody they're like a little expert on something that looks like just a little niche specific kind of skill or trade, I like to put them on the spot and see what they got going on. I feel like that's like the best time to rise to that occasion is just falling back on what you already know. And that was beautiful. Nice job. Yeah. So you have a patent on a control shift piano, right? Yes, sir. Beautiful. Tell us about that. Tell us about that in yourself. Give us a little snapshot.

Okay. A little snapshot. So I have, uh, a lot of experience with trying to learn piano. Through the years of, you know, from childhood teenage to adult. So I've approached it at every angle and, uh, you know, it's been something that has been difficult for me. Um, Found out that I was not alone because there's a lot of people that want to play piano and, oh, well,

let me cut you right there. I'm going to take you down. All right. Here we go. You ready? So your monologuing. Yeah, your monologue. We don't like the monologue. We throw them now. Yeah. So let's just keep it real. We're just having a conversation. You and I are just, just, just relax. And we're just, we're just talking. You don't need to rehearse from anything. I know we fall back on that when we're trying to set ourselves forward. W that's what we like. We love the authentic conversation, so don't worry. We'll we'll definitely get everything covered. I promise.

Oh no, I'm trying. I'm trying to, let me see. I'm trying to figure out where do you want me to start with?

Oh, no, no story for right now. Just tell me about a control shift. What, like what, what is that exactly?

So it's basically, basically that's the company that I kind of established around around the, the. Um, for making piano easier to play. So in simple language, that's, that's what it is. It's, it's just the name I came up with to describe the, uh, the method.

Beautiful. Okay. Give us a little snapshot, snapshot about you, about what, what you've done in the past and what led you to here right now on the show.

Uh, Teammate a snapshot of about me. So me, I am a, um, I'm a creative in many ways. I'm not an artist by any means, not a natural musician, a guy who, you know, never really had problems with school academically. Uh, I guess you could say the creative side. Um, I come up with a lot of ideas. Uh, so that's kind of a snapshot. I have a background in design engineering, so it's more of a technical than an artistic background. Um, you know, I like to do a lot of fun stuff and, uh, this is my latest, latest, fun thing you need to say.

I, I, I'm just looking at you right now. You, you glow, you look like a guy that has a lot of thoughts that are flowing and you seem to catch them at the right time and act. So with this, uh, control shift, piano, uh, idea this, this, this business that you put together, it's, it's really cool from what I've seen on the YouTube videos. Now, I don't know if you've gotten this question before, but does it, uh, could you apply. Say the method two, hang on one second. All right. Yeah, no, no, Nope. By you. That is my labradoodle right there she is. I trained her ever since I gotten out of the military. So she's like on par ready for anything. And I'm like, no, we're not, we're not. We're cool. Relax. But let's go back to that. So what, what this control, shift piano can you apply to. Use this as a formulas slash method and apply it to mathematics. Say, look, say for me trying to learn pre-algebra or algebra or calculus or something.

I, I honestly, I don't know, but I have been asked that question a few times. Um, I think there is definitely room to, to find different applications for it. Um, actually I took this same methodology to. Some of the work I do, you know, and, and created a different program for one of the companies that I've worked with. So there's definitely some, some ways to apply the same mindset, the same thinking to other useful things.

Beautiful. And that's the kind of guy I am. I like to learn, uh, not necessarily like an algorithm, but just like. Yeah, I guess like an algorithm, but like a formula and try to approach it from one scenario, say a military tactical situation to try and to learn how to play piano if they worked that way, why wouldn't it work? But this way it's all about having that right mindset.

Yeah. I agree that, you know, my whole mindset would coming up with this was just simplification, you know, just making something that was. And taking it and breaking it down in easier, easier elements.

So you play really well. Like have you been in any, um, any environments, like any professional environments where you're asked to play or any? I don't want to say like a recital, but

yeah. You know, I've done some of that stuff in the past, but you know, I think the perception that. You know, if you put me in a room with other people that play piano, what I do is not necessarily so impressive. So what I like to invest because there's different skill levels, you know, just like with anything else. I think the most impressive thing about what I do is helping other people to be able to do something that's that's difficult.

So why'd you choose piano in the first place?

I chose piano because I think that's where I started. Like, just understanding. My first introduction into music. You know, I have a grandfather who used to live in, uh, uh, in the, in the country in Tyler, Texas. And, um, he had an old piano and, you know, it was just the first instrument that I remember seeing. Um, and, you know, just hearing it connected through me. Nice. I love other instruments to, I tried to learn guitar, uh, attended to say a few years back, but by now was about eight years ago because my son was right before my son was born. I tried to learn a ton and I think guitar is beautiful. So. I don't know.

Nice. No, I, uh, I got myself a ukulele and I know a little couple of songs on that and does something to do my downtime. That kinda works a different muscle in my head when I'm trying to refine, but a. My grandmother, she actually had a, an Oregon. So I, I definitely understand I'm getting influenced by our elders and then trying to go after that. And I came across one of your other interviews. I forget what the percentage was, but the amount of people that attempt to play piano and then fall short and never try again. Like that makes a lot of sense when I'm reflecting back on my playing that tried to play that Oregon. Right. Yeah.

Yeah. Well, yeah, that, then it's hard to believe. 80% of the people that try to learn piano, don't, don't reach their goal. And, um, you know, I've been challenged on that, that number, by the way, I found that percentage was from talking to people, but not just that, but. Informs, you know, they used to have a bunch of forms before Facebook videos and stuff like that. And this was discussions with piano teachers. They were going back and forth. Hey, how many of your students stay there? Hang in there in two year, two year three. And it was just amazing that they kept coming back and saying, you know, eight out of 10 of them dropped out. So over time, I was like, Hey man, that's, that's my number 80%. And it just shows the potential of people that want to do it. But, uh, you know, whatever reason they,

no, I, I definitely agree with that. Now you says you, you failed piano quite a bit. Now there's definitely a specific number that was put out was five times. So I'm, I'm thinking in my head right now. You failing five times and then getting it. I mean, you must be a super fucking genius because I I've tried like over a hundred times and I'm like, fuck this. I'm not doing anymore.

It's funny, man. Now, you know what? That's just the times I can count. You know, if I, if I come out there and I say it's really 30, you know, cause it probably is, you know, you get a whim every now and then you're like, man, let me go buy this book, man. Let me buy this course. This guy said. You know, what I kept finding is, you know, people approach teaching a little bit differently, but usually it comes down to the same thing. So when it finally struck me, you know, the way I was going to go, I was like, I'm not teaching that way. There's enough. There's a million ways that people can try to teach this the same way I want to do something different.

There you go. Now we're going right into the direction I wanted to go. So for me being in the military, I want it to be the right kind of leader. There was people that I wanted to be like, and people I did not want to be like, I wanted to set the standards so that my soldiers could learn from me as the expert, knowing what to do at the right time. Now for you being a piano teacher, you learning from. Different people that we're teaching you, and then you define yourself on exactly how you want to be perceived by your students. What would that look like?

So what it looks like to me is it's kinda, and this is one of the reasons why I'm probably eventually, you know, bleeding towards being blackballed from some of these industries is because my way of teaching is more about, you know, a person. Signing what their goal is and accepting who they are and working with what they have. You know, it's amazing how, you know, right now we think you played with five fingers, but you go find somebody with four, you know, only one hand and they can play better than, you know, they played it much better than anybody, or they may be blind, you know? And so. In my thinking is what do you bring to the table? What, what do you have and what is your goal? So my goal, when I quit the fifth time, it was no longer to be a concert pianist. It was just to have fun, you know, and to play some cool. Music, you know? So, um, that's, that's my style. You see, it's a, this is a pace that I teach at two. I don't say, Hey, hold your book up. No, sit up straight. Do that. That stuff is important because it's discipline and it has its place, but my setting is a lot more different.

Okay. That makes sense. Does for me. With previous experience, but for someone that doesn't understand, w uh, could you go a little deeper?

Yeah, absolutely. So, uh, the structure. Yeah, because a lot of people may not know, but, you know, structure of most piano, uh, methods are based behind cheat music, cheat music has, um, symbolic writing on paper. It can be very simple or it can be very complex. Um, The way I see it, it takes five to 10 years, probably more towards the 10 year mark to really be really good at reading sheet music and being able to perform, you know, to the level. What I say is, you know, that's gonna take five to 10 years, probably 10 years. If you got 10 years and you're going to invest in that training, a lot of practice, um, recitals and things like that. All good. The numbers show that most people don't, they have it in their mind that they want to play piano. So I approach it from how can I get this person? How can I help this person play piano in a short amount of time so that they won't phase out and they'll reach their goal.

Okay. I like that now with, so we can kind of go a little deeper with. The outcome that we're looking at, some people might hear you describing this and something might come up as an, are you teaching somebody how to regurgitate one single song or are you teaching someone how to look at music and adapt to the situation?

And that goes back to, what do you want? I have to get some people that just want to learn that one song, you know, they want to learn how to play. They always wanted to learn how to play stairway to heaven or whatever, you know? Um, and so for those folks, you can go through my method and you can learn it very quick. Um, then there's other people that look at it and they start seeing the patterns because piano is really just like most instruments is patterns to me. That's, that's the way I interpreted it. So they start seeing the patterns. They don't need my assistance anymore after a while because they feel more comfortable with it and it just kind of flows. So again, it just goes back to what do you want out of the, um, That's usually one of my first questions, because I want to take, I want to put people on the right path. If you want to be a concert pianist, then this is not, this is not that this is my what's your leak a little bit, you know, it might get you interested, but if you just casually, you want to play piano. There you go.

Beautiful. No, I like that. What is your current feelings on the teaching system of music today?

Honestly, I think that it is, is still the same as it was probably a hundred years ago with a few tweaks. Uh there's there's some really good teachers just like with math mathematics, you know, um, it's still taught the same way, but people are opening up more to understand that, Hey, they, they calculate differently in China or Japan than they do in the United States. And they still get the same accuracy, you know? So I think people are opening up more their minds to new concepts, but I think primarily music is still taught the same way. It was one or 200 years ago.

Okay. Yeah. With math, from my experience, they, they had one way and then they develop a new way. I think it's called common core or something like that. And. Weird. Let me try and to hear my stepdaughter, explain it to me. It's like, what, how does that work? Like on her, but, uh, what, like, what is your thought process on plane effectively and playing well? What, like what, what is your idea of plane?

So my idea of playing well is meeting your own needs out of music, you know, as a musician. So self knowledge, knowing what are you trying to be, what do you want to be? And then taking the stepping stones to get there. So if I'm comparing myself to. Elton John, you know, or somebody, you know, who's been playing for years, Stevie wonder, you know, what if that's my goal, where am I at on that projectory? You know, or if I'm just comparing myself to me, which is what usually what I try to help people to do. Where were you at before you started and what can you do now? And what I'm trying to do is give people a quick win and help them to see. Music doesn't have to be as complicated as what we make it. It can be as easy as ABC and 1, 2, 3 slowly, just coaxing people into understanding things a little bit simpler.

Okay. So when you, with the fifth time of you finally were able to just let go of everything, I'm imagining you kind of just separating your mind from your body and just. Being there in the moment and just feeling it like to just doing what you're there to do, and then moving on, like, I don't give a fuck, you know, like I'm going to play. Like if I suck, I suck. If I do great, I do great. I don't care. That's

kind of, that's kind of what I'm saying. You know, our criteria of what's good and what's bad. We're always comparing ourselves to somebody else and we're putting ourselves down and, well, this is me. Why can't I do what my brother can do. Why can't I do, I've been at this for, since I was a kid and I'm still struggling. So yeah, the mindset of the transformation, if you want to say is me shedding, all the things that I thought I had to do and allowing myself to be open and say, no, man, I got a blank slate. I can do this, how I want to like with that blank canvas. And I think that's really how. It came about, you know, cause I was looking around trying to say, has anybody else done this? You know, before you go grab a patent investment, you gotta do that research and cowering around trying to find it. And I was like, oh wait a minute. You know? So, um, but yeah, it was really just opening up myself and saying, I don't have to do it that way. And then committing to. To to that openness, I guess you could say, I

liked that you mentioned a lot of, uh, interesting musicians, uh, which one that's kinda like your idol.

So, uh, it's so varied. And in that sense, because my musical range is varied, you know? Oh man, you got some Starbucks. You didn't get jealous, man, no coffee, but anyway. Yeah. Um, you know, I really like vocals too, so, and I like a lot of obscure musicians. So I've been talking about David Ryan Harris. He's one of my favorite musicians. He's not well-known per se. He has the vocals and he has a, he plays guitar. Actually, Jeff Buckley is, is a, uh, a beautiful musician. He's no longer, you know, he's no longer alive, but, um, then he got prince de Angelo, you know, my even Garth, Garth Brooks, you know, I, I go through phases, you know what I mean? I love the rascal flats. I like emotional music. You know what I mean? Stuff that.

I definitely liked that. I I'm the same way. Like, I'll go through different genres of music by the season and sometimes. By, uh, just emotional feelings inside, you know, I'll be feeling great one day, but I don't want to put on some hip hop next day. I'm a little like, man, fuck this shit. I don't put on some like in country.

Yeah. I mean, that's, that's the beauty of music. Like you mentioned hip hop and I hadn't talked about that much, but a lot of my life that was it, you know? Um, And it just depends on what you need. I mean, music is there for is really there for you. It can take you back. It can bring back memories.

Yes, no, I definitely agree. Now I mentioned this in the beginning with, uh, trying to utilize your method with mathematics, but I didn't get to ask you, did you try utilizing this method towards playing a different instrument?

But the thought is there, you know, I've seen, I've been looking around to see how people are helping other people learn to drum or to play a guitar. And I've seen some things out there that are kind of neat. Um, I haven't, I haven't ventured out there cause I got so much stuff to do with this. You know what I mean? Um, but I'm also making a lot of connections with people that, uh, I think will lead.

Excellent. Now we have a lot of, uh, people that are interested in leadership that listened to this podcast, organizational leadership, what what's some good advice for those leaders out there that you can share with them on. What you've seen in your practice, what you've experienced on a healthy mentor and an unhealthy mentor or an individual that's leading a team, anything that kinda sticks out, what would you tell them?

Yeah, I think I am been both, you know, a healthy mentor and an unhealthy mentor. I am a professionalized what I'm avoiding references. Uh, and I think I definitely lean more towards healthy now. I'm learning more about myself in the way I interact with people and the impact that it can have positive or negative. And what I mean by that is just understanding that everybody is not like me. So if I'm going to connect to other people, you see this in my videos too. You know, if I'm going to connect to other people, I have to try to first make that connection and I have to meet them where they are as I am now. And if I want them, for example, my team, uh, that I've led to raise, uh, productivity. Like if I'm trying to increase productivity or quality, I'm more trying to understand why their quality is not what it needs to be, rather than just looking at them and saying, Hey, get your quality of work fast. I've been that person before in the past, and it doesn't work. So really this journey that I've been going through with controls shift piano has helped me as a person, I believe because I'm trying to connect with people as individuals, rather than just the big crowd of people.

I really liked that. Tell us more. Can you go deeper?

Yeah. Um, I, I certainly can. Um, so if I talked about the, the, the darker side of me or the lens. I don't want to say hero it cause there's no heroes in mall, but that, that has been me in the past because I, especially from a secular perspective, professional perspective, I have high standards for the people that I work with because the product has to be what the customer wants and I'm driven by that in so many ways. And it, but in the past that's been. It's kind of tunnel vision. You know what I'm saying? Because I kind of drive, Hey, do it, come on. You can do it. I believe in you do it, do it, do it more. So now I'm trying to get to know this person. What is it what's impacting you right now? Why? When I add up two plus two equals four, but you're getting the wrong numbers. So tell me more about that. You know, it's just more of a human connection. And we still, what I found is the goal. Like we, we reached the goal either way because, but it's a much, it's a much more, um, I can't think of the word. It's just a better, you know, you feel better about it. The other person feels better about it. And it's more consistent is if you have to constantly drive people something's wrong, you know what I mean? Um,

It's like when you walk away, are they still going to be at that same exact momentum that they were when you left them? No, because they're relying on you and that's only short term. And then what you're explaining to me, this is long-term relationship development. I mean, that that's beautiful. That's well put now let's see. What is it? No, I don't wanna go to that one. Tell me about your routine. Like, I think routines are fascinating, like a morning routine. Like I was on it. I was hooked and I love it, but now I haven't been on it and I'm like, I'm sad. I'm trying to get back on it. I really am. Tell me about yours. What stuck out? What, what does it look like?

I wish I had my paperwork next to me, but basically without a prioritize the list, I am not. And that's because I get a bright idea, bright, shiny object syndrome, you know what I mean? Working on my piano project, it really didn't take off until I started prioritizing because when you're trying to initiate a business of any sort, there's a million things to do. And if you want to do an all purpose. By yourself, you will never, you won't launch. And that happened to me for a few years, but I mean, that's really my biggest productivity hack. If you would, it's just making a daily list. And I, I get a thrill out of just marking it off, you know, as I go, go down the list.

I like that. Now, if somebody were to ask you, what was that? W what was that a pivotal shift that allowed your business to take off.

It was probably just that. Well, you know, it's, I think it's staying true. To be honest, I want to say it's, it's, it's, it's focusing, but I think it's been staying true to what I'm here for, because I've had, you know, opportunities, I'm working with coaches and I love coaches and things like that, and they want to approach it this way and they say, Hey, if you do this, then it'll do that. And I'm like, but you know, That makes it, that doesn't improve the experience of the person who needs this. Um, it, it just kind of, you know, I love being open to feedback. I don't wanna make it seem like I'm not, but I think staying true to the core of what I'm trying to do here. As has the most value. I,

now that definitely that resonates with me. I was talking with one guest who was on comedy central. He was, he created this show and, uh, I can't think of the name of the show, but he recommended some really good advice. You have professionals that are telling you to alter your, your creative content or the way of doing things. There are certain things that you should alter, but there's definitely certain things that you shouldn't just keeping that authenticity to that the content that you created, because that's original. That's from the heart. Once you all trade, it's no longer, you no longer recognize it anymore. And then you start to be somebody else and then that ripples out. And then next thing you know, you're, you don't even know who the fuck you are. You're just roaming the streets at night and wondering what the hell might not be.

You become somebody different. And that's why, like, if your goal is to monetize, that's okay. But it's, that's at the forefront of everything you do. And you're not, you're not being authentic or maybe you are, and you're just in it for money and. I've gone through different phase. I'm not saying I'm better than anybody else. Yeah. I want to make some money, but any time now, when I see something else getting in front of that, it's just, it's it's, it's, it's taken away more than it's building out now.

Personal question for me, like. I definitely want to monetize. That's going to happen. I mean, I got a seven month baby. I got a house to pay for. I mean, we all got to eat. So when approaching something new and then putting a price tag on that, there's a lot of difficulty like. For me, like, I want everybody to have everything for free and to get it right now and not have to wait two days, like fucking prime says you have to write what you to get it instantly. So like, how do you approach that? Where you're you feel like you're giving the value, they are getting the value that you wanted them to get, but also they're applying to what you made and they're learning.

Right. Well, I think. You know, the value you, there has to be a value of everything. If we say something's free, it's not really free. I mean, it's not free to the person that made it. And if we make it free or somebody just clicks the button, then they don't value it as much, you know? So I think there is a place for free. Um, but there's also like we do have to value you're taken out of your time. Not so much just your time, but also your energy. Creating something that you feel is very valuable and that has a price that goes with it. Um, so it is very difficult to get that, get to that dollar number. I do agree, um, but it has to be done. It has to be

because I'm looking at it. Like if somebody were to compare your products, I'll just gold, YouTube, how to play. And it's like, okay, but there you go. Now you're only just regurgitating one song and you're not actually getting real value out of what you could have gotten. If you would've just paid that and received the.

Yeah. I mean, that's very true. And I encourage that too. I mean, you know, I want people to get, get it, how you, you, you can, you know, it's just that for many people looking at a YouTube video in itself, it still doesn't some people, yeah. That's, that's all they need. They just need to see somebody else do it. Other people can use a little bit actually. Oh, Minnie cannon. And that's where my, uh, piano templates come in. I

like that. What is, what are some good advice to take away and some bad advice to avoid just general, whatever comes to mind

for and applying to, to, to what aspect? Okay. Well, my, my best advice is probably, you know, it goes back to being who you are, um, and understanding. What you want and how, how, how much are you committed to get there? You know, because I think that assessment, if I had done that up front, you know, I probably couldn't have done it as a child. I don't think I could have, my mind was probably all over the place as an adult. I could have saved myself a lot of time because I know at a certain point, I'm not going to practice piano three hours. I knew that when I signed up for the class, you know what I mean? And in my mind though, my desire to play piano was still there, but, and then, you know, I didn't practice. Um, so if I would've known what my goal was and what I was willing to do, then I could have easily, you know, shaved that out. Um, the bad way to go about it is to forage on a head, not having a solid plan and just landing wherever you like. No. It's like being, being, uh, I imagine like going into outer space and just being out of control, you know, you don't have a seatbelt, you're not strapped down. Gravity is not there anymore. You just pretty much you go as, as the wind goes. Um, and I've been there before. So I just like having a solid understanding of what I want to do, how I'm going to get there obstacles in the way, and then I can pop my course around it.

I liked that you have this determined look when you speak about it. So now for somebody that is in the process of thinking about starting piano or any kind of instrument or. Some specific habit, what is like a little tidbit that you could offer them on, um, teaching them how to stay focused and if they share their idea or they encounter somebody that they want to kind of, the individual might try to push them off course, or maybe say, oh, that's that's, you don't need to do that. You can be applying your time someplace else. What would you tell?

So that's, that's a really good question. I say, why are you doing this? You know, a lot of people out there, they say connect to your, why keep your, why, your reason, why, why are we up this morning? You know, so early without a coffee, some of us. There's a reason for it. Yeah, man, I'm mad at you, but you know, why do we do these crazy things? And, um, if it's not a strong enough reason, then maybe the choice, the better choice would be to not do it. You know what I mean? But to be honest, when it comes to instruments, I will try to think this piano, you know, if you want to learn piano, Learn the piano. That's what I say. When I realized I was reading all those books, I didn't even look at the piano, you know, and the answers were right there in front of me. So sometimes it's just a free form. Like just touch the keys. Don't worry about messing up. Just like you said, at the very beginning, you know, some of those piano keys you're going to hit and you're going to like the way they sound and some of them. And the next time you do it again, don't hit the ones you don't want to hit. You know, it's just, don't make it. So academic, um, look at the piano, look at the guitar ukulele and just see what you can learn just through touching it and looking at it and listening to it.

I liked that. Oh, wow. What's your definition of a commitment versus obsession.

I think Kanye west is, is now he's, he's committed to, so I'm not hating on Kanye. I'm looking at his situation and, uh, you know, he wants his wife back, which my heart goes out to him for that. Um, but I think he's both committed and upsets, right. My opinion. Um, and that's commendable to a degree, um, as long as it stays within. It's not a harassment situation. Um, I think this a good question, man, with the succession is, is sometimes like you're not doing the work because you're obsessed with something, but you. You're not really going to do the work to get to it. You really like it and lingers you go back to it. And that's been me before commitment, I think is there's some similarities, you know, amendment, maybe you're a little bit obsessed about it and that helps you be committed, but you can be committed and not be obsessed. You can be committed and not even like that. Yeah. That's what I'm saying, man. Yes. Good question on that one.

Find yourself in the wrong relationship.

No answer, but first ask me.

No, I liked like, I liked that little outlook that you have there. I think that's really good now. Teaching piano slash playing piano. Is that your main career? Do you have any side gigs going on that we're not aware of? Uh, what, what does that look like?

I do. Yeah. Um, this is the main thing that I am focused on launching, but I do work. Um, like I said, my background is in design engineering and I didn't. Man. I'm an old guy, 20, 20, 20 years. And, um, I like it. I like a lot about it then, like I said earlier, a lot of what I applied to control shift piano. I also applied in that industry and it's been phenomenal. Um, the developments I've been able to, to, to help with

beautiful. If you can just say. Sentence say that first part. What industry was that? Could you cut out on me? Design engineer. Thank you. Okay. That's what I thought you said it cut out for a second. I want to make sure I got everything there. Beautiful. All right. Now, comparing your failures to who you are now. What, what, what is, what does that look like inside? How do you feel about.

I really feel great about it because I think the failures, I don't like to discount them. Like they made me part of who I am, like my father, uh, the one that gave me birth, you know, what brought me into this world. He wasn't a great person, but I'm sure. Uh, well, I'll say social, but he, wasn't a great person. He's no longer alive, but there's parts of him that are in me. I mean, it's just the way it is genetically. Right. And he experiences the crummy experiences I went through as a child, dealing with him. Um, and so what we learned from that, you know, we learned who we want to be and who we don't want to. You know what I mean? So the failures I experienced with piano brought me to here and now I'm able to help other people that face the same challenges.

Oh, okay. Now we got to go down this little rabbit hole. I'm curious. So with a social upbringing, trauma or trauma within the social upbringing, did you experience anything like that? I did personally and I had to come to terms with that after. No longer focused on work, but actually stopping and start listening to what my body was telling me. Did you experience something like that

before? Absolutely. Yeah. Um, and have to revisit it in my mind sometimes just to remind me, you know, of who I am and why I'm, who I am, you know, there's amazing, you know, the human, uh, composition, the way we're made that we are very dirty. When you think about what people go through and sometimes we need help. You know, I've learned there's nothing wrong with asking for help seeking help. And, um, yeah. Uh, but the bad times, I mean, how many, how many, the greatest songs are written from the worst times? I believe that, uh, there's a reason for that.

I liked that now asking for help. I mean, I'm an introvert at. Early stages of life. For me, I was like afraid to even voice. There was a problem. Like if anybody asked me, like, is everything good? Like my teacher. Oh no, we're good. We're good. I'm I'm fucked, man. I don't know what to do. Like, like w w when did you realize you were actually able to fully express, like, yeah, I'm fucked right now. Excuse me. I don't know what I'm doing, please. Come over here. I'm I'm I'm a handicap. I really need your help, please.

Well, yeah, I think really, I think it's more of a recent thing for me when I say recent, I mean like last eight years or so, because I, when you talk about childhood trauma and things like that, I've always had people who had it worse than me, whether it's a brother or a cousin or, you know, my mother. So imagine somebody having it worse than you. And all the focus goes to that person, including your focus. Right. But you're not addressing your own personal issues because you're, you know, you're rightly so. You're focused on somebody else's issue. So I think it's more in the last 10 years that I came to say, you know, what makes me who I am? Why, why am I this way? And I don't like to be a person that's set in my ways. Um, so I may be, you know, I like to be open to.

I like that now for me, I've experienced a lot of anxiety. I have a lot of anxiety. I still get it to this very moment. Even when I step up to the mic just right before our conversation, I get real comfortable. Then next thing you know, you don't know what the fuck and do. Like, I can't do this. I need to leave, but I've done this over a hundred times. Like, what's the problem with that? It happens. But once you get past that little hump. It's gone. Like, do you experience that? And when was, when was the first time you finally realize that you are able to get past in?

Yeah, it's the pressure of, of performing sometimes. Um, for some people like go back to the start of our conversation, you said, Hey, Steve, let's cut out the scripted talk. Let's just talk. That's what's important, you know, so being our true self, I think when we're reminded, like, if, if there's somebody that's going to perform, imagine going up after Brian McKnight, you know, trying to play piano or, you know, uh, you know, Ray Charles or somebody like that, then your next and your mind is a fresh Shapiro, man, what am I going to do? You know? But in reality, You know, don't compare to somebody else. Um, if it's not a healthy thing, if it's something healthy that gives you something to aspire to in. Great. Other than that, just be yourself.

And I mean, plus the fact that you're after Ray, Charles, You fucking you're good, dude. Like if you

might just leave the building, you know?

No, I liked that Steven. I really do. Okay. So tell us, tell our audience where they can learn more about your product. What is your product? Exactly. You have the Florida throw that out there and explain it a little bit.

So thank you. Yeah. So the best thing to do is probably go to my website control shift PM, bill.com. But the product is really, there's more behind it. It's really the method behind it. As we've talked through our session, you know, it's the mindset you can see, the pace is different. The expectation is different. Everything is different about this, and it's really just a help simplified piano so that more people can. Can, uh, enjoy it. So, I mean, that's all it's about, um, and that's how you can get it. YouTube is also a good resource. Um, just YouTube control, shift, piano, and just check it out.

Beautiful. I will link that in the show notes. Uh, do you have, uh, like a contact method if they want to reach out to you or they have any questions?

Yeah, you can email me Steve back. Controls shift piano.com. I've gotten a lot of emails. I, I love emails and you know, it's a good way to communicate

these days. Oh, definitely. So do you have any, uh, any, anything else that you'd like to share before I let you go something I need to ask you?

Uh, well, he's doing a great job covering, uh, most aspects, but I guess, you know, it just really all comes down to, um, Just knowing what we want out of life, life is, is priceless that you couldn't put a price on a life. And if you can find something that gives you more enjoyment out of life, that doesn't hurt other people and go for it. So, and this is my way of helping, uh, I think it will lead to other things. Um, and, um, I'm here for the ride and I hope you come along. Hell. Yeah, I'll

go anywhere with you, Steven, Steven Jenkins, everybody. Beautiful. Beautiful. Thank you so much for coming onto Your Transformation Station

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