Chasing the (Musical) Dragon

“Chasing the dragon” is a phrase referring to the pursuit of an intense feeling; a high. One tries something, gets a real good feeling, and wants more. This phrase is used in drug culture where the hits give diminishing returns. Drugs often demand a toll - you pay with your own condition.

Now this phrase is used for generally chasing a high so it applies to other activities. The "runner’s high” is one example. The condition of your body actually improves from running and you will still get this feeling, contrary to most drugs.

I want to talk about this chase in regard to music. It’s a driving force behind why I still play, and there are actually a few musical dragons I chase. Time during the lockdowns pushed me to look into my motivation for music and some dragons really stuck out. I’ll talk about two of them here.

One is the “chemistry moment”. These are moments where collaborative, often unplanned actions spark between group members. The combination of musical, artistic, and social satisfaction is hard to compare but there may be similar feelings in team sports etc.

The other is in striving. There is always more to learn. I see how that sentence can be intimidating or frustrating - especially if you want to “be done”. We’ll all be done one day, don’t worry!

Loving the process is key. And the feeling of finally “getting it” can be very satisfying. This is similar to the “Eureka!” or “Aha!” moments.

Struggle is required to get there… but I find that if it’s for what I care about it often turns out to be worth it.