A Guest Post Appearance

The inspiration for, and most of this actual post comes from an email my nephew, Walker Owsley (aka True Odyssey) sent me about doing something original and unique.  Something honest and from the heart. About wishing you were you and not someone else.

No one became Michael Jordan by wearing his jersey

No one became Guns & Roses by being in a Guns & Roses cover band

No one became Jerry Seinfeld by telling Jerry’s jokes

No one became Picasso by hanging one in their living room and claiming they did it

No one became Zooey Deschanel by dressing dorky

The list goes on and on for things the world has trademarked.

You can’t copy and rip-off your way to the top.  You may be inspired to the top.  But people can smell a copy cat mentality a mile away.

And that’s what it is most of the time, mentality.  

The goal is the mentality to do something original, and all the while be wide open to inspiration, motivation and encouragement from a broad range of sources.

We need to experience what only you can give us.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Artists: Talk To Artists

Fellow artists and bands are your best sounding board when brining on a new team member.

Fellow artists are much more likely to give you a straight forward answer of what their experience and perspective is.  They’re less likely to be hiding the truth.

When you’re thinking about hiring an agent, manager, publicist, etc it’s easy to get romanced in the initial meeting, go home and talk about it, see how you feel, and then make a decision.

Talk to other artists who have worked with that person/company! It’s so easy to forget this. But so important to remember.

If you don’t know an artist or two or three who can give you their experience…ask the person you’re potentially hiring for some references of other bands they’ve worked with…and then call those bands.

Remember, YOU are hiring THEM, not the other way around. Don’t be afraid to do your due diligence.

There’s important reasons artists have left you’re potential team member, and there are important reasons artists have stayed with them.

You should know this before…not after.

You are the leader. You are the driver. You have what it takes.

Talk to each other.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Cool And Sexy

Doing the hard part is neither cool nor sexy.  But when you’re finished with it and it works, everyone wonders how you got to be so cool and sexy.  And how can they get there…quickly.

The first thought is to just jump to doing cool and sexy things.  
-Get 100k Instagram followers.  
-Get tons of comments.
-Get important people to say cool things about you.  
-Attend a premier.  
-Get a picture with a big star like it ain’t no thang.
-Get other people to wish they had your life.

None of those things are bad (except that last one…but lets get real…we spend a lot of time on that one). I hope you achieve all of them.

But

If you have not done the real hard work and agonized, worked through the night, worked hard with no one watching, wept, and nearly given up multiple times, you haven’t done the hard part and will never be cool and sexy.

And the funny thing is, I bet after we’ve truly done the hard part, pushed through and succeeded, we’ll care about cool and sexy a whole lot less.  We’ll realize that was a foolish goal to start with.

Maybe we should just ditch it now.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

You And Maroon 5

Attention and trust. That’s what’s scarce, that’s what’s rare.  That’s why Maroon 5 get a decent song on the radio and your great song never gets air play.

But that’s what you need.  Attention and trust, not air play.

The question isn’t why is Maroon 5 on the radio and super famous and you’re not…it’s why do people trust them and give them attention (which turns into money)…and then follow that up with why should people trust you and give you their attention.

(Our friends might not be perfect day after day, or as exciting as when we first met them, but we keep giving them more chances because that’s a whole lot easier than finding brand new friends.)

That’s why an artists first hit song/album is usually their best song, because it had to be great in order to make up for their lack of attention and trust from the public.

However, once you have attention and trust, the battle becomes how to still deliver great music when you know you can lean on the attention and trust you’ve earned and it will make up for a certain amount of lack of quality in the music.

If you’ve been around for a while, writing songs, putting out music, you probably have a song that if it were shoved down peoples’ throats through radio, ads, placements, etc, people would like it just fine.  So maybe your song isn’t the problem (…but maybe it is).

You can be trusted. You’re worth giving attention to. You just have to show us why.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

Late For The Gig

While going to play a gig yesterday, I sat in the worst traffic I’ve ever sat in.  A stretch that should have taken an hour to drive took three and a half hours.

Suppose to be there to load-in (through long halls, lifts, elevators to the 22nd floor) in at 5, show at 8.  Got there at 7:30, still started on time and everyone was happy.  By far the fastest load in and set up of a sound system and lights that has ever happened in the history of music.

But I will say, as I was changing clothes in the bathroom at 7:55, I’ve was never more aware of how haggard I looked…and felt.  Borderline homeless man in a suit.

But the show went on, and people at the event were none the wiser of our stress-fest nightmare situation that we somehow pulled off.

And then I got to thinking…the show has never not happened.

I’ve played a million shows and there have been a million close calls, but I’ve never missed one.

There have been so many times, countless times where I have stressed out and stressed out the people around me because something went wrong, or we’re going to be late, or someone forgot cables or drumsticks.

For what?  For the fear that the show wasn’t going to happen, people would be mad at me, people would think I’m a bad person for not upholding my word to play a show, for not looking professional.

But being professional isn’t about things going right all the time, it’s about making the show happen despite EVERYTHING going wrong.

So here’s to a little less worry and stress about the next gig.  Breathe.  It’s all going to happen…yes, the worry and the stress, but most importantly THE GIG.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com

The Place Where You Get Good Ideas

The good ideas you have come from the same place you get the bad ideas.

So just keep getting new ideas and you’ll eventually get some good ones.

The bad ones are just badges for not giving up.

So either way today you can get a good idea or earn a badge.

Both have value in the long run.

I’m always interested in your perspective, whether affirming or dissenting. Continue the conversation anytime: gabethebassplayer@gmail.com