A Quick Question About You

Now that this blog has been rolling along steadily for a while, I’d like to take a day and ask your thoughts on a few things.

Basically, I’d love to know what you like and what you don’t like about the blog, but to actually get your brain going a bit more I’ve come up with some questions that you’re welcome to answer.  All of them, none of them, some of them…I’m just really interested in how I may be able tailor some things toward what you’re looking for.

What specific facets of the music business (the entertainment business) are you currently facing?

What’s the most important thing you’ve learned about the industry in the last year?

Why do you like receiving/reading a daily blog?

What does your band/team need more of?  What does it need less of?

Would you be interested in connecting with other like minded people to discuss topics that have been covered in the blog?

If you’re reading this on the website and not in an email, why haven’t you signed up yet? (reply at gabethebassplayer@gmail.com)

Thank you for being the kind of person who wants to dig deeper than sex drugs and rock & roll.  I appreciate your willingness to talk about (and think about) meaningful insights about your life in the entertainment business.

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

Tuna Dip At Cocoon’s

It’s not called Cocoon’s anymore.  

And Tuna Dip is not on the menu.

There’s zero advertising and no reminders or triggers to remember it.

But if you’ve experienced it before, and you know to ask about this Tuna Dip at a place that used to be called Cocoon’s, you know that you’ll be sure to buy some every time you’re on the beach on 30A in Florida.

The Tuna Dip hooked me the first time I tried it.  And now I never forget to buy more of it when I’m at the beach.  

Do you have a hook like Tuna Dip? A song? A live show? A thing?

Something where the quality and the feeling are it’s own marketing, advertising and satisfaction? 

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

Iggy Azalea In RollingStone

Two things on her interview in RollingStone about canceling her first arena tour.

1. “I just feel I deserve a break”

Ha! After humans do a lot of work we feel we deserve a break.  It’s the same reason Nick Saban says Alabama will (at times) lose to an inferior team the week after winning a nail biter against LSU.

We think since we worked hard, now we get to punch the easy button a bunch of times.

When you put in the long hours on a project and bring it to completion, the true reward is the opportunity to do the next realm of work.

You’re welcome to TAKE a break (and maybe you need to), but you don’t DESERVE a break just because you worked hard for a couple years.

And I’m taking this quotation a little bit out of context, cause after saying she deserves a break, Iggy says she’s going to be working on new material and new visuals. I hope she does.  I think she will.

2. “Even though a lot of people just discovered it…I want to be able to perform new stuff and do new things”

It’s great she said this.  It’s something that a lot of artists feel but the public is usually pretty blind to it.  Most “new” artists have been pedaling the same tunes for years before they break through (i.e. The Beatles).

Being a new artist is hard, and you play those same 5 or 10 songs literally a thousand times.  You want new, but fans want what’s new to them.

Overcoming this struggle has everything to do with your connection to the songs as the performer.  And why you’re doing this to begin with.  Is it real, in your heart?  Or is it a tiny bit fake?  Do you phone it in? Are you a singer, or are you a lead singer?

—

I don’t care if Iggy Azalea takes a break because she feels she deserves it.  And I don’t care if she doesn’t want to gig her first album anymore.

But you…I hope you don’t take a break.  Not right now.

And I hope you know why you should keep playing your gigs.

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

Habits

We’re embarrassed of talking about our bad habits because what kind of person would perpetually do something that is negative towards themselves.

We’re embarrassed of talking about our good habits because we think it makes us sound self-righteous, an air of superiority.  Also if good habits get talked about, it makes you somewhat accountable for keeping it going, which is scary.

So fine, don’t talk about them.

Just have them.

The good ones, that is.

What habits do you need to start?

What embarrassing, awkward things, things that make you feel out of place do you need to start a habit of doing?

Talking about them will be beneficial and helpful later on, but for now just start them.

Start a good habit.

 p.s. This is not a New Years resolution.  This is exposing fear and purpose and doing something about it.

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

Question Of The Day, Everyday

Why are you an artist today?

Not what are you going to do.  Not how are you going to achieve your goals.  Not who do you need to set up meetings with.

Why are you choosing to be an artist today?

Ask yourself this question everyday when you wake up.  If you can answer it, you will begin to attract and achieve all the other parts.

p.s.  You don’t need to be a musician or singer to feel the weight of the question.  If you’re willing to put your authentic self into the world for the sake of making a difference, you are an artist and should wrestle with this question.

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

The Problem With Solving Traffic

I get annoyed and frustrated with long car rides and with traffic.  I get annoyed because I know that one day 50 or 100 or 1000 years from now there won’t be long car rides and traffic.  

So I hate that I have to go through it and deal with it now.  Humans will look back on all the time we spend in vehicles and laugh at the wasted time.

That day is coming absolutely for sure.

But here’s the thing, I’m not the kind of person who does something about that problem.  

I’m the kind of person who writes a blog post about that problem even though I know that that problem is solvable and I know whoever solves that problem is going to be a billionaire or zillionaire and will have helped everyone on the planet.

I see the problem, and I take myself of the list for people who are going to do anything.

That’s fine. And it’s fine if you take yourself off that list for that problem too.

But the real question is, what problem ARE you on the list to solve?  What problem are you in the process of helping people solve?

Sign yourself up on a list.

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