Music

Music…

It can still find you

It can still give you that feeling

It can still exceed all expectations

Whether you’re sitting in the back of a van, on an airplane, on vacation, in your car, when you’re looking for it, when you’re not looking for it.

It can find you.  And when it does, you’re lifted.

You’re jaded, you’ve been working hard, you’ve written tons of songs, you’re burned out, you don’t think it’s possible anymore.

But then you put on some headphones and you just never know…

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

As Good As Your Songs

If things go well, you’re going to have an opportunity for your songs to be heard.  

You will be given a chance.  And you will either have the hit…or you will be found out.

So there’s a couple things to consider and appreciate.

Don’t wish for giant opportunity too soon.  You might not have the tune(s) yet.  Where, even if you could schedule a meeting for tomorrow morning with Daniel Glass or Irving Azoff, or to play Glastonbury, what good would it really do?

The best way to prepare for opportunity is to have the song.  That’s the ace up your sleeve.

You’ll get the big gig, you’ll get the big meeting where light will shed on exactly how good you are.  

EXACTLY how good you are.  Accurate and eye opening.  Sounds risky doesn’t it?

I hope you get the opportunities.  I hope you have the songs.

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

Out In The Clubs

It’s really easy and cheap to be critical of (fellow) bands and artists when you see them at a club show.

It’s a club show, not an arena show, so its safe to say no one is getting or giving the benefit of the doubt.  

But what if instead of dwelling on all the things each act is bad at, you try to find one thing the act is doing really well.  

Because there’s something in there.  

The band might be a hot mess, pitchy, bad rhythm section, bad fashion…but when the singer goes to get people to clap, people actually clap.  How did they pull this off…especially in a club?

Looking for something going right may mean you have to lean-in and pay attention a little more.  

But it will be much more impactful.  And isn’t impact why you showed up in the first place?

Every act you watch is doing something right.  What is it?

p.s. On the flip side, for all the critical things you’ve thought about the fellow bands on the bill, have you ever expressed them in a helpful way?

Probably not.  The critiques are usually just a means to feel superior in the moment.

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

Hanging Your Life On Desire

Don’t let desire mislead you or fool you.

I kid you not, still, every time I see any of the Mighty Ducks movies there is a tiny sliver of my heart that honest to goodness has a strong desire put the ice skates back on and become a hockey player.

But I shouldn’t listen to that desire.

When I hear of a friend opening a new hip restaurant in Nashville I think that’d be AMAZING, I want that.  I have desire for that.

Just because I want it, or a desire grows inside of me for it, doesn’t mean I should do it.

I don’t know a single songwriter in Nashville that doesn’t have some level of desire to be an artist too.

But they mute that desire at least for a season.

When I see Taylor Hawkins play drums.  Come on…everybody wishes they were a drummer.

When I’m riding in a van or sitting in my office or laying awake in bed at night there are all kinds of ideas, desires and dreams that come across my mind.  Some new, and some I’ve had around for quite a while.

But desire should not in and of itself equal commitment and action.

Desire is a crucial ingredient but not the only one you’ll need.

Don’t hang your life on desire alone.

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

Be Very

Very hot

Very cold

Very fast

Very slow

Very electro

Very theatrical

Very elegant

Very bombastic

Very sedated

Very enthusiastic

Your band should be very SOMETHING.

If you’re KIND OF a lot of things, but not VERY SOMETHING, back to square one.

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

Answers For Everyone...Except...

What would you do to jump start growth for a brand new band?

If some young kid came up to you and asked you this question, what would you say?

It’s funny, we have answers and a plan for everyone but ourselves.

What, you need me to tell you what to do??!! You want my opinion on how not to be an idiot??!!

Yes, I can help you with that.  And you can help someone else with that. Easy.

But can I help me with that?  That’s a lot harder.  But chances are most of the things I would tell a young band, business, person, friend, are a lot of the same things I should be listening to and doing.

So, if you weren’t in your band (or business), what would you tell your band to do, or not do, in order to experience growth?

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