Where Do You Little White Lie?

So what’s been going on with the band?

A question all artists have been asked a bazillion times, and yet…

What’s the little white lie you tell most often when asked that question?

That certain aspect you pump up…or sweep under the rug.  The real answer to the question.  The confident, insecure, messy, powerful answer.

Now, I know I know. Fake it till you make it.  No one wants to hear a sob story.  It’s not the right time and place to really “get into it”.

But noticing where you place your white lies says more about YOU than whether or not you answer the question in a socially acceptable way.

p.s. If the truth to the question “So what’s going on with the band” is really as shiny as most of the artists I’ve talked to over the last ten years…I should have a lot more famous friends.

p.p.s. The answer artists give to that question while standing in a club or coffee shop is worlds apart from from the one they give when sitting in my living room.  There’s life and truth and potential in the living room answer.

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

If You’re An Artist In The Music Business...

If you’re an artist in the music business…

You’re in the mystery business

You’re in the magic business

You’re in the spiritual business

You’re in the communication business

You’re in the evolution business

You’re in the inspiration business

You’re in the fashion business

You’re in the family business

You’re in the connection business

You’re in the heart business

You’re in the invisible business

You’re in the entertainment business

Whether you put time and effort toward all of these areas or not, you are a participant in each.

A lack of time and energy being put toward a certain area could end up a true “ignorance is bliss” situation, and you shine there anyway….or it could end up being the aspect you didn’t know was missing, leading to some type of demise.

Lots of time and energy put toward an area can lead to mastery of it….or it can lead to over analyzation that leaves your career paralyzed.

Welcome to the business(es).

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

But Is It Great?

I’m excited for your new project.

I really am. I like you.

It’s awesome you got that PR rep you wanted and could pay for.

I know you worked really hard by writing tons of songs for this project.

You’re super talented, and have a great voice.

I love talking about music and music business with you.

You’ve got some great shows coming up.

Its a wonderful, successful step with the hip blog debuting your video.

Pumped for the first single coming out.

But is it great?

I really want it to be.

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

Vital Sign

A good sign that you’re on the right track is you can look around you and see that because of what you do and the unique way you do it, other people are having their needs, dreams and desires fulfilled.

The inverse is also true.  If, when doing what you do in the way you do it, you look around and the only person who’s needs, desires and dreams that are being pursued are your own…you’re not on the right track.  And it’s going to be a lonely track.

The key to your success is helping others succeed.

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

Introducing

I visited one of my old haunts recently, a coffee shop not far from my house in Nashville.

The cafe was pretty full and I was waiting in line behind a handful of people.

As I was standing there the next song came on.

I am not kidding you, within first second of the song, that first little piano run, about everyone in the room looked up or looked at the person next to them smiled, bobbed their head and felt sassy.  And I’m not exaggerating about the one second thing either.

The song was Roses by Outkast.

If you know the song, go listen to it.  So good. That piano intro is a signature, a stamp, an ID tag, and is instantly recognizable, in one second.

In a similar vein…

One night this past summer I was hanging with friends. Listening to music on a back porch with a bon fire going.  A great summer night.

Someone was playing DJ with Spotify and a jambox speaker and he said “see if you can guess this song…”

He played the first 3 seconds of the song…everyone knew what song it was. Easy.

But this was fun.

We kept going only we shortened the time, so he would only play 1 second of the song and then cut the music and we would guess.  

We went by decade, first doing a 60’s playlist, then 70’s, 80’s all the way up through today.  It was amazing. You need to try this game.

I’d say as a group we had about 95% of the song titles and artists correct by hearing only one second of each song.

The intro is important. All the hits have an audible ID tag, a signature within the first 2 seconds.  

The chorus is the most important part, but so is the intro.

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

Goal Orientation

I used to not really be into New Years and all the “fresh start” type stuff.

I didn’t set goals, that felt too adult, or too serious, or too uncool or something.

Now I’m into New Years and fresh starts and setting goals.

I was an idiot all those years for not being into it.  At this point it’s become a vital part of my life.  Necessary for growth and action.

Goals are not what you had when you were a little kid.  Goals are not the things you talk about late at night after the gig.   Those are dreams and visions (both great things…but they aren’t goals).

Goals have more intentionality behind them.  As it’s been stated by lots of other people before, goals have a handful of specific qualities.  

Goals must be:

Specific- I want to play gigs vs. I want to play gigs in 300 cap rooms in the southeast.

Measurable- I want to play 20 gigs in 300 cap rooms in the southeast.

Yours- Who came up with this? You or your agent? You or your manager? All of you together? You have to be connected to it and the best connection comes with being a part of the creation of the goal.

Time Sensitive- I want to play 20 gigs in 300 cap rooms in the southeast by July 1st.

Written- If you do the previous four steps and start feeling good about yourself but you skip this one, you’re back to zero.  Write it down. On real paper. With a real pen. And actually, believe it or not, the bigger your write it the better.  Our brains are weird like that, bigger is better.

So now you’ll either follow these steps or you won’t.  You’ll completely embrace it and dive in, or you’ll write it off as stupid and not worth it. (I can hear the voice in your head right now saying “yeah, that’s just not for me”…that used to be the dominant one in my head too)

The season you finally follow this guide, you’ll wonder why you hadn’t been doing it all along.

Will you designate a time and place over the course of the next 7 days to sit down with your band and team to set 3 goals for the year?

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