The Muse Is In The Planning

What do you hope happens at your show?

Whatever your answer is…DO things that will cause that to happen. On purpose. The muse is in your planning, not in your “lets just see what happens”. 

p.s. Great comedians never tell people to laugh, or even invite them to laugh…they tell jokes.  Most artists do the equivalent of telling, asking, demanding that people laugh, but then follow it up with a vanilla joke.

p.p.s. If you have to tell people to dance, you’re playing the wrong songs.



Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

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

Sneak Peeks

Sneak peeks and teaser videos are for fans, not for new people or to get new fans. 

The fans are excited about the content.

The others are uninterested, teetering on annoyed…or most definitely annoyed.

Market accordingly. 

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

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

If You Don’t Have The Song pt. 2

The flip side to the post the other day would be….if you have the song.

What if you HAVE the song?  What if you have Uptown Funk sitting on your hard drive?

What do you do with it…could you get it heard? What’s the plan?

I know…THE song opens new opportunities and new plans precisely because it’s the song. But for all the wishing you had the song…what if you actually did?

Think about it.  Where do you take it…how to you make sure your Uptown Funk is as big as Uptown Funk?

Here’s one part of the plan…if you have the song…don’t stop playing it.  Even when it gets to be a year old, two years old, three years old.  Even when it hasn’t hit yet.  Don’t stop playing it.

You may or may not have the perfect chain of people to play your smash for, but keep leading with it.  Keep putting it into the world.

If you have the song, keep pushing, keep playing.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

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

When You’re Maxed Out

When you’re doing all you can do, you can’t do more…because you’re doing everything possible, you’re maxed out.

So it’s tempting to learn how you can do more…expand your capacity.

But you’ll never be able to expand your capacity enough to do everything that needs to be done.

Instead of endlessly learning to increase your own capacity, invite people in.  Increase your ability to delegate, to inspire, to articulate a vision that others can latch on to.

You can only do so much.  You will reach your max.  If that point hasn’t come, hopefully it will soon. 

And when it does, choose to reach outward, not inward.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

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

If You Don’t Have The Song

If you don’t have the song, abandon all else until you have it.

And you will know it when you have it.

Artists are insecure, second guessing melodies and lyrics, laboring over the pre-chorus lift, losing sleep over if the right co-writers are in the room, praying the label will like it.

But for all of the uncertainty, when you have the song, a different sort of feeling will come over you.  Its more of a ‘knowing’ than a ‘feeling’.

The insecurity washes away and you remember how to be a stable adult.

Go into the void.  Write more. Or maybe write less.  But stop at nothing to get that song

p.s. True “knowing” is not at all forced either. It’s not a put on, you don’t have to conjure it up, it’s not fake whatsoever.  And as I’m sure you know, It’s easy to fake it a little bit.  100% knowing is worlds apart from 99% knowing.



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

Or connect via…

Nightcap 7

The right heel of your shoe is more worn than the left…gas pedal. 

When you go to fist bump and they cover your fist with their high-five hand…that is the best modern-classic uncomfortable moment.

Toilet paper commercials never tell you what toilet paper is for.   

Has there ever been a parking lot sign that said ”Violators will be towed, but not at the owners expense, it’ll be someone else’s expense”?

The public faucet handle has got to be the dirtiest thing.

If, while playing your next show, you said “This one’s for Prince…” and started playing November Rain, very few would have any issue with it.

Don’t miss a post. Sign up for free.

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