Your Career Status

You probably don’t know the status of your career.

You only know the version of it that YOU have experienced.  And you’ve only ever experienced it through YOUR lens.

Which may not be completely accurate.  

(which isn’t necessarily a bad thing)

In fact, it’s definitely not completely accurate.

One of the many reasons is this…

The beauty of music these days is that every artists’ music has the legs of a marathon runner and then some…legs that are running while you’re sleeping, while you’re traveling, while you’re depressed, while you’re picking up your kid from school.

The status of your career isn’t as bad as you think it is and isn’t as good as you think it is.

The status of your career is worse than you think it is and better than you think it is.

Wow, that was confusing, even as I typed it.  And now I’ve sat here for five minutes deciding if I should change it or delete it.  I’m leaving it. 

Retrospection may give the gift of accuracy one day for all of us, but until then remember…

…most people don’t own a Beatles record.

…someone is probably listening to your music right now.

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

Holding You Back

Your biggest weakness probably isn’t holding you back. 

Your biggest weakness(es) is the easiest to uncover…after all, it’s the biggest. 

Since it’s so obvious you probably know what it is, side step it, and build your career on something completely different and far away from it. 

Chances are you’ve done this without even really thinking about it.

The things holding you back are much more sneaky, subtle and silent.

*And also, if you can point to a person or object as the thing that’s holding you back, you’re off track.

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

The Ideal Candidate

In order to be an ideal candidate you have to be a non ideal, or even a horrible candidate in many other places. 

Metallica doesn’t get asked to open up the Dolly Parton tour.

Dave Mathews Band doesn’t get asked to play at the Electric Forest EDM Festival.

Adele doesn’t get played when the sports team wins the championship.

Metallica, Dave Mathews and Adele are all just fine with not being a part of those things.  Their blatantly obvious non-idealness for these situations points to the fact that they are the perfect candidate for many of the things that they do in fact get asked to be a part of.

It’s easy to say “I want it all”.

But it’s wiser to understand “If I want some I’m going to have to give up having it all”.

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

The New Undervaluing Of Music

This is not a blog post about Napster or streaming or downloading.

It’s a much more subtle under valuing that is happening right inside the music business itself.

With the amazing technology we have right on our phones and computers to make records that sound amazing…we associate computer work with easy and fast…because computers are easy and fast and now there’s great plug-ins and sample packs for the computers.

The under valuing has come via artists, managers, labels, assistants, etc, etc, etc wanting a blazing fast turn around on everything.

That song you wrote earlier today, management wants a full demo (i.e. a master) by tomorrow because the NEED it for the next meeting.

That song that was written and recorded 3 months ago that everyone forgot about…the artist needs mix tweaks done by tomorrow morning because it’s in the running to be the next single.

The song where the vocal isn’t very good…the label needs the vocal edited to sound amazing…by lunch time.

Because making a great record quickly is POSSIBLE these days, too many of us want to utilize the possibility every time (when it benefits us)…and that just ain’t right.

I get it. I understand the dance. I understand the enthusiasm with which a lot of these insane requests get made.  So if you’re the producer, you want to answer the bell, you want to come through in the clutch.

But it’s the flippant attitude of too many people in the business regarding song turn around time that is the beginning of the under valuing of music and the creative process.

Slow down. Breathe baby. It’s all coming together.

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

Making A Career In Music...

Making a career in music is possible and probable when you’re making the kind that a group of people want to hear and experience.

“Making a career”…not “Playing music”

“possible and probable”…not “easier and quicker”

“group of people”…not “everyone”

“hear and experience”…not “could take or leave”

Because then the sentence would look like this:

Playing music is easy and quick when you’re making the kind of music that everyone could take or leave.


We know the first version of the sentence is true…but if we’re not careful we’ll find ourselves wishing the second version of the sentence could just maybe work for us and sustain us.

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

Stop Stopping

Stop ending the show after every song. Stop stopping.  

Stop stopping and starting and stoping and starting.

As herky jerky as this blog post already feels with all the times I’ve said stop stopping, stop ending and starting and stopping…your show takes on the same unsettled feel.

Smooth it out baby.

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