Good Cities And Bad Cities

There seems to be one primary way we define how much we like a particular city…whether a city is good or bad in our minds.

And I’ve been to a lot of cites. I’m sure you have too.

The factor that seems to steer the ship the most is: who you’re with.

If you’re in a city with a not-so-great reputation but you’re with great people, it turns around.

There’s a lot of cities in America I think are absolutely fantastic but really as I think about why I think they’re fantastic, it has everything to do with that I loved the people I was with.

A lot of the time the memory isn’t even tied to a specific action or event or what I did…it’s just a vibe, a feeling I get when I hear someone mention that city.

It’s not to say that what you do while you’re going from city to city isn’t important, it is…I’m simply pointing to the idea that who you’re with might very well be more important than what you do.

Because, unfortunately, I’ve had experiences in great cities doing great things with the wrong people and it taints the vibe of the city.

If you’re going from city to city, gig after gig, night after night with the wrong people…you just might end up hating a lot of great places.

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

OF COURSE They Were Able To...

…because they are different than me, and are the chosen ones, and never have to work for it, and they always win without trying, and they’re always lucky, and the rich get richer, and they were chosen by something in the universe to be very cool and successful and perfect.

That’s what you really mean by “OF COURSE they were able to…” 

1. It’s not true.
2. You don’t know them well enough to know if it even could be partially true.
3. As long as you view them as anointed, your brain allows that to be the excuse why you’re not as successful…causing you to view yourself as eternally not-as-successful…which will most likely cause you to be unsuccessful.
4. Get over it. You’re just jealous. And that’s a problem with you, not them.
5. Good news: you can fix you.
6. Good news: you don’t have to wait for them to start the fixing.

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

Your Best Song

Put your best song or latest song in a playlist with other songs that it’s like. 

Does it hold its own?  Are you embarrassed, or are you excited?

I know I know I know you’re the most unique artist ever and you’ve reinvented the wheel so you can’t possibly put your song with “others like it” because “others like it” doesn’t exist for your song.

Seriously though, it’s a pretty good litmus test.  With Spotify and Apple Music you have access to hear what your music sounds like next to anyone and everyone.

So if you say people who like that band and that band should like your band: put your best song next to their hits and find out how that feels.

Proceed accordingly.

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

The Glory Is Brief

Over the years I’ve had the pleasant opportunity of meeting and hanging with famous people, mostly famous musicians.  And I have a lot of friends who have done the same.

And the number one thing everyone says after hanging out with a famous artist is some variation of…”They were just so normal and cool and laid back”.

Why?

Because the glory is brief. It doesn’t last.

No one can live inside of it. 

That’s what makes the glory, glory…and the rest of life not.

You can’t live glory…so the end of the day you have to live with yourself.  Glory is brief, who you are is not.

Glory is the sold out audience shouting their affirmation at you. Glory is that one moment in that one song where you hit the note in just that extra special way that caused you to transcend into the next dimension for a moment.  Glory is the line out the door for the autograph signing.

Glory is so brief if attained at all.  It’s there and then it’s gone…and you then return to your norm.

So of course the rockstars we get to rub elbows with are normal, what did we expect?

p.s. In the long run seeking out glory often robs you of being compelling.  While doing the hard work of discovering and developing your compelling-ness could very well open the gates to a few true moments of glory.



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

Follow Me If You Want To...

Follow me if you want to…

…(insert your answer here)

Most every artist is running around, wildly concerned with getting followers.  MORE followers. More Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter followers.

And what is usually meant by followers is fans (although the truth is one doesn’t necessarily equal the other).

But why should we follow you on social media or just in general? What’s the point? What’s YOUR point?

What’s your one sentence pitch?  

And it’s not that you need to proclaim your pitch or verbally state it to your followers…you almost shouldn’t need to…it should just be operated from, consciously and/or subconsciously.

I wish I could reach through the device you’re reading this on and make you sit there until you come up with and believe in your answer to the statement.  I don’t care if it takes weeks or months.  It’s of utmost importance.  Spend all the necessary time it takes.

So

Follow me if you want to…

There’s no right or wrong answer, just a true one.

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

What To Do With Your Tiredness

You’re just going to have to bring your tiredness with you.

You have to tell it to just sit right there next to you while you walk in and do the work. You’re not going to make believe it’s not there or ignore it, and you can’t just make it go away, so you’re just going to demand that your tiredness comes with you.

p.s. If you let tiredness define you, you’re simply giving it power over yourself to do so.  Tiredness needs your permission to define you.  Because in and of itself it can’t.



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