The Problem With Getting The Meeting

The problem with getting the meeting is that you think you’re job is over.  That the hard part has finally subsided.  That you can relax a bit.  That because you got the meeting that you’re in.

The problem with getting the meeting is that the goal becomes about having a good-time meeting rather than providing something of value. 

Before you ask for a meeting, ask your self What am I providing? What benefit can I pass onto the person I want to meet with?

The person you want to meet with probably doesn’t need another meeting, but there’s a good chance they need the benefit that you can provide them.

There’s a ton of people barking up their tree for a meeting in order to ask them for something.  

What if you don’t bark up their tree for a meeting but instead provide them with something?

p.s. Rarely is meeting synonymous with doing.  


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

Taking It Off

The audience loves when you take it off.

It doesn’t matter what it is. Take it off and you’ll elicit a reaction from your audience.

Perhaps rather than asking “How is everyone doing?”, just take off your jacket and you’ll have your answer.

p.s. Because more than asking the question, or even knowing the answer, as an artist you want to EXPERIENCE a reaction to something you say or do.



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

Connecting Over Anything But Music

It’s easy and fast to connect with other music biz folks over music. And we should. After all, it’s the business we chose and are choosing.

But because we spend so much time using music and music biz as the connecting factor/conversation, those factors can lose their effectiveness…or perhaps become less effective.

When everyone is talking music, we remember the person in the biz who uses the same protein powder we do, or is a fan of the same sports team as us, or is obsessed with the same shoe brand.

Unique, exceptional, rare connection is powerful.  And by definition, scarce.

And things that are scarce and powerful ping our brains differently and stick with us.

You may have only met that booking agent once, but you discovered you both buy lunch meat from the same local deli.  Now you’re not just another artist with good music.

More than anything, I think people in the business just get tired of talking about the business sometimes and are looking for a more exciting, personal connection.

I want to connect with you about what you and I do in the music business, but I get extra pumped up when I find out you used to have a Penny Hardaway Team USA basketball jersey in 8th grade too.

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

Sunday Song Email

On Sunday I’ll be starting a new weekly email (don’t worry, this one will continue :)

This weekly email is mainly for songwriters and producers.  I’ve been spending a lot of time in that world the past few months and wanted to do something specifically for them.

So here’s the deal…

Every Sunday night before the work week begins I’ll be sending out a list of the Spotify Worldwide Top 10 and the Media Base Country Top 10, and along with each song it will have the length of the track, the BPM and the main/chorus chord progression.

Even those few elements are really interesting to look at.  Spoiler: the Worldwide track length averages around 3:40…so much for 3 minute pop songs (and after doing some research the average length on the Billboard top 10 hasn’t been 3 minutes since the 1960’s!!!!)

So that’ll be the top part. I’ve been messing with the email text formatting for desktop and mobile and it should be pretty easy to digest the information quickly.

Below that I’m gonna list all the songs again but this time include all the writer and producer information.  True: It’s a lot of names, it’s a little more to take in.  But it’s pretty interesting to see who’s writing and producing all this stuff.

The Sunday song email isn’t a means to worship at the alter of the chart…it’s simply some useful information for the week. To know what’s going on. To help you get unstuck when you feel stuck. To learn something. To make a connection.

For now the only way to get on this new list is to email me that you want to be on it.  So if you reply to this email with the word ‘subscribe’, I’ll add you for this week.  If you have friends who want on the list, have them email me and I’ll add them.

Write on.

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

$500 Tickets To Your Show

What if you charged $500 per ticket for your next show.

That’d be pretty freaky right? Because what do people pay $500 per ticket for?

Something amazing.

Something absolutely pro.

Something they can’t get anywhere else.

Something they’ve been looking forward to for a long time.

Something that very well could be categorized as “the greatest night of my year”.

So…what would your show look like? What would you have to change in order to give them this type of value?

My guess is: if you close your eyes for a second and put the $500 ticket scenario in your head you probably have an uh-oh moment…a we-need-to-do-something moment.

Ok, you can open your eyes now…tickets aren’t going to be $500 to your next gig, but prepare like they will be.

p.s. Increasing the ticket price to $500 simply activates the part of your brain that is aware of the audiences hopes for the night.  But the hopes are there regardless.  The $500 brings renewed awareness and hopefully: action.



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

Stop Reading Lyrics

When you go to track the vocal are you reading the lyrics or living the lyrics?

Are you reading lyrics or feeling them?

Reading or immersing?

Reading or channeling?

It’s the art of SINGING, not the art of reading.

No wonder so many bands’ first albums have an extra special thing.  It’s because the singer has already sung those songs a million times on the road before making the record…and has all they lyrics memorized to the point of not even having to think about them.

It’s more than simply memorization.  It goes beyond that.

If you don’t even have to think about the lyrics, that’s when the subconscious and feel can really take over and do something special in the studio.

Do you think Freddie Mercury was using a lyric sheet for Another One Bites The Dust?

Can’t you just see Adele constantly referencing the lyrics on a Mac screen propped up in front of her when she cut the vocal for Someone Like You?

You deserve better than reading your lyrics.

Stop reading lyrics.

Sing them.

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