Manager: Care and Relationships

You need to be with the manager who cares about you and has the most relationships that will benefit you.

Both of those things.  Care and relationships.

Be honest. You know in your gut if you’re choosing to blind yourself to an obvious deficiency on one side or the other.

The big shot manager has tons of beneficial relationships but doesn’t care about you.  But you REALLY hope this manager will magically begin to care.

Your manager buddy who loves you can’t do much more than tag along while you hang up show posters.  But your buddy is REALLY passionate and might be able to go meet some people in the biz.

Find someone smart. Someone connected, who understands you and cares about your career as an artist.

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

Your 10th Best Track

Your 10th best track: Why are you putting it out?

I know I know…all your songs are your babies and you love them equally.

Yeah right. 

You know good and well which songs are the best and which ones are further down the list and which one is 10th on the list.

So on your ten song album (if you’re in the business of putting out albums)…why put your 10th best song on the project?

The 10th best song is not going to be a single.  You’re not going to shine a spotlight on it. It’s not going to be a fan favorite.  It’s never going to be played live (especially if you have more than one album).  There are people in the band and on the team who can’t even remember what it’s called.

It’s just not going to get any love.

Now, there are plenty of valid reasons to put the 10th song on there…but I’ll argue that most artists don’t think about them or employ them. (Artists tend to give excuses for that song being on there as opposed to reasons)

If you don’t have a purpose for adding your 10th best song to the album, cut it to 9.

If you don’t have a purpose for adding your 9th best song to the album, cut it to 8.

You see where this is going.

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

Steph Curry’s Way

In order for Steph Curry to pretty consistently hit 5/10 from three-point range game in and game out, he has to be able to hit 30 in a row in practice.  And then hit 25 in a row in practice, and then 33 and then 43.

He knows his shooting in practice will be exponentially better than what happens during the games, so he makes sure he can hit a bazillion 3’s in a row during practice.  

To consistently have great games he has to have even better practices.

And yet I know very few (if any) artists who prepare in such a way.

Most artists think the reverse: If I have a pretty decent rehearsal, the show will be AMAZING.

What would it look like to try it Steph Curry’s way for a while? You can always go back to what you’re doing now…but I don’t think you will.

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

The Problem With The Blanks

The problem is we always fill them in with negativity.

If there are holes in the situation or story…sure, we may not assume the absolute worst but most of us insert a less than ideal story line.

So what can we do?

1. When others leave us with blanks, ask about them rather than filling them.

2. Leave others with less blanks.

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

Making It

“I made it” vs. “I am making it”

It’s not about have you made it, but rather are you making it. 

The making is the becoming, the process, the evolving within the present.

If you’re goal is to be making it rather than have made it…you’ve made it. How ironic. 

Stop trying to make it.

Always be making it.

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

Early Wins

When you’re first starting something or launching something you might consider what it would look like to get a few early wins.

Maybe they’re not huge wins, but they’re wins still the same.

That might look like setting 3 goals instead of 10, but then going 3 for 3 instead of 3 for 10.

See, early victories, even small victories give us momentum to then tackle the next thing.  Early victories also begin to attract people who are attracted to victory.

Now don’t get me wrong…you should try things that don’t work, you should risk and lay it on the line.

But I’m talking about specifically at the beginning.  Early wins further develop your will power and your tendency towards action.

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