A Break From Promoting Your Music

In 1998 you didn’t have to promote the idea of CD’s and then in turn get people to buy your CD specifically.  By then CD’s we’re the only game in town. All you had to do was promote your CD and that made perfect sense to everyone…the people were already trained in what to do with that information.  

And the training of that information was very lucrative for lots of people.

Now it’s different.

Streaming.

It’s funny, perhaps the best thing artists can do for the long-term is not to promote their own music but to promote streaming as a medium, Spotify, Apple Music, etc.

Artists need more people subscribing to streaming. Once they’re there…once everyone is there, it will mean more money for everyone for a lot longer.

You will make more money when 100 million more people join streaming.  If WE can make that happen, everyone wins. 

Streaming revenue is forever (or at least for our lifetime). We need more customers subscribing to forever.

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

Music People Are Notoriously Flakey

Too often what is seen as the right choice coincides with the choice that is easy to get out of when we need to.

We survey the options and are drawn to the one that we can commit to, get the most out of, but if something comes along and we want out, we can.

Whether its a label deal, song choices, band member choices, touring partners…we want to commit to a REALLY GOOD option…that we can get out of.

If it’s a REALLY GOOD option, but we can’t (easily) get out of it once we’ve committed, all of a sudden, perhaps without even noticing it, it becomes much less of a really good option.

We’re hyper aware of the possibility of being ‘too tied down’.

We want great, fruitful commitments, the BEST committed plans, decisions and relationships…as long as we know there’s an out.

So we make the guitars a little less overdriven so we don’t have to fully commit to the rock genre.  We commit to the opening act until another cooler opening act bullies their way on instead. We soften the lyric so we can’t be pinned down to the meaning.  We tell he producer we’re gonna make three records with him but never get around to signing the paper work.  We set rehearsal for 4pm, but show up at 5:30pm because…

Now…change is good, and I’m a fan of adjusting the plan…but let’s just face it for a second…musicians and music people are notoriously flakey, and the love of keeping options open and seeing the best option as the ‘one I can wiggle out of’ is a major contributor.

Ironically, said another way, music people are fiercely committed to keeping their options open even when they ‘commit’ to something.

So there’s two things I really want to hammer home.  They’re separate but were built right alongside each other:

1. We hate giving up options

2. So we prioritize and elevate the options that will keep our options open

But truly committing IS, by nature, giving up other options.  And commitment is worth A LOT, so spend it wisely, but spend it truly.

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

Black Coffee

Every time I walk into a coffee shop and order a coffee, they always give it to me how I don’t like it: black. 

At this point it’s up to me to make something I don’t like into something I do like…by walking to the table across the room with the half & half (no sugar in my coffee anymore…it’s been a long process).

I willingly sign up for the coffee. The coffee is never what I dreamed it would be. I, every day, have to make it into what I dreamed it would be.

The metaphor is worth noting.

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

The Old Mentality

The Beatles didn’t set out to use a four track.  That’s simply what they used.

The Beatles set out to use the latest and greatest…they set out to discover the coolest newest thing.

They were excited about technology and excited writers of songs.

You can be that.

Let go of the old ways and adopt the old mentality instead.

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

Weekend Ideas

When you dream and have vision and goals on the weekends, it’s during s time when you have all day. 

You slept in, made breakfast and drank your coffee slow. So the ideas and goals come through your brain with this type of day in mind, with so much time and relaxation on your hands. Your brain forgets that all days aren’t this open, in fact, most aren’t. 

Because when you get into the busyness of the week, the ideas and goals you had on the weekend during your down time seem impossible, as they’re stacked up against the reality of your scheduled life. 

So now you’re left with a couple options…

1. Have less of “the reality of your scheduled life” so you can follow through more on what you really want to offer to the world.

2. Don’t dream so big on the weekends since you know that you’re never really going to do any of that stuff anyway because real life is too busy.

We all choose option number one when given the choice.

But the hard part is remembering to choose.  The trap is when we continually go through the first few paragraphs of this post over and over (dreaming big and bold and then getting to busy) and never get to the part about making a new decision.

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

A Few Live Show Notes

Don’t take a mental break during your show.

The best way to say thank you isn’t by saying it, but by putting on a great show.

Most of you sing louder than you speak, so if you speak between songs, speak up and into the microphone.

The center of the stage is the most powerful position.

Yes, we need you to be comfortable on stage so that you can use that comfort to do something even greater. Don’t stop with comfort.

Slow down your movements. More intentionality, less speed.

Your mouth is an important feature on your face. Don’t hide right behind the microphone.

Give the audience a reason to tell their friends the next day that they had a good time last night.

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