Story Of Success and Story Of Purpose

There aren’t as many gates and gatekeepers as there once was, but they’re still there.

And too often those gatekeepers are looking for a story of (past) success in order to let you rather than a story of purpose.

So artists focus on their success story.

But what about when there aren’t any more gates to get through? What about when you have the audience?

What story will you tell then?

The reality is artists and their teams probably need to have the past/recent success story primed and ready because it helps the gatekeepers get over their own lack of discernment, confidence and willingness to believe in something independent of reassurance. 

But all the while the artists especially need to be developing their story of purpose.  Because that’s the story that can be told regardless the size of the audience, regardless of the wattage of the radio station, or readership of the blog.


***One of the most common questions I get about this blog (mostly from musicians) is “how many subscribers do you have”?

My answer is always the same: How many do you need me to have in order to feel good about my answer?

No one ever has an answer for that.  

My answer hedges their desire for a story of success and ushers in a story of purpose for the blog.

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

Touring Is A Lot More Fun When...

It’s a lot more fun to be a touring artist if people like it when you’re on stage.

The thing that makes it tough is, if people don’t like it when you get on stage, they’ll probably still put up with you for the night.

The difference is: I tell people about artists that I like when they walk on stage…the other acts: I put up with them and tell no one.

If people experience an internal (or verbal) “ahhhhhhh, FINALLY”, word will spread.  And by the word spreading you’ll know that people are going ahhhhhh.

p.s. I’m going to Bruno Mars in the fall, and I’m already saying ahhhhh.  Even among his peers (during awards shows, etc), you can see and feel the room being glad he’s on stage.  He’s not the best dancer (he’s really good), he’s not the best singer (he’s really good)…but people just love when he’s up there.  The feel, the presence, confidence, power and leadership.


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

Hold Me Closer, Tony Danza

When I went to college I found out I wasn’t the only one who had thought that was the lyric during my childhood.

Poor Elton John, he didn’t want me to think it was Tony Danza, but my brain heard Tony Danza so that’s what I carried with me.


It turns out that what people think you’re saying is sometimes all that really matters…regardless of what you’re actually saying or meaning to say.

So what are you saying?

And what do your fans believe you’re saying?

*And I’m not talking about song lyrics at this point. I’m talking about you as an artist, as a whole.

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

If You Need This Song To Work

If you need this song to work, to be the one, to be the rocket ship…it probably won’t be.

There’s too much pressure.  Because everyone on the team knows ‘this needs to be the one’ so all of a sudden everyone not only has an opinion, but a strong one.

Too many cooks in the kitchen and the soup sucks. Everyone is so worried, and someone is always pointing out why it won’t work and it needs to be a little less this and a little more that.

The truth is, if anyone is saying or adopting ‘this needs to be the one’…you need a new team and/or a new attitude…or you’re getting ready to hang it up all together.

The odds are already stacked against your next song being the one and the only thing that makes it worse is if it NEEDS to be the one.

Hopefully you and your team are aware and operating out of the good news: it doesn’t.

And when you have a hit people will forgive and forget your misses.

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

SXSW Primer

This is a bit of an annual repeat, but it’s a good reminder for those heading to SXSW in March.

If you really want to dig into some best practices for SXSW, you can read THIS free manifesto about how not to leave SXSW depressed and broke.

So…if you’ve gone before, you may already know but you may have forgotten. If you haven’t gone before, you probably don’t have any clue.

For a bunch of the good parties and shows that happen at SXSW, you need to rsvp in order to get in.  You’ll either be put on the list at the door or they’ll send you a confirmation email and you’ll show that at the door. Then you’ll be in. Then you will have fun getting out of your comfort zone and meeting people.

The rsvp'ing starts now! If you wait until you get down there, it’s going to be too late and plus cell service is horrible so it’s tough to do any of this work on your phone while in Austin.

Doing this work now will make your time at SXSW much better and you won’t be left on the street, literally.  You want to get in to some cool parties.

Here’s some resources to get you started, but don’t stop with just these.

Eventbrite- download this free app, search SXSW at start signing up for parties. You’ll get confirm emails, reminders and a schedule within the app. This is a no brainer.

RSVPster- costs $30 and is absolutely worth it.  They have curated a ton of good events, parties and shows, you simply click the ones you want them to rsvp you for and thats it.  Don’t let the $30 hold you back. Don’t buy coffee this week and sign up for this instead.

Do512.com- a free Austin resource/app that helps you rsvp to some parties and is pretty up to speed throughout the festival for the most recent updates

Twitter- here’s some good ones to start following now and during SXSW

@SXunofficial

@coolinaustin

@Do512

@LucidRoutes

@SXSWPartyList

@SxSWParty

@ChronSXSW

@SPINsxsw

@360sxsw

Just do this. Take a couple hours and knock it out.  Do this boring stuff now so you can have more fun and opportunities later.

If you’ve been to SXSW before, hit me with some of your tips and tricks and I’ll put together a post with all of them in the next few weeks.

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

When Everyone Else Finds Out

If you’re doing something that works everyone else will find out how you’re doing it.

Everyone will certainly steal your method, but they cannot steal your madness.

And the madness has always been the key anyway.

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