Chewing Gum

No one gets together to chew gum.

And gum is ok with that. It’s what’s being chewed while the people get together to do something else.


I hear people all the time celebrating the fact that more music is being listened to than ever before. They’re probably right…and I think that’s wonderful. But, like chewing gum, more music is being listened to passively than ever before too.

The goal is to find (and build up) the people who listen on purpose, intently, excitedly…perhaps even while chewing gum.

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Three Things

You want to be better but you don’t want to change.

You know what you need to do but aren’t willing to give up the things you need to give up.

You know exactly what you’re doing, you just don’t know if what you’re doing is going to work.

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Telling The Difference

There’s a HUGE difference between…

You can’t tell the difference

and

You can’t tell the difference until you get right up close

The first one is professional, the second one is cutting corners and lazy and probably a little selfish.

If you can’t tell the difference between your thing and the real thing, then isn’t it just as good?

A snare drum sample

A leather jacket

Designer shoes

The graphic designer

Generosity

Empathy

If you can’t tell the difference then it’s serving the exact purpose of the actual thing…and isn’t the purpose the point?

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They Want To Work With You Because...

It’s likely that they want to work with you because they were already hoping and looking for someone kinda like you before you showed up.

And or they want to work with you because you resemble the ones they already work with.

And or they want to work with you because you don’t seem like too crazy of an idea.

And or they want to work with you because you represent an opportunity for easy glory, a quick hit, fast money.

It’s rare for someone or a company to jump at the chance to work with the type of artist they weren’t looking for, or have no experience working with.

You can learn a lot about the people someone wants to work with by finding out who they work with.

***The main idea that flies in the face of this is the person who is looking for a new challenge. They are rare and it hard to identify from afar. But that person is absolutely looking for a crazy idea, hard work, something new. They’re not hoping for anything that rhymes with what they’re already doing.

***One more thing…Rock band goes to rock booking agent. Makes sense. Agent turns down rock band because agent already has a rock band like that rock band. Answer: The agent isn’t telling the full truth.

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You Can’t Write A Hit

You can write a song that sounds like hit. You can write a song that is similar to an existing hit. You can think this song might become a hit. You can write a song that causes the same feeling as hit songs.

But you can’t write a hit.

Because a song can only be defined as a hit AFTER it becomes a hit. See, a hit refers to something other than the actual song itself…a hit is based on popularity, consumption, culture, markets, money, planning and politics.

And we know not all great songs become hits. Songs aren’t hits, and they’re not not hits. Songs are songs. Hits don’t necessarily care about great songs. The hit parade requires much more than a great song.

You can’t write hits. You can write songs.

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A Good Thing In The Long Run

It’s really fun and exciting at the beginning.

And then that wears off and it sucks.

But then it’s a good thing in the long run.


We all know this but we all forget. Here’s your reminder.

Either stick through all three steps, or don’t start at all.

***Now is also a good time to remind you to read The Dip by Seth Godin.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com