Life On The Road: Now You Know

If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to be in a band (especially a band on the road), you’re getting a pretty good dose of it right now.

Waiting.

Lots of sitting around. Hoping for good news, but getting lots of mediocre news and also some bad news.

Podcasts. Looking up random facts. Snacks.

More sitting. The same people ALL THE TIME.

Some brief excitement. Elation, bliss, comfort.

Crash.

High highs. Low lows.

Still with all the same people.

Each day is different but it’s the same.

Waiting.

Running out of things to talk about.

Forgetting the day and time.

Sugary carbohydrates after midnight.

Waiting.

Arguments over the same old things and also things you never thought possible to argue about.

Day after day after day.

Waiting.

It’s fine, but when does it get a lot better?

When does fulfillment come?

How long is it going to be like this?


Yeah, that’s pretty accurate.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

All Of Their Money

The goal isn’t to get them to give you some of their money.

The goal is to make them want to give you all of their money.

Ok ok, it’s a bit of hyperbole. But…

The goal is to get people to buy a ticket simply because you coming to town. Not because it’s the right price and the right day of the week.

The goal is that they must have the t-shirt. Not because it’s a good deal but because the feeling they get when they put it on is worth infinitely more.

The goal is that you make great stuff for people who trust that you’ll make them great stuff…so they don’t have to hesitate to buy. You give them the luxury of peace of mind when you’re the one selling. And if you’re selling them peace of mind, yes that’s worth all of the money.

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Speaking The Language

I went to Spain a couple years ago. One of my favorite trips ever. A few people in our group spoke Spanish…which was helpful, but even while speaking Spanish we still stuck out like sore thumbs.

Because even though some of us knew how to speak Spanish, we didn’t speak it very often.

And if you don’t speak it very often, it’s not that you’re faking it, you’re just a bit out of practice and don’t carry the same flow. You’re not part of the group.

The language(s) we speak everyday are the ones we are best at speaking…to the point where we easily recognize the others who speak like us, and the ones who don’t.

If you want to be a part of the group, learn the language and speak it regularly.


***For the sake of the metaphor, the word language can be changed to lingo.

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Professional Interaction

You don’t even need to be a professional.

You just need to act like one.

And interact like one.

This makes the other person feel good about interacting with you. You help them feel like they were smart for taking the time for you.

Who knows, do this enough times in a row and you might even be a professional.

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Consuming and Learning

If we’re truly going to learn and get better (as opposed to merely consume) we’re going to have to admit, at least to ourselves, at least secretly, that we don’t know. That we’re deficient.

Consuming adds information to the pile.

Learning points information in a direction of better.

Sure, we’re consuming more than ever these days.

But are we learning more than ever?

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

The Actual Next Step

When we were young…

We thought having a good meeting with the label meant we were getting signed.

We thought having a good meeting with the agent meant we were getting on the tour.

We thought having a good meeting with the manager meant we were getting famous.

But now we know better.

We know now that as a result of the good meeting we simply get the next step. Not the one we dreamed about and idealized and romanticized about but the actual one.

This isn’t to be pessimistic about possibilities…it’s to differentiate between possibilities (future) and the next step which right in front of you (present).

The actual next step is always available.


***And don’t forget…The good meeting is a gift unto itself.

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