Here To Entertain You

During the first few years I lived in Nashville there was a guy named Dean who would just show up at club shows here in Nashville and MC the entire evening.

He had an Australian accent so immediately everyone loved him and were perfectly ok with him getting on stage and talking after each act and then introducing the next one.

He set them up each artist really well, in a way to try and get the audience to give them the benefit of the doubt.

He was great at it. I loved it. It helped the night feel cohesive and he always introduce the bands in a very positive way.

But my question is this: how would you prepare and perform differently if the voice announcing you said…

“And now, here to entertain you, ladies and gentlemen please welcome…”

This is the music business. This is the entertainment business. It’s showbiz baby. Never forget that.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

Desire As A Distraction

I have desire to get good at pingpong.

I have desire to snowboard a lot more often.

I have desire to help make Nashville’s public education system better.

I have desire to to dunk a basketball.

I have desire to play Whembly Stadium.

Mere desire is not enough. So when the question pops up ‘What do you really want’ it’s fun to give credence to the dreamy, desire filled answer.

Yeah desire is a key ingredient but in and of itself it’s pretty flimsy.

If you’re not going to bring action to desire, then dwelling on desire may be a distraction and leading you astray.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

Nightcap 25

It wouldn’t be a construction site without a guy knowing all the words and missing all the pitches to the classic rock station.

It’s funny how something called trivial pursuit gained such a sophisticated reputation.

I’ve never thought: that’s a really cool leg tattoo.

I’ve forgotten my to-go box on the table more than I’ve remembered it.

Saying something is remarkable makes it true.

It will all work out as unplanned.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

How Does Success Happen?

Preparation aligned with opportunity

Willingness aligned with circumstance

Expertise aligned with timing

Desire aligned with luck

Focus aligned with culture

All that to say…Any way you slice it success comes from a mixture of internal and external.

We have some say with the external variables.

But we have a lot of say over the internal. Which, in the long term have a huge effect on the externals.

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Focus

Minimize the circumstances that can break your focus.

Your focus causes discipline.

Discipline leads to credibility.

Credibility to trust.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com

Accentuate The Drama

When you’re working on putting your show your show together and you get stuck with how to perform a certain song: accentuate the drama.

Where is the drama in the song? What drama could you pull out of it? If the drama of the song were really ramped up what would it sound like and how would it be different from the recorded version?

More than playing your songs it’s about performing your songs and making a show. Great shows are dramatic and emotional. You need to accentuate those features within each of your songs.

Here’s a perfect example:

Bruno Mars: That’s What I Like- Recorded version

Bruno Mars: That’s What I Like- Live version

What a jump. The alternate intro. The hits. The stabs. The dancing. The weird second verse. Slight changes to the melody. Big changes to the melody. That bass playing. The outro. They squeeze every bit of drama they can out of the song for the sake of making it a better performance.

You don’t need any production budget or tricks to make the type of leap he does from the recorded version to the live. You just have to be willing to do the work.

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Drop me an email: gabe@gabethebassplayer.com