Tag Archive for: The Beatles

Intention Feature Meme

The road to hell is paved with good intention.Intention Road To Hell

 

I would imagine one version of hell would be described as a blissfully unaware artist who is forever trying to grab the brass ring but is nowhere ever near it. The hell would be the dumbfounded frustration that the artist feels because they believe they are doing it  right and can’t imagine why the world won’t catch on. This is preventable with intention.

 

Let me clarify, good intentions are different from your intent to succeed, which is vastly different than working intentionally.

 

Intention Working IntentionallyThink about that.

 

I came up with this as I walked the dogs this morning. There are 3 brand new homes going up in our neighborhood. Two other new homes have just been completed for a total of five new houses being added in the last 6 or so months.

 

I was thinking how smooth the process runs on every level of construction, then staging, then sales.

 

 

Every different subcontractor knows their job description perfectly. They each know their lane and are supposed experts in that lane. The Electricians aren’t trying to be plumbers. The Plumbers aren’t trying to frame doors, and the door framers aren’t trying to pour concrete.

Intention Collage Contruction Process

 

They are all very intentional in their actions. They are all aware of the rules, what has to happen for their craft work to be considered “up to code”, and where they can get away with cutting corners.

 

They are masters of their game.

 

This is the definition of working with intention.

 

Imagine a foreman at a construction site who naively or arrogantly believes that he can do it all. He believes because he has a cement mixer that means he knows how to pour the footers. Of course he CAN pour whatever he wants if he has the equipment but if he’s not an expert at that, the house will be ruined.

 

Just because you can doesn’t mean you should.

 

Imagine if the foreman, who’s excuse was that he didn’t have enough money to build a proper home, called his step-brothers’ first cousin’s, great aunt who had a neighbor that took an electricity class once back in the 70’s to handle the structural electrical wiring.

Would it work?Intention Monkey Electrical Meme

Would it be up to code?

Would it compete?

Here’s a more important question, would you buy that house?

 

So many artists whose intent is to be a professional artist, are not aware of all the different lanes of creativity that require excellence if the end product is to seriously compete in the marketplace.

 

To think and therefore act like a professional artist, you need to be acutely aware of what you’re good at and where you need assistance.

 

You have to be educated and intentional.

 

Intention Einstein Genius quote

 

Why do so many artists feel compelled to do it all? I can really only think of a few people who are that remarkably gifted. The rest of us need a team and the genius comes in the realization that you need a team (which puts you ahead of all the ignorant do-it-yourself-ers) and who you end up picking.

 

 

Farting around in your home studio working on demos and playing with arrangements to hone your craft is one thing. Putting the recordings out for the world to hear and expecting or hoping it will compete is another.

 

Masterful songs, masterful performances, and masterful records do NOT happen by accident (which is what some of you think is the definition for “organic”).

 

Money is not your problem.

 

Some of you are so dead broke you can’t eat and if you worked smarter, you could up your bank account enough to satisfy your basic needs. MOST of you, however, spend your discretionary income in the wrong places and you are the source of your artistic frustration. (I say it all the time but why not double down on yourself and purchase more books about the new music business, social media, marketing, etc.?)

Intention Studio Team Strengths

 

If you don’t believe in yourself enough to invest it all, then you don’t. Why should anyone else?

 

You need to work intentionally first on defining your audience and looking for a vacuum in the market place. What will your lane be exactly?

 

For instance, a few years ago I worked with an amazing Canadian artist, singer/songwriter named Tanya Marie Harris. At the time she came into my awareness the “angry ex-girlfriend” songs from Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert were getting major spins. The whole “party girl” Gretchen Wilson era was just starting to settle down but still very prominent on country radio. All three of these major label artists are quite amazing and it’s no surprise that they became so popular for these songs.

 

I STILL love “I’m Here for the Party”, “Before He Cheats”, and “Gunpowder and Lead” because these are KILLER songs, I don’t care who you are.

 

Intention Tanya Marie Harris

Tanya loved these as well.  When we began choosing songs she was understandably leaning towards songs like these; it’s what was on the radio. She brought me a drinking party song called “3 Shot Max” which was totally badass. I remember loving it.

 

 

Here’s where the intention comes in.

 

You see Tanya was happily married with an 18 month old beautiful baby girl. This fact begged the question, “Are you a party girl or angry ex? Is that the image you want to sell?”

 

Tanya, like me and the rest of the country music world was seriously enjoying these songs but that didn’t mean it was the right “lane” for her. Right then and there she had an epiphany. She was like, “Oh my God, NO, Johnny! I never thought about it like that.”

 

My intention as a producer was to ensure that whatever art we put out with Tanya was going to be authentic to her and not contrived.

Intention_A_Woman_Scorned

 

Once we crafted this understanding, we made a song choice using one of Brent Baxter’s co-writes called “A Woman Scorned” which scratched my artist’s “powerful woman” itch but cleverly told the story from a third person point of view; as if you watching a movie. This worked for her brand because she was essentially describing the situation, not living it.

 

I also talked Tanya in coming into town 1 day early and set her up with two co-writes telling the writers, “I’m cutting 2 songs tomorrow morning. I have the songs. If you beat one of em today on this write, we’ll cut yours.”

 

Intention Secondhand_Dreams

Tanya and David Norris did exactly that and wrote “Secondhand Dreams” about their fathers (the video currently has 1.8 million views).

 

AUTHENTIC as you can get man. Both these songs got decent radio play in Canada. They were real and competitive.

 

You have to be intentional about creating an amazing song. The blueprint has to be great or the team won’t matter. Sure they’ll be good at putting lipstick on a pig but it’s still a pig and it won’t compete.

Intention Lipstick on a Pig

 

Then you need to be deliberate about the recording. Who’s playing the performances, who’s engineering, producing, mixing, etc.?

 

Being resourceful to save money is great as long as it works.

However, when the project suffers, you’ve wasted your money and your time.

 

If it doesn’t compete, then you’ve still spent money but you have nothing that is going to advance your artist brand and career.

 

If you don’t know the difference, you’re in trouble.

 

You have an experiment that while cathartic and healthy for your artistry, is detrimental to your brand and career. This is no good.

 

Intention Uninhabitable

That foreman has to sell that house to make a living. It has to be deemed inhabitable in order to sell it.

 

 

“Inhabitable” is not a subjective term. The city codes will decide what is inhabitable and what is uninhabitable.

 

Too many of you confuse your art and the reality of the business.

 

Art is subjective but it is also objective because it needs to be well done. You can subjectively loathe Brittany Intention William HungSpears but you can’t argue the fact that her records are well done creatively as well as in the marketing space. On the contrary, you can be as nice as you want but there is no subjective soul that actually liked William Hung’s horrible American Idol audition of “She Bangs”. He was a novelty because it was SO horrible which made for good TV.

 

 

 

How do you want to be perceived? Do you want your music to matter to consumers or do you want to be a cocktail party joke?

 

 

Intention Laughing Cocktail Party Joke

Consider this:  If you did not work with intention at your day gig, you wouldn’t be surprised or hurt after being fired.

 

If you weren’t educated on the process necessary for success your employer would either expect you to learn quickly (depending on the gig) or you’d be terminated.

 

 

 

Why then do you proceed, willy-nilly, often like a blissfully ignorant bull in a china shop, with your artist career, working without a plan, without education on the process, without intention, and become artistically mortified that the world doesn’t care about your art?

 

How much time have you wasted?

 

Yes, in an employment scenario you can quickly get on the job training, however if you don’t have access to on the job training for all the facets of your artist career how will you learn? How can you get access?

Intention Crazy Houses

Photo Credit: takmemarehasti.blogfa.com/

 

Imagine the construction subcontractors tried to succeed at their gigs in the same manner most artists try to succeed in theirs; osmosis or divine intervention. I’m just going to keep doing this until I get better but with zero training on plumbing, electrical, how to frame a door, how to pour concrete, etc.

 

Imagine if the subcontractors were still building homes like wannabe artists are posting their demos.

 

Subcontractors are required to LEARN the appropriate methodologies before their allowed to get a freakin’ license.

 

Sometimes I feel like Pro-Tools licenses should be given out with the same requirements.

 

This is what I want you to think about.

 

Artist development is intentional.

 

Intention Crazy Houses

The Beatles were intentional artistically and in the marketplace. They spent thousands of hours in Hamburg performing 8 hour gigs and writing. John Lennon once stated that the first 50-100 songs they wrote were complete crap.

 

They were calculated in their artistic goals to become better writers. They were NOT naïve trying to record and release the first song they wrote out of artistic pride.

 

Once the Beatles got their act together, their wholesome image was painstakingly calculated. Then the market and charts were manipulated to expose them to as much as possible to get people talking. They were good now, they learned. It was time for them to be seen.

 

The Stones were intentional artistically and in the marketplace. Their first 2 records were all blues covers. Their Intention the Rolling Stonesimage was purposefully crafted as the “anti-Beatles”. The Stones image was always constructed to be “dirty” and “dangerous” to separate them from the Beatles in the marketplace ON PURPOSE.

 

None of this happened by accident and neither will your career.

 

It’s not productive, and frankly it’s not OK that you approach your artist career with a serious lack of marketing and recording education floating on top of a truckload of childlike naiveté about how the business works.

 

If you want to succeed, you’re going to have to STEP UP.

 

Intention Chess Feature

 

Whatever you’re doing it isn’t enough.

 

Who can you learn from?

 

 

 

Stay

In

Tune

 

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Perception Feature

Perception is reality in your art. You’d better freaking know this. Sadly, many of you don’t or you do and you choose to ignore it for some reason.Perception Perception

 

Perception is also reality in your marketing.

 

I want to talk about how the market, A.K.A. consumers, in other words YOUR POTENTIAL FANS perceive you.

 

I am seeing WAY too much of this online and on social media so I had to write about it.

 

Too many artists are stuck in that developmental stage that little children go through when they believe if they can’t see you, you can’t see them.

 

Do you know what I’m talking about?

 

Perception Hide Baby

It’s a lack of perception awareness.

 

 

They “hide” in the middle of the living room by crouching down and covering their eyes. At this stage they believe that you can’t see them.

 

It’s cute when their little kids.

 

It’s ugly when you’re an aspiring artist.

 

In the industry, it’s downright annoying.

 

Perception Looky Losers Photo Orin ZebestYou know, like the person at the party who won’t stop hitting on you in a super cheesy manner and can’t take the hint from all your body language and actual language that you’re SO not interested.

 

 

 

 

Perception Fingerpaint Photo Erik (HASH) Hersman

 

It’s a sign of naiveté and complete lack of awareness by an artist who displays every little “finger painting”, every little step of their creative process on the world’s refrigerator expecting to be praised.

 

Arrogantly believing the world is interested.

 

You’re going to be judged.

Perception Judged

 

By consumers but also by the industry (if they happen to look. More on that later).

 

If it’s a well written, well recorded, rocking track, you’ll be praised.

 

If it isn’t finished, you’ll look like a novice.

 

Shoulder shrug.

 

On to the video of the talking dog.

 

You have to be aware of how you will be perceived. You’re an artist for Pete’s sake!! That’s exactly part of your job description; masterfullyPerception Magic Shit MEME manipulating perception and emotion.

 

 

When it’s well done it is like magic. People pay to see it.

 

When it’s ignored its shite.

 

 

 

 

 

You will always be judged on what you have done, NOT what you’re going to do or what you think you’re going to do.

Perception Reputation Quote

 

 

All too often, I’ll get an artist who asks me to “check out” their music. I almost NEVER respond to these based on the principle of the matter (crappy way to market) but sometimes I fall for it.

 

Usually I end up lamenting the fact that I can never get that 30 seconds of my life back.

 

 

 

 

I literally had one kid send me a link to a Soundcloud account that was filled with his “songs”.Perception Schizophrenic Girl

 

They were a selection of solitary, distorted, electric guitar rhythm tracks.

 

No melody.

No lyric.

No beat.

Zero on a scale of 1 to whatever in terms of any discernable creative riff.

No other instruments.

Boring.

 

Perception Mark KnopflerI’m not trying to be mean, but it was seriously useless. Chunk, chunk, chunk, chunk, with no meter, no pocket; ugh.

 

I just listened to this Dire Straits isolated guitar track by Mark Knopfler from “Sultans of Swing”. It’s AMAZING!!!

 

Mark Knopfler is a very special guitar player.

 

Here’s the key. As amazing as this isolated track is, we are only interested because we know Dire Straits,

 

we know Mark Knopfler, and most importantly, we know and love the song!

 

If this exact track, with this stellar performance was not a track from a hit song, I wouldn’t give it 5 seconds. Neither would you.

 

Get it?

 

Perception Marvin GayeIn my studio, I have many of the original multi tracks from Motown, The Beatles, The Doobie Brothers, Queen, Def Leppard, and more. These tracks are a party favorite because we know all the songs and it’s interesting to hear something we are so fond of being dissected.

 

We’re fascinated by the soloed vocal tracks.

 

Freddie’s finger snaps at the beginning of “Killer Queen”.

 

We’re floored when we discover that “Long Train Running” has 5 different guitar arrangements that brilliantly work together without cluttering the track.

We freak when we hear Queens, background vocals all alone.

 

I literally cried when I heard Marvin Gaye’s soloed voice from “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”. The natural distortion on the vocal mic. It was cut live with the band and Tammi Terrell (you can hear the bleed!). You can hear his toe tapping in the vocal booth. Ugh, so moving.

 

Nobody cares if they don’t know the song.

Perception Blind Consumer MEME

 

Perception is so important there are major label artists who refuse to let the A&R guys in the studio until the track is mixed lest the art be judged by some suit with no vision.

 

It’s the artist’s way of controlling the outcome as much as possible. They don’t want the suit’s possibly disheartened attitude over an unfinished product to affect their promo budget once the track is released.

 

Consumers have no vision. They want finished product.

 

 

Think about how much apprehension you feel when you shop for a used car. Imagine the experience of meeting a private seller, who is a stranger, to look at their restored ’64 candy apple red Ford Mustang. You walk into the garage and you see a chassis up on blocks with a seat and a steering wheel.Perception Fear Buyer

 

Wait, what is this?!?!

 

The seller says, “Hey man, it’s going to be great when it’s finished!”

 

Perception Chassis Photo KapitanTIF you are well versed at all the different stages of classic auto restoration you MIGHT take an interest and see the potential.

 

99.9% of consumers would be pissed and walk out; it doesn’t look like a car.

 

 

 

You have to be aware that as an indie artist; you are the stranger selling the car and in your case the consumer isn’t “looking for a car”.

Perception 64 Mustang

 

You have to know that the consumer is apprehensive on several levels because your marketing was probably dodgy and statistically the music is going to suck; BIG TIME.

 

Are you picking up what I’m putting down?

 

You have to blow them away first.

 

Look there are always exceptions, but as a rule, don’t post demos, work tapes, incomplete recordings, soloed guitar tracks, etc. up on the internet as you will be judged.

 

Perception Exception To The Rule

 

What are the exceptions?

 

A soloed vocal track to a beautiful melody, intense lyric, with a compelling vocal performance would be interesting.

 

Anything short of that will sound way better in the track and be boring without it.

 

I have posted work tapes (a simple iPhone recording of an acoustic vocal) before. We had a contest with Bailey James where we let the fans choose the 6th song on her EP. That worked really well. I will say that many (If not all) of the fans who participated had downloaded the free track we were trading in an exchange for an email which is how Bailey came into their awareness.

 

That free track was a KILLER recording of Cheap Trick’s “I Want You to Want Me”. Which allowed us to craft their perception. They were cognizant of Bailey’s professionalism and the work tapes were clearly positioned in the mind of the fans as a “behind the scenes” look at the future mixed with a fun, interactive exercise where they got to participate in the release somehow.

 

However, if we just posted all the damn work tapes from all songs that were written to be considered for her debut release it would’ve worked against us.

perception Scene

 

If the fans don’t see the “scene” they will misconstrue your “behind the scenes” as your “scene”.

 

Many of you don’t even have your “scene” put together so why would you show it?

 

Does that make sense?

 

In Steven Pressfield’s book, The War of Art he conveys that before you become a professional you have to think and act like a professional.

 

Perception War Of ArtThe world doesn’t care if it’s on purpose, lack of awareness, naiveté, or utter stupidity, if you don’t look like a professional then you’re not a professional. It’s that simple.

 

If the car doesn’t look like a cherry ’64 candy apple red Ford Mustang than it isn’t.

 

I saw it with my own eyes.

 

 

In Marketing I see this mistake often with images.

 

 

Images are everything today. There is a reason that Instagram and Pinterest are so huge.Perception Positive Negative

 

A picture is worth 1,000 words.

 

If it’s a bad picture, it’s 1,000 bad words. You disappear into the clutter of every other artist who won’t make the effort or spend the money to stand out.

 

When you present professional images as an artist, the selfies become a savory alternative look.

Perception Many Eyes

 

But only when juxtaposed against the killer images.

 

If your whole visual presence is based on selfies, you don’t look like a professional.

 

The world doesn’t want the blow-by-blow, play-by-play rundown of your amazing artistic ascent until AFTER you make it.

 

The Behind the Music VH1 series where we learn about the artist’s creative stories, business challenges, and addiction troubles are interesting when they’re famous. If they weren’t famous, it would just be a story about a pathetic drug addict.

 

Perception Behind The MusicWho cares?

 

You wouldn’t.

 

Let me ask you this.

 

What if they say “yes”?

 

I love to ask my artists this question.

 

What if you get your act together enough to pique the interest of some big label, booking agent, or manager, etc.?

 

Perception Search

 

What would their first step be to vet you as a possible business partner?

 

They’re going to Google the crap out of you.

 

If their perception becomes that you are unprofessional, happily ignorant of your image both creatively and in the market, you become a turn-off.

Do you want to be a turn off?

 

Do you want to blow a self-created opportunity because you are unaware of perception?

 

If you don’t know, you’d better learn.

 

Stay

In

Tune

Organic Feature MEME

Watch this BBC Music Moguls documentary.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyPJiey6vckOrganic Music Moguls Image

It’s one hour long and worth every second.

“Nothing attracts a crowd like a crowd” – P.T. Barnum of Barnum & Bailey Circus

 

Let’s face it, the music business IS a circus whether you like it or not or whether you want to admit it or not.

 

Organic Elvis and Colonel Tom ParketElvis Presley was made into the King by Colonel Parker. It is very interesting that Parker had been a circus huckster with an affinity for luring bystanders into the tent.

Colonel Tom Parker understood showmanship and how to monetize talent.

 

 

Elvis had talent, and without Colonel Parker, we wouldn’t know who Elvis was.

Organic Saturday Evening Post Circus Barker

 

 

Too many artists think the image, artistic lane, and performances of their most beloved iconic artists happened organically, magically, as if the artists were always polished and ready to go just waiting for the audiences to catch on.

 

 

 

Nope. Every artist was developed artistically and in the marketplace.

What does “organic” mean to you exactly?

 

Organic NEMS

 

Brian Epstein owned a siding company. He was a music lover so he also owned a record store called North End Music Stores as a side business, which is how The Beatles came into his awareness.

 

First let’s discuss the Image. The Beatles’ image was not organic if your definition of “organic” means “to happen naturally without preconception or outside guidance”.

 

 

Brian insisted The Fab Four clean up a bit. Yes, they had unusually long hair for early 60’s society but Epstein wanted them trimmed evenly, clean cut, and styled.Organic Brian Epstein

 

When Epstein met the Beatles, they were scruffy, when he was through with the makeover, they were clean shaven.

 

Epstein added the touch of the famous black suits with the ties.

Organic The Beatles

He taught them to bow and thank the audience after completing every song. This gave the Beatles the cutesy, safe, socially acceptable image of 4 boys you could bring home to mom.

 

 

Which is exactly what Epstein wanted.

 

Moreover, The Beatles acquiesced.

 

Which is rare.

Usually artists piss and moan about doing something different or foreign. You’ve heard the conversations before, “I just want to be as organic as possible.”

Organic The Beatles Plane

 

Now let’s talk about how Beatlemania started. Did the Band cut a record, put a couple copies in a few records stores and watch the pandemonium ensue?

No.

 

Did a couple “tastemaker” girls pick up the 45 (this was how they used to sell singles for those of you who are unaware of what a 45 is), freak out and share it with 2 friends who then told 2 friends, who then told 2 friends, and so on, until they became a raging behemoth?

Not exactly.

 

Organic Puppeteer

 

Understanding that people respond to momentum, even if it was perceived momentum (after all, perception is reality), Brian manipulated their market force initially by gaming the British charts. He shrewdly knew that there were 11 record stores around his locality that reported to the chart company. Brian would send out fans/friends with his money to purchase records at these select stores on the day of release. This would get the record immediately charting which got the public and the industry’s ears perked up. This initial momentum behind every single to created a little launching pad, if you will.

 

Did this artificially create a #1?

No.

 

It did give them just enough credibility to get industry and radio people talking. This clever move also made it socially acceptable for consumers to like The Beatles because “everybody else was clearly liking them”.

 

There are the early adopters and then there are the people who think they’re the early adopters because the crowd is small enough to make them look cool and big enough that there was clearly a bandwagon to hop on to.

Organic Totally Natural

Was this organic?

Maybe.

 

My definition of organic is sometimes (usually) vastly different than an artist’s.

 

You see, I believe that all the gaming of the system, all the hustle, marketing, all the payola, and all the MONEY in the world won’t make a crappy or derivative record good.

 

On the contrary, a great, fresh, original, amazingly talented artist remains a “nobody”, doomed to reside in the basement of societal awareness without any of these marketing techniques.

Organic Banana Oatmeal

How are you feeling about the trajectory of your artist career right now?

 

Epstein had lightning in a bottle and he knew what to do with it. He knew how to bring it to society in such a manner that it would get its own legs and create momentum.

 

The Beatles were smart enough to get him and let him do it; having faith and following his instructions IMPLICITLY.

 

So it should come as no surprise that Andrew Loog Oldham, the original manager for the Rolling Stones, started out as Brian Epstein’s assistant.Organic Andrew Loog Oldham

 

Oldham was the executor of many of the techniques that helped to create The Beatles in the marketplace.

Oldham did EXACTLY the same thing with the Stones.

 

 

 

First he applied market awareness to the image of the band. Oldham couldn’t just recreate The Beatles and he knew that. He needed a new artistic lane. The Stones had to be different. He suggested that the Rolling Stones be the “anti-Beatles”.

 

Organic Rolling Stones Live

 

He wanted them scruffy instead of clean cut.

He wanted them wearing leather or hipster mod clothing as opposed to suits.

He wanted them to be dangerous as opposed to some “boys you could take home to mother”.

Was this organic?

I suppose it depends on how you look at it.

 

Talent + Market Awareness + Hustle + Marketing = Your Dream.

 

My favorite quote from this piece:

“When God gives you something special, he takes away from other places. If you look at any artist, they’ve all got something missing, and I’m the guy that replaces it.”Organic Unknowns Quote MEME

 

So what is your market awareness with regards to your artistic lane?

 

Scott Borchetta immediately knew there were no country artists that were writing and speaking for 9-14 year old kids when he saw Taylor Swift; they created a whole new lane.

No competition means it’s easy to dominate.

 

Get it?

 

How is your artistic lane different from what is already going on?

Do you have the balls to be different?Organic Fruit

 

What are you missing?

 

Are you aware of your “known unknowns”?

 

Are you aware there are “unknown unknowns” which will require you to have faith in someone else?

 

These are the questions a smart artist should be asking.

 

Maybe you need to rethink your definition of “organic”?

 

Stay

In

Tune.

 

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Worth You're Worth it Pad paper

Have you ever met someone and been a little jealous or coveting of their art?  The truth is you are probably envious of their ability to “tap in” to themselves in a manner that you haven’t discovered yet.  They seem to control an instinctive ability to create at a higher level than you at that moment, which makes their art seem more valuable in some way; like it’s worth more.Worth jealous of stupid thinks

I assure you they are not superior to you and “level of  talent” has very little to do with their success.

They don’t possess some unique exceptional magical gift for creation. They have just worked more than you have at that particular moment; that’s what is upsetting.

They’re farther along in their artistic journey than you right now.

Trust me, you are no different than them. We’re all human beings.

Worth Vulnerable

 

They’re presently more vulnerable than you. At least they’re vulnerable enough artistically, to really feel, and therefore act, as if no matter what the outcome the journey was worth it.

 

This mindset creates the artistic courage we all find so intriguing, important, and attractive.

 

 

The good news is that you can learn to access that creative space too.

It’s not magic, man.

 

It’s a methodology, a work ethic, a process if you will.

It’s an internal articulation of what your short time on this Earth is supposed to be about coupled with enough crazy curiosity and pioneering passion to plow through, and ultimately survive, the initial learning curve.Worth Learning Curve

Every learning curve comes with humiliating self-conscious trauma (fear).

How do you deal with this inevitable misery?

Is it debilitating to you or is it an annoying speed bump on your journey?

John Lennon and Paul McCartney admittedly sucked at writing songs for “the first 50 or so” and then found their artistic groove together.

That happened after at LEAST 50 crappy songs.

How many have you written?

Worth Beatles Hamburg

 

Another Beatles fact is they embarked on many residencies in Hamburg, Germany at several clubs where they played 7 days a week, 8 hours a night.

 

I don’t care who you are, when you play that much you get better.

You get better at being musicians.Worth Get Better image

Your live show gets better.

You become professional.

You become a student of the game.

 

 

My version of Hamburg was club tours.  I did it for 7 years of my life. I can tell you a magical “swagger” happens with any act after they string 20 shows back to back.

We see it here in Nashville in the lower Broadway honkytonks.  We have seen many artists transform into consummate professionals in that grind.

Worth Lower Broadway Nashville

 

We literally have told artists who are about to experience their first month long tour that their lives are going to change forever. When they return from that tour they actually walk differently, carry themselves differently, and behave differently.

 

It really is a transformation.

 

They have earned the right to call themselves professionals.

Many of you are making excuses to yourselves right now as to why you can’t do it.

I got news for you, you’re right!

Worth whether you think you can or you can't you're right

 

Many of you reading this are getting PUMPED UP and motivated to find a way to win because you believe you can do it.

I got news for y’all too, you’re right!

 

Yes it’s a grind.

A necessary adventure in my opinion, because after going through something like that you really earn your perspective.

Most artists, and I really mean MOST artists don’t and won’t work that hard or that much on their careers. They are crippled with the conflict between life-pragmatism, hater’s voices, an understandable need for ROI (Return On Investment initially involving their time and then their money), and their ultimate dream to be a professional artist.

 

If the labor is worth the effort you will naturally work harder simply to satisfy an internal sense of wonder, excitement, or curiosity.Worth You are good enough believe it

Here’s the key, the work is only worth the effort if you believe that you’re worth it.

 

Ouch.

 

That one stings a little, huh?

 

Worth Henry Ford Too Many Men are afraid

Henry Ford had an 8th grade education and went bankrupt multiple times, so what?

 

Abraham Lincoln went bankrupt, so what?

 

Walt Disney went bankrupt too, so what?

 

 They believed their mission was worth all the suffering they had to endure along the journey.

 

 

Don Quixote believed in his heart and soul that the windmills were enemies.  He also truly believed, as crazy as it sounds, that HE was the man worthy enough to defeat them.

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Artistic curiosity coupled with a consistent work ethic creates an atmosphere where artists discover themselves.

The reality is all your favorite artists were not born into this world being amazing artists.

Some of them had an incredible artistic talent, some of them had very mediocre talent. Some of you are thinking there are popular artists that have no talent; to which I say, “All the greater accomplishment”.

ALL of your favorite artists had to work hard at their art to become artists.

 

They sought and found help because they felt they were worth it.

So should you, and you’re worth it.Worth I was Born for this

They had to develop their lyric writing abilities.

So do you, and you’re worth it.

They had to develop their melodic sensibilities.

So do you, and you’re worth it.

They had to develop their vocal control and instrumental prowess.

So do you, and you’re worth it.

They had to develop their live show.Worth it's not easy but its worth it

So do you, and you’re worth it.

They had to develop their business acumen.

So do you, and you’re worth it.

 

So who’s helping you?Worth Mentor Wanted

Worth Whose Helping you

Stay In Tune.

 

 

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