THE REAL GIG: Your story may be the most important part of making – and selling – your music
You see, I remember reading a story, but I don’t remember where it came from. It was about an old Native American woman who found herself and her family living on a reservation, destitute and hungry. She noticed that white people did not take care of each other out of the goodness of their hearts; […]
THE REAL GIG: Focus on what you’re good at and stop forcing what you’re not – listen to the Primal Ear
Here’s a Catch-22. Old people love to give advice. I am not sure why. For the most part, young people do not dig receiving it. This is unfortunate from both sides. Grandpa likes to believe he has figured everything out after all those trips around the sun. In other words, he is set in his […]
BUT I DIGRESS: After 30 years of playing music professionally, I’m taking guitar lessons – here’s why
I am not a late bloomer. I had a beard in eighth grade – true story. It would seem, however, that after 30+ years of playing music for a living, I’m finally getting the hang of it. Here’s what the haps be… I’m taking lessons for the first time ever. Well, in reality, I had […]
THE REAL GIG: Numbers aren’t always fun, but they can be essential to creativity
Last week, I was talking about personal philosophies and dreams. This week, I want to flip that coin. Today, we talk about numbers. Numbers are not all that fun to hang out with. In fact, they can be pretty damn boring and a royal pain in the ass. If you are going out for a […]
BUT I DIGRESS: The 5 benefits of consistent music practice with fellow musicians
Practice. I don’t make nothing perfect. Only serendipity can do that. But, without practice, all the serendipity in the universe won’t make any difference. You can use pitch correction if you’d like, but you’ll be way prouder if you just keep trying until you hit that opening note dead to rights, every time. Sure, it […]
THE REAL GIG: How I went from an angry young man to a thankful, hopeful adult
I’m going out on a limb today. This column is going to sound like I’m a self-help coach or motivational speaker. I’ve started to write this story a few times in the past and realized I was rolling my eyes at myself, so I stopped. But it keeps coming to mind, so I’m going to […]
THE REAL GIG: Learn from Prince and don’t belabor creativity – work fast and often
Usually I have an idea in mind when I sit down to write this column but, yesterday, I got thrown off my game. Prince was found dead at Paisley Park. I think there are enough tributes floating around right now. I really don’t want to get into recalling when I first heard his music or […]
THE REAL GIG: Somewhere, someone knows the answer to that – finding a mentor
I am sure some of you have been watching the show “Vinyl” on HBO. I have been checking it out quite a bit. Some of the characters I am not sure about but, predictably, one of them I love. It’s the R&B singer turned band manager Lester Grimes. Here is a sample of Lester’s vibe. […]
THE REAL GIG: The best musicians have mastered the ancient art of not giving a shit
Last week, I wrote some liner notes about a record I just finished. In those notes, I talked about the finer points of not giving a shit. So, for today’s column, I’m going to head further down that road. There is a difference between not giving a shit and not caring. People who don’t care […]
THE REAL GIG: A great songwriter knows the storyteller is the story
Everyone has heard the saying “Don’t shoot the messenger.” In other words, “Don’t get pissed at me for delivering bad news; I’m just telling the story.” Today, I want to talk about stories. As simple as it is to see, I don’t think most people appreciate the awesome power of a compelling story. Everything has […]
