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Monday
29Jun2009

I Be Leave

I believe in the future of today 
In a moment mixed with sentimental regrets too deep to flower
And hopeful passion that breaks petals through concrete.
I believe in the growth of change that waters the roots in the dirtiest of soil(oul)s.
I believe in the motion of body, forcing gravity to jump back and say,
"Damn! That was fly."

I believe in shaking hands with your enemy
So that your energy can make something greater than your conflict.
I believe in the cypher of voices that causes listeners to crowd in tightly
Rubbing shoulders just to taste the words on their ears. 
I believe that when hands wave in unison
Songs sound better.

I believe in stories told around fires
From crackling stacks of wood to ashes falling off a spliff.
That our memories and inflections will ride the smoke to eternity.

I believe that we all want to be liked.
That the flaunting glare shown to strangers is a paper thin veil
Hoping for a smile to poke holes in.

I believe in the day that artists are paid more than corporate bailouts.
In a day where those dedicated to their craft are valued more than those who build a factory.
When pencil and paper, canvas and brush, turntable and MPC, are packed in wooden crates
To outfit the armies of the world. 

I believe that one voice can change the world.
I believe that it already has.

Sunday
28Jun2009

Looking far to the present

She asked me what my plan is for the next year. How about the next five?

I said I have one...some...many. 

"Okay, so how are you going to do em?"

A chess player looks to the end of the game when he begins it. So what is my end game? Wealth? Family? Death? sure. But what if while you look for the end, your queen gets took? Crooks and castles....

In a sun bleached garden of concrete, the next move is paramount to growth (slight pun intended). You can plan ahead, but the world is always spinning. Focus on the end, get a crucial piece taken, and it's all over if you stick to the plan. Sometimes the best move is the one you didn't know you had. There is more time to act then there is to plan.

Sharks never stop swimming...even when they sleep.

Sunday
28Jun2009

If you're not there, you're not there

Its easy to think about going, being, and advancing...in whatever you do. But it is a completely different thing to go, be and advance. For action to happen you must act. Thought is not action. Intent is not action. Action is action. They say that 80% of life is showing up...they are right. At any given time, in any given profession, there are people gunning for your spot, convinced that they are hungrier than you are. If you don't show up and they do, then they win. Period.

Stay hungry my friends. And go eat.

Thursday
04Jun2009

Where is it? Right in front of you.

Inspiration. Career. Love. Answers.

We search for these things far and wide; behind our list of tasks and dreams and under our pillows and stresses. They hide in our drive to perfect our image, our bank account, and our health. They live in hindsight and contemplation...yet, they never seem to appear when we want them too. 

Finding them is often a matter of listening rather than logic. The best path is usually the one you most heavily resist. Life seems to be more chaos than science. Our answers are often buried in the test.

Follow your heart, it knows where your soul is going.

a

Wednesday
13May2009

How come not now?

If there is one thing that I have learned from working in music, it is that everything takes longer than you wish it would. Getting a deal, booking a show, recording an album, assembling a team, getting a form signed, getting paid...you name it, and it will most often take longer to accomplish that you would like it to. This is especially true if you need it done right away and/or if it involves paying you.

I think that the most fundamental aspect to understand about this phenomenon is that the music business, especially, is a balance of priorities and the motivation to accomplish them. Every day, any given person who you want something from has a list of To Do's that include:

  • Things their boss wants them to do
  • Things that will make them money
  • Things that will advance their career
  • Things they have been putting off
  • Things that look easy to check off the list

Chances are, if you are not a superstar, lower on the the food chain than they are, or not paying them money, your needs fall somewhere in the last two...if you are lucky. Remember, everything that you ask someone to do means time that they are not spending doing something else. Easy to think about, hard to accept.

So what can you do??

I have found that a five step process is generally effective:

  1. Make sure that they are the correct person to do the task and that you cannot do it yourself.
  2. Follow up and make sure they know exactly what you want.
  3. Work on something else and be patient.
  4. Follow up again.
  5. Repeat steps 1-4

For most of us, it is in our nature to put off things that do not directly benefit us until we absolutely have to do them. This truth is compounded exponentially by busy schedules and fierce competition within the industry. Your needs will always be more important to you than to anyone else. Understand that and accept it.

Also, realize that some things just take time and that there may be steps involved that you might not fully understand or know about. This is especially true with large bureaucratic companies and high profile individuals. Every company system is different, ask about the process and never assume.

In the end, I have always found it beneficial to consistently and kindly remind people that you need something done. AND, if they have an assistant go, through them. A good assistant is worth his weight in gold...yea, I'm biased on that one.

Thanks to TJ for kick-starting the juices on this section of the site.

-a