Thursday, July 28, 2011

Respect, Honesty & Fairness

There are a lot of things about the music industry that are great but there is one thing that I just can't stand and that is the promotion of greed. The one thing you have to understand is that no one man/woman can make all of the money. There is truly enough to go around. It is important to maintain your levels of respect, honesty and fairness at all times, especially when doing business. One might think that this greed is only a problem at a certain level but it seems to be an issue at ALL levels. I work with a lot of people and for the most part I try to only work with people I think I can trust. People hire me based on my ability to get a particular job done. I am always thankful for the work but what becomes frustrating is these people want me and my ability but they have a problem paying me what I'm worth. I'm not one to over charge people or even have an ego about money. When someone asks me to do a job, I just expect them to be respectful, honest and fair with what they are paying me. For instance: I've been in situations with people that I have known for years and considered my "friends" and they have gotten gigs which paid ten to fifteen thousand dollars but they would call me and only offer to pay me a two or three hundred dollars. Now I know that you can never count another man's money and you get what you negotiate but some of these people seem to be OK with paying us three hundred dollars and after they pay expenses they take home five to seven thousand. Most people will say that's good business but I say that it is dishonest and unfair and it becomes ever more frustrating to have to haggle with your so called friends over fair payment. What you have to realize is that if you pay the right people the right way you will always see your business and your presentation improve. When you develop a reputation as someone who is fair, you will find that your career and financial bottom line will vastly improve but to the contrary, if you develop and reputation as an unfair dishonest person then this too will affect your outcome. Let's face it, there are no secrets in this business. When you mistreat one person they spread the word and you will never be able to truly hire the best of the best because they will feel like you are always out to beat them for a dollar. I also understand that every artist has overhead and expenses and as the the person that is creating and booking the gig they deserve more of the profit. I just think you should be fair. It is not really fair to have your sidemen working hard for you to deliver a great product and have them walk away having only made a pittance compared to what you make. Now I know that a lot of band leaders and promoters will read this and say that it's only business and two to three hundred dollars is a good wage for any musician and to those people I say remember that karma is a real. I've seen very talented musicians struggling to get to the next level in terms of quality and quantity of work but they just can't seem to break through. What they don't realize is that the universe only gives you back what you give out and if you live your life always trying to take or undercut people the universe only allows that to happen to you. The bottom line is when you treat people with respect, honesty and fairness it comes back to you one hundred fold. We have to draw a line in the sand and refuse to work for people that will not pay us fairly even . . . no, especially if these people are our friends. People say that business is not personal but I beg to differ. It is personal because I take my well being and financial status as serious as the next man and when you try to devalue or under pay me, you are taking money off of my table and yes that IS personal. It is also important to remember that money does not buy or erase respect. What I mean is that just because you choose to pay someone well doesn't give you a right to disrespect them or cross their boundaries. Man this greed thing is real! Let's stay focused and remember not too LOVE money but make it and use it to better our lives and those around us. Make that money, don't let it make (or destroy) you. It's always best to just show respect, be honest and treat people fair. Now go and enjoy this journey the RIGHT way.

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Point Of View

As I enjoy growth in my career, it often challenges my thought process. As a creative person I am always seeing things through a kind of idealistic prism. Business and creativity can really make strange bed fellows. It is all about adjusting your point of view. How you proceed in a particular situation is all based on how you perceive it. In order for us as musicians/artists to truly achieve our goals, we have to be able to honestly look at where the industry is and how we fit into it or better yet how we will make it fit us. The term music business is truly an oxymoron but we have to be able to look at ourselves as two separate entities at all times. There has to be the creative side which is the driving force. This is the side of us that remains pure and unconcerned about anything other than getting our art expressed. There also has to be the business side which can take what we create and understand how to market it and make money from it. Even though you don't want the pursuit of money to corrupt your creative being, you still have to understand that in order to get to a certain level you have to make a business plan based on YOUR profit. You simply have to decide in what and where to invest your time. Let's face it, we can not become wealthy or even live comfortably by just playing club gigs. We have to find a way to take those great shows and great music, that we sometimes give away for free or at least at a cut rate, and figure out how to package them and market them to the masses in a way that will allow us to make money even while we sleep. This can be done via Internet marketing but it has to be consistent Internet marketing. You have to build a fan base and create a profitable brand not just a brand. You can create a brand that is recognizable based on exposure but is it making you money?For example: you can be branding yourself by playing clubs and gigs but if you are not developing a fan base that is willing to spend money on what you have to sell then you are wasting your time. It's simply about looking at what we do differently. We are in control! We have to see ourselves in this light not as followers or beggars waiting on managers, attorneys and labels to give us something. We have to change our point of view and see ourselves as deserving. Most of us don't believe that we deserve to be wealthy and that is evident in our daily actions. If you want more out of your life and career, you simply have to change how you look at things. There is beauty to behold and success to be had if you can only SEE IT! Enjoy the journey.

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Monday, July 25, 2011

Mind Your Associations

One of the biggest mistakes we make in pursuing success in the music industry or any industry is that we don't connect ALL of the dots. Achieving something is all about your mind set, environment, influences and associations. The latter is where we often times miss the mark. It is vitally important that we mind our associations. We have to choose who we associate with based on where we want to be, not where we are and definitely not where we've been. I mean when you where twenty years old, hanging out at the club every night or weekend might have been cool for twenty, but at thirty or forty your level of socializing should change. When we were younger it seemed that we chose friends just based on emotion, even if you knew someone had different goals, beliefs, morals or energy. To truly become successful in any field, every thing you do must contribute to that end. Even how you spend your down time. If your goal is to be a wealthy label owner or entertainment attorney, I seriously doubt if spending your free time at the dance club is really going to improve your stock. It's all about networking and you have to consistently put yourself in places that will grow your network and career. Successful people don't usually hang out in place that don't contribute to their growth. It's all about consistently raising your own exposure by going to more industry events such as those sponsored by The Recording Academy, ASCAP, BMI, . . .etc. It also seems that being able to play some golf is a must. Lots of big deals are made on the links. You can have just as much fun but in this case you can truly party with a purpose and trust me you end having a much better time knowing that you are networking, having fun and learning all at the same time. Another thing to remember is that we are always being watched and people judge you by the company you keep. You can't hang out with a certain type of person and say well what they do is on them, no it's on YOU too because birds of a feather really do flock together. This association thing is so deep that it even transfers to your personal life. People also take notice of the type of person you choose as a significant other and how that person carries themselves. Choosing the wrong personal relationship can ruin your career because that person represents you ALL of the time and if they are loud, rude, profane or unruly, this can be a strike against you because it says a lot about your ability or inability to judge character. Understand that there are NO days off from building your career, brand and network. This is your passion so you have to treat it as such. It's time to grow up and raise your levels of association. Watch how it changes your life. Enjoy the journey.


The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Thursday, July 21, 2011

Just Start!

When pursuing your goals, dreams or passions it always seems easier to do when you are younger. Youth seems to bring a certain bravery and tenacity that sometimes evaporates with age. It's like that commercial slogan, "Life comes at you fast." This is so true. The biggest issue we seem to have has nothing to do with knowing what our goals are. We know what we want, we just seem to have a problem taking that first step. Pursuing a goal is like running a race and if you are going to complete the race the first thing you have to do is to start running. I know this seems like common sense but you would be surprised at how many people are deathly afraid of taking that first step. This is mostly because it requires you to step into the unknown and to most people this can be too much. We all want certain guarantees when embarking on new ventures, especially as we get older because we don't feel like we have as much time to take risks anymore. The truth is that we take simple risks everyday. Security is perception, better yet it is an illusion. Most people are simply held prisoner by their pursuit of security instead of just living their lives full out in pursuit of their goals or personal legend. No matter what age you are, you are never too old too start something new. Once the thought or idea is given to you, just start, don't talk yourself out of it with a bunch of excuses. What usually happens is that you will have an idea and not move on it but once your idea has been birthed it must and will be fulfilled whether you do it or not. Have you ever seen something and said hey I had that idea but someone else beat you to it? The fact is that they didn't beat you too it they just acted on the idea while you were still making excuses. Remember, thoughts are things and once they are in the air they belong to the universe and must be fulfilled so don't just sit on anything. In order to be successful you have to DO something other than talk about it, in fact let your ACTIONS do the talking for you. You only fail when you don't start or try to move on your ideas or inspiration. Now waste no more time! Go right now and START you process. Success is simply waiting on you to start.

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

No Regrets

One of the greatest teachers in life is experience. We can study and read to become knowledgeable but it takes experience to acquire wisdom. I've heard football players talk about having to have a short term memory as not to let a bad previous play affect the next play. I've found that in the pursuit of a successful life and career we have to be able to do the same thing. We must be able to live with no regrets. The music industry is such a self motivated business so your focus is probably the most valuable commodity you have. Let's face it, we have all made mistakes or made some decisions that we were not happy with or have wished that we could have done some things differently. From to today forward I want to let you know that it is a must for us to live our lives and pursue our goals full out and you can't do that buy looking back and having regrets. Thoughts are things and true energy. The more time you spend thinking about how you messed up or how you wish you could change the past the less time you have to focus on getting to your goal. We have to be able to value ALL of our experiences because they make us who we are. I truly believe that everything happens for a reason. We have to look at each experience as a building block or lesson. The only way I've learned and continue to learn about who I really am is through some of my mistakes and more importantly how I recover and use the lessons from those experiences. The only way you learn how to get up is by falling down and just because you get up once doesn't mean that you won't fall again. Living life full out requires us to embrace every experience as something great. This is how you develop wisdom and wisdom more than anything else is the key to reaching and maintaining your goals and guaranteeing a certain physical, mental and spiritual quality of life. Remember you can't win a race by focusing on the runner behind you. You have to stay focused on what's in front of you and run the race with all you have. There really are no mistakes just experiences that teach us and help sharpen our focus. Enjoy the journey for it is a great one.

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

There Are No Shortcuts

In this industry, as well as many others, people are always trying to find ways to improve the path to success. One thing I've found to be universally true is that there are no shortcuts. The best way to understand where you want to go is to have some knowledge of people that have achieved the same success you are pursuing. There are many lessons to be learned from these people. There is no one way to do or achieve anything but nothing is ever just given to you. If you want to be a great musician, artist, attorney, manager, producer, engineer. . .etc, there are some universal fundamentals that you have to adhere too. It is important to know what you want but you must start at the bottom and learn all of the basics of that career. If you aspire to be a CEO or label head, you will be in charge of a lot of different people doing vastly different things. How can you truly know who to hire and what their qualifications should be if you have not taken the time to truly learn the job yourself. I'm not saying that you have to be an expert at everything but you should spend SOME time learning any and everything that has to do with YOUR goals or career. This will only help you maintain control and insure that you are truly competent. The music industry has so many different divisions and there is no way for any one person to do all of the jobs but we should all have some basic knowledge of what it takes to make, market and distribute a record, what does the producer do, what does the songwriter do, what does the engineer do, how do you choose the right musicians, what does a manager do, what does a promoter do, what does a booking agent do, what does a graphic artist do, why is the right photographer so important, how do you choose a web designer, how does social networking apply to the success of your record and the list can go on and on. You have to take time and get some basic understanding of how all of these areas work. Even though you won't have to do each job it is important for you to know how they are supposed to be done and what to expect from a person in each position. This is the only way to know if your people are giving you the best work. Also developing good reading and communication skills are vital to any level of success. It takes hours of study and patience to truly be at the top of this and any other career. This is not a game. Anything worth having is worth working for and there are no short cuts. Knowledge is POWER and it can never be taken from you.


The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Monday, July 18, 2011

Blatant Disrepsect

It is always amazing to me how people perceive musicians, artists or creative people. There seems to be an overwhelming misunderstanding or just blatant disrespect for what we do. As artists' we are some of the most talented and intellectually sound people on the face of the earth but it seems that by the mere fact that we are passionate about what we do and we actually enjoy it, most people feel that it is ok to devalue our service. I mean I can't tell you how many times I've booked shows and had to haggle over how much we wanted to be paid. In one instance this lady had seen my show and was very complementary and wanted me to play her convention. Now keep in mind she came to me. I quoted a more than fair price and initially she agreed but later told me that because she had spent most of her budget on the stage and decorating the room and I had to take a pay cut. I thought this was ridiculous! I kindly declined her offer and told her I felt that it was disrespectful to approach me in that manner. People think that because we enjoy our craft and we are entertainers that we should be doing it for, well I guess FREE (LOL). Now you don't ask a doctor to do surgery for free or at a discount or you don't ask an attorney to litigate for free. These professions are respected because of the years of preparation you know it takes to become a doctor or attorney. Well for those of you that don't know, let me tell you that musicians/artists also have the same amount of investment in our craft and it is worth just as much. People have just become so comfortable with disrespecting musicians by terms and phrases like "starving artist" or "every musician needs a spouse with a good job." These things are just down right ignorant and disrespectful and I'm here to tell you in love that it has to stop. Musicians are not slaves or doormats to used at your whim. We are qualified entrepreneurs and professionals that deserve to be respected and paid our true value. As musicians it is up to us to start demanding this respect from every situation because it might sound harsh but we don't HAVE to be at these gigs. If we are not being paid and respected we can book our own shows and make our own money. I mean if we are going to make a sacrifice why do it for someone Else's benefit. We need to make the investment in ourselves. It can be done because I've done it. When someone tells you how they love what you do and would love to have you in there establishment but they can't pay you what you want because they are not sure of your value to their clientele, just say well give me the door and you take food and drinks and let's go. Promote yourself and build your own value. If what you have is good then the people will come and you will have built your fan base and your value without being disrespected. There has to a mutual respect. Clubs, festivals, parties ... etc, depend on great entertainment to draw crowds and make money and we as musicians understand that this is a business transaction as well. All we are saying is that if the whole event is based around having entertainment on the stage then the artist should be respected and valued because without the musicians and artists' what do you have? NOTHING! So again I am appealing to you in love to change your perspective when it comes to how you view musicians, artists' and creative people because it is art that truly makes the world go 'round.

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Thursday, July 14, 2011

You Have To Be FEARLESS!

One of the most frequent questions I get from people is how I get this or that? They want to know who hooked me up with my connections as if I have some kind of secret to share. Well I do have the secret to being successful and getting what you want. YOU HAVE TO BE FEARLESS. The things that have happened and continue to happen in my career are all because I'm not afraid of the unknown. I decided what I wanted to do when I was thirteen years old and I have not looked back since. From the moment I claimed and began to verbally state my vision, people began to tell me how it was impossible and unattainable instead of encouraging me. Luckily I was focused enough to not be shaken. Don't get me wrong, I had and still do have those nervous moments where I will start to question what I should do but those moments only last for a short time because I realize that attaining success or achieving a goal is all about overcoming fear. We fear what we don't understand and have a tendency to want to stay in a kind of safe zone but growth of any kind is never comfortable. Growth constantly makes us reevaluate ourselves and our accomplishments. Most of us are afraid to grow because it demands that we take a look at who we REALLY are and face the sometimes uncomfortable truth about ourselves. So we began to make excuses as to why we can't do this or that and before we know it fear has taken over our very existence. We are no longer willing to take a chance on anything and it begins to show in our appearance, spirit and health. Fear is like a weight, it can hold you down. Fear can also manifest into stress which in turn can manifest into disease and death. Yes it is this serious! In order to live your life full out you have to be unafraid. When the creator gives you an idea or vision, you have to move on it immediately. Simply put, another word for fearless is faith. You have to have faith that what ever want you can have but you have to willing to go out into this world and claim it. That is how I am able to see the world via my art and craft. I am aggressively and fearlessly pursuing my goals and those goals are not based on any person doing this or that. The vision was given, I accepted it, it was then verbalized and written down and it is my goal to live it fearlessly everyday of my life. This is called manifestation. Being fearless simply means that you have the faith to live and walk in the light of what you want. So no more excuses! SEE IT, CLAIM IT, DO IT!!!!!!! FEARLESSLY!

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Wednesday, July 13, 2011

Let The Music Dictate, Not The Gear

I was at a gig recently and I met a guy that was a studio owner and he obviously has access to a lot of resources. He went on and on about how he was building his second studio and how he had the best pro tools HD this and that and how by having this top of the line equipment he was going to have better mixes and make better records simply because he had this gear. It really served to remind me that the best and most valuable piece of equipment that we have is our ear and that we have to let the music dictate and not the gear. I don't care what kind of gear you have, if don't know how to make a record or better yet if you don't know how to write a good song then you are wasting your time. It's about capturing a feel and energy that exists in a particular moment. It seems that in the modern recording industry we are more concerned about the gear than we are what we record with the gear. There have been tons of hit records recorded on the simplest recording set ups. This top of the line gear in the right hands can yield very positive results but most of us don't have half a million to a million dollars to spend on a studio. The truth is that these days you can have a quality computer based recording set up for less than $3500.00. Which will include your software, interface, outboard compressor/pre amp, mic and some descent plug ins. It is important that we keep our focus on what's really important and that is writing great songs. The gear is only a means to an end to help us get the music recorded. Trust me, if you write a great song and you get a great mix, no one is going to say they don't like it because you didn't record it at 96k using the latest HD software and the wavs gold bundle (LOL). I have had records played on the radio and even on movie soundtracks that I recorded on sixteen track ADAT or on pro tools 32 track LE. You have to use what you have to get what you want. If you don't have a million dollar set up, just start from where you are. As a matter of fact, I think it's better to learn recording basics on a simple system where you can focus on good tracking, micing, leveling, understanding EQ and compression. When you get a basic grip of these things, it doesn't matter what system you use, these things will always apply. Remember Berry Gordy and Motown made records in the basement of a house with a very basic recoding set up and those records still sound as good today as anything being made now. That's because they focused on the song first and then getting the best performance out of the musicians and the artist. The gear was merely a vehicle to help achieve those goals. You want to have a quality set up just don't get to caught up in the latest this and that. You have to know what things YOU need to better help you reach your goals. You may not need 100 reverb or compressor plug ins. Just figure what you need and grow from there by letting the music dictate, not the gear. Continue to enjoy this beautiful process of making music.


The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Monday, July 11, 2011

Time Is STILL Money

As a producer and studio owner I get the great opportunity to work with a lot of immensely talented people. I've done this for a long time and one of the things that I've been able to develop in the studio is a particular work flow. Anyone that has ever worked with us will tell you that we don't waste time at all. We do quality work but we get it done efficiently. The reason I like to work this way is to help save TIME & MONEY but most people don't seem to get that time is STILL money. As we all know, studio time is mostly charged by the hour so it is vital to be able to use that time wisely. The best way to do so is to show up fully prepared. If you are cutting a band, be sure to at least get together a few times before the session and go over the arrangement, keys, tempo and feel. Have a plan A & B. Plan A may be to record five rhythm tracks and plan B may be to get at least three done. Whatever it is, just have a plan. If your session starts at six then you should be there at least an hour early to set drums and mic amps, if need be, so that at six you are ready to roll. You have to understand that you are on the clock ALL the time. Some engineers will be gracious and not charge for set up time but you have to be ON TIME. The most contradicting thing to me is all of the people that make records have these great visions and plans but sometimes lack the follow through it takes to move the record beyond the studio. I've heard ever kind of hype speech and motivational pitch to be heard but people will get in the studio and not want to leave (LOL) I mean in terms of getting there project done. Don't start a project if you don't have the FULL budget to complete it. When I book a project I will set aside a certain amount of time to get it done and I will base my price on that schedule so to go any longer because a client doesn't have their money straight ends up costing ME money. Before you go into the studio be fully prepared creatively and financially so that you can get the best possible end result. Bottom line, being on time is the key to success in anything you do. It is important not to waste your time or anyone Else's. Now go make your plan, book your session and make a hit record. Remember time is STILL money.

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Wednesday, July 6, 2011

Deciding What to Sell

The music business, like most others, is a costumer based business and the concept of supply and demand is still the cornerstone of success. Even though music is a creative art and isn't a precise science in terms of knowing what will work and when, we still have ways to determine what the public will buy from us. Most of us are good at doing several things and we are usually working on trying to build and brand all of those things at once but I regret to inform you that we are spinning our wheels. Even though we may be good at several things so are about a million other people. We have to determine what it is that we have to offer to the public that is unique to us and once we make that discovery that is what we have to build on. I mean you might think that you are a great singer or producer but the thing that really gets people's attention is your live performance and stage presence. So what do you do? Well what you have to do is take a step back and reevaluate your focus. If people are going crazy over your performance or if their is something you do in your show that is a unique selling point, then that is what you have to build on. The truth is that whether you realize it or not every time you perform, your show is selling that thing anyway. You have to be a smart enough business man/woman to recognize what it is and jump on it while it is hot. Don't be bummed out because people like you as a high energy performer but you want to be an R&B crooner. Just accept the fact that they like something that you do and the thing they like is truly unique to you that's why they are there. The other important factor is understanding how this increases your value in the market place. Once you have discovered what sets you apart and you further define and refine how to market it, you become a more valuable commodity because the only place people can get what you do is by booking YOU. So if they want your unique gift that they know people will pay for then they have to meet YOUR price because you have now carved out an individual identity. Look at Lady GaGa for example. Before she focused on her gift of image and live presentation she was just another good singer in the mix of thousands of others but when she decided to focus on what was unique to her then it all clicked. Even though her music was always great she had to find a way to set herself apart and that for her was through image and presentation. Take time to listen to what your public is saying they REALLY like from you. Now this doesn't mean that you loose your identity or soul trying to be someone you are not or trying to be everything to everyone. There is something that you do every show that keeps people coming back for more. Find out what that is and build your brand from there. Enjoy the process of refining your brand. Success is yours!

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Staying Ahead Of The Curve

When choosing a path to success we have to decide whether we want to lead or follow, create or imitate. The people that have the best results seem to be the trail blazers, trendsetters or taste makers. The only way to be one of these people is by staying ahead of the curve. In order to do this you have to pull back far enough to see the entire landscape or playing field. When making creative or career decisions you can't just focus on what's happening now. You have to be able to see past what's in your face. Every industry has a process from conception to realization and this process involves a lot of critical thinking and planning. Being a visionary is a must. If you try to just stay current then you are already behind because the things that are being marketed as current are already at least a year old if not older depending on the time it took to fully develop the concept and get it market ready. You have to be able to see what's next and the way to do this is to just be honest with yourself. Start with the information you get from every performance or encounter. Every show is a chance to gather valuable in site on how to sell your product. Now staying ahead of the curve not only applies to your art but your mind set, image and physical state as well. There is nothing worse than to work for something and realize once you get there that you are out classed because of the so called intangibles. It is important to understand where you want to be. If you want to be a millionaire, famous musician or successful entrepreneur you have to stay up on every part of your game. You have to act, look, dress and perform for where you want to be and not for where you are. Remember staying ahead of the curve requires vision because the things you see are not yet visible to everyone. You have to make them a reality and to do so they must first be a reality to YOU. So start living in that space TODAY. The music industry in like a wide open frontier and there has never been a better time to establish new things on all levels, creatively and otherwise. Remember, when you are ahead of the curve, not everyone will be there with you so you have to have an unshakable faith and belief in what you are doing. When they catch up you will have already attained your success because you would have gotten there first. Stay courageous!

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Monday, July 4, 2011

Independence

With today being the Fourth of July, it really got me thinking about the concept of true independence. I've worked in a lot of different situations with a lot of people and I've been privy to quite a few musician conversations on the subject of independence. It is interesting that we all speak about being independent or just having the freedom to choose what we want to do with ourselves, especially in our careers, but most of us are missing the mark. The first step to TRUE freedom and independence is to understand that we are not defined by what we do. Being a musician, producer, educator and songwriter are things that I do it's not who I am. It's important that we are able to define who we are. I listen to musicians that work with various major artists talk about how sometimes the person they work for can be a bit unfair. They go on and on about how this person is just damn near evil. I've noticed that this type of conversation occurs mostly when there is no work (LOL). I find it funny because these same guys will talk about the artist they work for but still covet the association even when they know that they are no longer benefiting from the relationship. This my friend is nothing more than self imposed slavery. Now don't get me wrong I am living this myself. I have to constantly remind people not to introduce me just as Little Richard's drummer because playing that gig was great but it was only one of the things that I've been blessed to do and it doesn't define me. To truly garner respect and grow a brand it is vital that we not allow ourselves to be co-oped by any situation. We must always know who we are and what we stand for. Just because you are associated with someone who is famous doesn't give them or their existence any more importance than yours. This doesn't mean that we have to be disrespectful. It's all about knowing the truth and as it has been said, "The truth shall set you free." So let's continue to focus on maintaining and building our own independence. Remember we are not at all defined by what we do but who we are. Happy Independence Day!

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011