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

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