It's A New Day

There continues to be an on going debate about the fate of the music industry. It's all about the old way of business versus the new. We are now living in the digital age where people consume music and all products, for that matter, in a completely different way. The old music industry was a members only game that used money and influence to force the buying public into purchasing music. When I say force I mean if you wanted to buy a single you liked you had to wait until the full album came out and most times the single would be the only really great song on the album but it was the only way to get the song you wanted. Even radio airplay would force you, in a kind of subliminal way, to like music you really didn't care for. Well that has all changed. The Internet has leveled the playing field but it seems that most of us traditional musicians that make our living producing and playing music have not quite gotten the memo. We have to understand that it is a new day and this is really to our benefit. Most of us are still looking for record deals. The record deal is dead. We have to become Internet savvy by understanding how to market our music via social sites and other web marketing tools. Selling something is all about the distribution and in the past you had to make a deal with one of the big labels for use of their distribution network. Well now the Internet puts the world at our fingertips, but we have to be willing to do the work. I've been dealing with a lot of traditional music lately such as blues, jazz, rock & roll and Americana and most of these artists are great self promoters and make quite a great living playing shows but they are loosing their shirts trying to supply radio stations and reviewers with product. These stations and reviewers are STILL requesting hard copies which costs tons of money in shipping not to mention the money you loose by giving away a piece of product when you can just send them a digital file of your music and press kit at no cost. I mean most of these stations have to convert the music into mp3s anyway so why make us spend extra money shipping them product that they don't really need anyway. It is vital that these people join the digital age, if not, we will continue to see a decline in the traditional music markets because everyone else in pop, hip/hop, r&b etc... is using facebook, twitter, YouTube, sound cloud, reverbnation, instagram, LinkedIn and the list goes on and on. We have to use this technology to make things easier and less expensive for ALL of us, radio and other media people included. Now this brings me to CD sales. We keep hearing that the Cd is dead and downloads are the new king. Well not quite yet BUT, it's not far off. You can check the following link from the Huffington Post for the latest figures for 2012 sales at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/09/music-sales-2012-digital-physical_n_2440380.html. CD sales were still the largest percent of the market share but they were down substantially from the preceding year and digital sales where up quite a bit from the preceding year. The writing is clearly on the wall. The CD will eventually go the way of the 8track and cassettes tape formats. In life and art change is inevitable, those that can adapt will win and those that can't will just be left penniless lamenting the "good old days". It's a new day and the future is NOW! Do your research and most of all JUST MAKE GREAT MUSIC! With this great new technology has come even more distractions so if you are going to win fans, your music has to be great to hold their attention and make them want to share it with their friends. Welcome to the new music biz. It's what you choose to make of it. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

Never Convenient

The cool thing about this business is it's endless possibilities. There are so many opportunities and careers to be had on and off stage. Most of us have grown up dreaming of becoming this or that and believe it or not, a lot of our dreams have come true but with a price. The truth about success or opportunity is that it's never convenient. I guess this happens in all situations though. Let me explain. Often times we work hard for an opportunity to advance our career only to realize that when it comes we usually have to make some very uncomfortable decisions in relationship to where we are at that particular time. It's never easy. Moving ahead always means you have to leave something behind and most of us are so emotionally attached to situations that when our dream comes knocking, we often won't answer. Success is always about starting over. Once you rise to the top of one level, you have to start over at the bottom of the next. This can be frightening for most of us so we just become complacent and let opportunities pass us by. We have to stay focused on what our BIG picture is. Yes we want everything to be convenient and we want our schedules to work out so that everyone is satisfied but the universe doesn't work like that. Whatever we ask and work for we will have, we just have to be willing to take it. Every call I've ever gotten for a great opportunity has always come when I was fully booked or otherwise obligated and I had to make some decisions. Do I let this opportunity that I have been working all my life for pass by or do I take it and risk hurting some feelings because I have to bow out of some other obligations? I have always taken the opportunity. And yes it's always hard but I've been lucky enough to work with people that support me and want to see me advance because they realize that my success not only benefits me but them as well. I have also had some not so cool situations when people were pretty pissed but I'm like dude it's a chance to be in X movie or do Y tour and I'm sorry I can't make the gig at X local club but I've got to take this chance. I'm finding that it doesn't get any easier. I just do my best to remain upfront and honest with people about my goals and aspirations. So just try to stay focused on your goals and be prepared to make the hard choices when they come and please don't allow emotion or manipulation by others to cause you to miss out on your dream. Always be fair, honest and professional.  Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

Pay Attention

I've been in the music business for a long time and I've noticed that it's always about the details. No matter what facet whether it's performing, producing, managing . . . etc, the most successful people pay attention to detail. Now this may sound like a contradiction for musicians because people think that we just live wild lives partying and doing drugs and yes that does happen sometimes, LOL, but it's still amazing that even through some of that, artists are still about the detail. I get a lot of calls to play with people I've never met or I'll have to learn a show and play it with no rehearsal so for me it's all about listening AND watching. YOU HAVE TO PAY ATTENTION. There is nothing more irritating than trying to communicate with someone on stage and you can't because they are not paying attention. I mean it's cool to be in a zone but remember we are all playing together and we have to be in that zone as a unit. As cool as it may be for you to close your eyes, YOU CAN'T! You have to watch every move that is being made by the front person as well as make eye contact and vibe with your fellow musicians. Music is all about communication and to do it well you have to stay focused and tuned in to what's going on. Look at it this way, music is truly another language and every time we perform we speaking to people as a UNIT. Each of us has a role to play in this conversation and when it is done well, people really get it. Have you ever played a show and had someone come up to afterwards and express to you how the music affected them and made them laugh, cry, dance or whatever? This only happens when we are open minded and tuned in to our fellow musicians on stage AND the audience. You will also be surprised at how much can be communicated by just watching each other on stage. Every artist I play with has some kind of body gesture they do to indicate one thing or another so I have to pay strict attention their EVERY move. Just remember music is both audio and visual and we have to always pay attention. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

Keep Searching

Being a musician or artist is one of the best gifts ever but it can sometimes seem like a curse. As creative people we are all striving to find our voice or purpose, not unlike most of the world. Everyone wants to know why they are here and what are they supposed to be doing. This is extra hard for us because we are often faced with the fact that financial reward and pursuing your passion don't always line up, or so it seems. Life is truly a journey that we will travel until we expire so it's never over until it's over. We have to keep searching and learning to find our place. The cool thing about this search is that it is never ending because there is always something new to learn and experience. For example, for those of us that spend the bulk of our time gigging or creating, it's now time for us to search out ways to increase the value of our years of experience. This process requires study and a willingness to do something different. You see the misconception that artists have to be broke or have a "day job" to support themselves is just that . . . a misconception. We have to buckle down and spend our time finding ways to exploit the various skill sets we have acquired while doing what we do as well as staying open to learning even more. We must also understand that no matter how much money or success we attain, we have to always keep searching and learning. Once you stop wanting to grow, you die. None of us know everything nor should we want to. Living as an artist is a beautiful thing and we have a daily opportunity to walk a path that is full of wisdom and freedom. This also applies to all facets of our lives. Let's stop complaining about what we don't have and focus on what we DO have and what we WILL have. We just have to stay focused and keep a fresh outlook on life because this journey is much shorter than any of us realize. There is no time to waste on nonsense. so let's live, love, create and keep searching. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth 

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

In Spite Of

Following your passion takes a lot of courage, especially when your passion is music. There are tons of examples and cliches about the musician or artist. We are often referred to as starving artists. It is really a metaphor for dedication because following your passion means risking it all and before you can walk you have to crawl. The hardest part is that following this passion is never enough to guarantee success. Along the way we find that we have to master our business skills in order to make our passion worth something to others. This is where the rubber meets the road, so to speak. You see, we can see the vision because it's ours but to the rest of the world and even those closet to us, we are just dreamers. Well my advice is that you keep moving in spite of. Being an artist is a thankless endeavor and we have to have unshakable faith and a thick skin. What most people don't get is that we have to spend thousands of hours developing who we are and what we do before it ever really pays off. The problem is that most of us give up or allow others to make us give up before we reap the reward. Trust me, the only way you loose is to stop playing the game. I've seen people with very little natural talent become very successful because they simply didn't quit. I've also seen people get one or two steps away from making it only to give up, never realizing that if they had only kept going, their payoff was right around the corner. This can be much harder as we get older, especially if you have a family, but I say even then you can not give up. To do so will only make you bitter, full of regret and make you resent those closet to you. It's also important that we keep our minds open to expanding our visions so that we can see all of the opportunities that lie before us that can be a part of our passion. Stay encouraged and focused in spite of everything else and remember to enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

Life Is Short

I've had a few close friends and associates pass away within the last year. The shocking thing is that all of these people where young and in, what seemed to be, great shape. In every case I found myself shocked thinking of how I had just seen or spoke to them not realizing that would be the last time I would share time and space with them. Of course when people pass away, we all have brief moments of reflection and an acceptance of our own mortality but these thoughts soon disappear and we return to our lives as usual. The thing we have to remember is that life is short and we don't have time to waste. This point is driven home more and more as we get older because death is something we will ALL experience so why not live our BEST life all the time. We never know if this moment will be our last or someone else's. This is also applicable to our craft. We never know how our music and performance can affect some one's life so it is paramount that we live and perform FULL OUT all the time. We are not promised tomorrow so we should learn to focus our words, thoughts and actions toward living the best life we can because it can all be over in an instant. The key to living life is to be HAPPY. Yes we all strive for success but if the stress of achieving a certain success shortens your life, it's not worth it. Some say that stress is just a by product of winning. Well not if you truly love what you do and your goal is to live a happy life. As musicians it is important for us to remember that stress kills just like cancer. So as we continue on our paths, let's be sure to take time to enjoy every beautiful moment we can and not stress over ANYTHING. Trust me it's not worth it. God bless those we've lost and may he continue to bless us as we continue ahead. Be well and enjoy the journey.

The Truth 

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

The Little Things

In every aspect of this business it is the attention to quality that wins every time. Even though some of us may feel as though the bar has dropped a bit, the winners all have a certain level of quality in common. This also goes for musicians. I play with a lot of different guys in a bunch of situations and it's always amazing how a group of people who have never played together can sound as if they have been together for years. This only happens when you have like minded people that share the same belief in quality and mastering the little things. The misconception about being a success is that it all depends on the big break. Well there is no BIG break. Success is a learned behavior. By focusing on mastering the little everyday things, we learn how to practice success. We soon realize that success is only about excellence and quality. It's about always being at our best in practice, performance and business. Once we master the little things, then the big things happen. Success is just like anything else, you have to practice it everyday in every part of your life. We have to not only master out musical talents but our communication skills, time management, planning and follow through. We have an opportunity everyday to practice these skills. These are some of the little things that serve as the building blocks for our larger success. Remember to always strive for quality and excellence in all you do and enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

Stay Tuned In

The coolest thing about music and any other craft is that you never really learn it all. Being great is a lifelong pursuit. Success is all about consistent growth and change. Learning only occurs from listening, watching and experiencing the moments that happen all around us everyday. Most of us as musicians miss this. We become jaded and our egos lead us to believe that we've been there and done that. Well I beg to differ. The key to growth in music and business is to stay tuned in. We have to pay attention ALL the time. Music is a living, breathing thing that can produce amazing experiencing when we are tuned in. Every musician or creative person has had times when the universe gives us the most beautiful  grooves, melodies and words. This beauty exists in every creative and business situation but the key to connecting with it is being tuned in and approaching every situation being open to explore and create something new and beautiful. It doesn't matter how many times you've done something, each time gives you a new chance to explore the music, the opportunity and yourself. Our performance is only an extension of who we really are. This concept also applies to our business and personal lives. We have to stay tuned in and listen to the people and world around us. All of the answers and success we seek are right in front of us daily but if we are not tuned in, we will miss it all and opportunities will just pass us by. You see success is about relationships and all the experts have always said that the key to having a successful relationship is listening. Let's stay tuned in and better our relationship with the universe. Our success, business and art will be the all the better for. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth
All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

Have A Strategy

The music industry is an ever changing landscape and now more than ever it requires an entrepreneurial  spirit to win. Gone are the days of becoming a rich rock star funded by a record company. The industry now belongs to tech savvy kids with more creative abandon than talent. These kids fully understand how to navigate the Internet and reach their demographic or even create it. Without even realizing it, they are following basic business practices. As musicians we have spent thousands of hours honing our craft but most of us haven't put in the time learning the business of how to market, promote and sell who we are and what we do in this new digital age. We must all have a strategy. First of all, decide what you want and design a business plan that deals with time lines, strategy and numbers to help you begin to truly see the path. Once this is done, let the plan guide your decisions in all aspects of your career. Most of us waste a ton of time by associating with people that we know don't contribute to our plan. This doesn't mean that these are bad people, just that they will not help us realize our larger goal. It is also important to do a time spent assessment. No matter what you think you are doing, the truth lies in where you invest the bulk of your time. If all of your time is spent playing $100 club gigs then that is about the extent of what you will achieve. The way to make it all make sense is to only take gigs that will add to your plan. It's really not even about the immediate money. You should mind every association and person you work with to be sure that they are a part of YOUR plan. Success is a house built day by day and we must be careful not to waste time on things that don't contribute to the building of this house. Take some time today and evaluate your goals. Design a schedule that will allow you to spend time on the business side of getting your career to the next level. Remember time is money and if you want to make some REAL money you have to invest some REAL time into the business of YOU. There are no days off. You are a walking, talking billboard for your business. Every show you play, every conversation you have and every social network post you make must all speak to who YOU are and be in line with your larger plan for success. Now go make your plan and above all. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

Just Change It

As musicians and creative people we often fly by the seat of our pants. I mean we live mostly for the moment and we most times make decisions the same way. Living in the moment works great for creating art but it doesn't always fair as well when it comes to making business and life decisions. Yet it's never to late to improve or do something different. Many of us have made and continue to make decisions that don't contribute to our advancement and we constantly complain or blame others for our condition. Well the easiest thing to do is often the hardest thing to do . . . just live stress free and BE HAPPY. If you don't like something in your life or business, then just change it. Yes, it's that simple. We are always complaining about the the guy that doesn't pay us enough or doesn't handle business the way we would like. Well, instead of continually involving ourselves in those situations and increasing our level of stress, just say no or change the way you deal with it. If you accept a job with someone that you know is not on the up and up then you have NOTHING to complain about because YOU took the job. Stress is one of the biggest killers in the world, especially in our industry but we won't face it. By the time we realize that the stress of misinformation, long hours on the road for little money, disorganized management, blatant brow beating and disrespect have severely effected our health and quality of life, it's too late. Every decision we make must serve our well being. If something in your life is making you unhappy or causing you stress, just change it. Negative thoughts and energy can be toxic to your soul and physical being. We have to practice making better decisions and not beating ourselves up over mistakes. If you realize that something is not working then change it and move on. The truth is that not many of us really want to be happy. We are so  used to being toxic that we don't truly want to rid ourselves of the condition because once you do that, you then have all of this time to focus and work toward REALLY being successful and happy. As crazy as it may sound, not many of us really want to be happy and free. That's why we keep making the same wrong choices. I challenge you to be free. Simply change anything in your life and business that isn't contributing to your advancement and enjoy the journey. 

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013

Business Acumen

The one thing that seems to be true about the music business, and any other business, is that when it comes to success, there really is no mystery. I mean there are many different routes to success but the principles are always the same. I've noticed that your level of success is directly related to your level of business acumen. I work with a lot of really talented people and I sometimes find myself asking why these people aren't household names but after working with them, I get it. You see talent is just not enough. Just being great at something doesn't guarantee success. Success is gained by mastering business and organizational skills and you have to ALWAYS be on every aspect of your game ALL the time. For example, I've seen artists get a lot of work but hit a wall when it comes to moving to the next level because, as good as they may be, they are inconsistent. Some nights they are great and others they are just ok. They dress sometimes and sometimes they don't. They like to drink and party sometimes in excess in full view of the decision makers. Now most of you may say hey man loosen up there's nothing wrong with a good time. Well I beg to differ, especially if that good time paints the wrong picture of who you are and what your larger goals are. Remember that people are ALWAYS watching us, on and off stage and it is OUR BUSINESS to always be aware of the type of image we are putting forth. If your goal is to grow your career into a multi million dollar business, your business and presence must say this in every way. So no, there are no surprises. There are tons of talented people that will wallow in mediocrity because of there lack of business acumen. Trust me, this is a business like any other and there are no days off. Every performance is not only an audition but an opportunity and as much as it is about art, it is about business and pushing your career to the next level. This is a highly competitive game but there is room for anyone who's not afraid to work. So decide what you want and start walking down the path toward that success NOW. Remember to always be sincere and passionate. Stay focused on YOUR goals and learn from the mistakes and missteps of others. Success is yours, you have but to reach out and grab it. Enjoy The Journey.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2013