Social Networking: Necessity or Addiction?

I spend a lot of time on line via facebook, twitter, linkedin, reverbnation ... etc. As an independent business owner the Internet gives me access to an almost limitless market. It seems that being on line a few hours a day is a down right necessity or is it an addiction? I guess it can actually be both. Truth be told, if I didn't feel like I had to put in daily time on line to maintain and grow my brand then I probably would be doing something else with the time. There are pros and cons to social networking. Some of the pros are being able to expand your fan or consumer base worldwide at a key stoke, keeping people aware of your brand in a way YOU choose, basic advertising with low over head and being able to stay in the loop of where the pulse is as it relates to your particular area of interest. Some of the cons are getting distracted by things that are unrelated to motivating or growing your business, dealing in social circles that you know you shouldn't be in just because you happen to be on line, not being able to keep your focus on the BUSINESS of social networking and allowing it to become to personal and being just down right nosy reading every little post about when someone chooses to use the bathroom or how cute their kid's are. Now I understand that we all have different reasons for being on line and networking and this is inevitably the answer. As a professional, before investing any time on line, decide exactly what your social networking purposes are and STICK TO THEM. If you want to deal in personal issues then maybe have and alternate sight to do so but even then as a business person that is a waste of time. We are out here on the web to do BUSINESS so let's stay focused on the necessity of having a strong; positive web presence and let's stay away from the frivolous addictions that can come with this medium of communication. Just remember, you are what you post so let's stay digitally focused. See you out there.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Knowing Your Music History

I've heard a lot of people complain about how today's music lacks soul and doesn't connect with people like the music of the past. Now I know that every generation feels that they had the market cornered on musical style and expression. The one thing I have noticed about a lot of today's artists is that most of them do not know their music history. I mean if you are an R&B or Pop vocalist and you haven't studied Marvin Gaye, Donny Hathaway, Aretha Franklin, The Isley Brothers, Chaka Khan, Stevie Wonder etc... then you are missing the whole point. Music today is more about reaching a certain corporate end than making any real artistic expression. In the past making money was always the bottom line but it was understood that the music had to be quality and no link in the chain was taken for granted. That's why the music of Motown, Stax , Chess Records and Philly International sounds as fresh today as it did all those years ago. Now the reason we need to study the music and artists from the past is so that we not only know about the music but the circumstances that created the music. When you look at history and the struggles that were going on in society you see that the best music was created because the music was just an extension of the times they were living in. Music was a life force filled with love, hate, lust, compassion, fear, hope and redemption. So when people bought records they did so as a way to help move their life along a better path via a hot Motown dance groove or to a strong Philly message song. Simply put, the artistry was king. Now in today's microwave society, we are more focused on gimmicks and quick sales than on the quality of the art itself. I guess this actually says a lot about where we are in society. The truth is there are a lot of quality artists making music today in all genres of music but the buying public dictates what is hot and what is not. For the most part fluff still rules the day. If we want to see a change then we have to support this new generation of quality artists the same way we support the fly by night gimmick records. So take some time and study the music that came before us so that you know where we came from and this will help us define where we are going.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Choosing The Proper Direction

Success is a life long pursuit and along the journey we encounter course corrections. We all come to certain crossroads in our lives and careers and the results we get are all based on choosing the proper direction. The music industry, like many others, is in a state of flux and rediscovery so this is actually an opportune time to plot a new career direction. When doing so understand that you can not operate from the old models at all. This is an entirely new landscape and we our the pioneers on this new frontier of independent opportunity. As we get older our decisions become more vital because we don't have as much time to make stupid mistakes or decisions. Our age and experience should grant us with wisdom, honestly and a certain purity of heart when it comes to plotting the right course for ourselves. Take stock of your life and career. What's really working for you? What's not? As an artist,musician or business man what are your most valuable skill sets. Not just your preferred skills but what do others consider valuable about your skills? Once you decide what those skills are, you can plot a shorter more direct path to your next level of success. It's all about order. We are all good at several things but we can only really master and focus on one thing at a time. Prioritize your skills from strongest to weakest. You can use them all but allow yourself to focus honestly on your stronger skills so that you can use those attributes to open the door and create a path for you to utilize ALL of your skill sets. Just remember success is just about being honest with yourself and choosing the proper direction. Now go on down your path. There is no more time to waste.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011