Focus On YOU

I'm in the studio after another great week of sessions and shows. I've had the great pleasure of working with some very well known musicians in last few days. All of these guys have played on some of the most legendary hits in history and have toured and continue to tour with some of the biggest names in the business. The one thing they all seem to have in common is that even though they have played on records that have made millions of dollars and toured with artists that have done the same, they are still basically living from gig to gig. One of them gave me some great advice that I will share with you. He said, "No matter what you are doing or who you are working with, always focus on YOU." I have experienced some of this myself firsthand from being in the Little Richard Band for so many years but I think it was easier for me to stay focused on me because I was twenty three when I joined the band and of course Richard was a senior citizen so I knew that I couldn't depend on just that gig to sustain my career. Remember that we have to always think of every move we make as a business move. I think that most of us will get a big gig and rest on just having the gig and not understand that at the end of the day we are completely expendable. The only reason we are there is to serve the purpose of whoever the artist is and don't fool yourself into thinking that any of them really want to help you advance to doing your own thing. Think about it, if you are helping them serve their purpose why would they really want to help you move away from what they need you to do. Now don't get me wrong, there are some rare occasions but for the most part they want you there for them only. This doesn't make them wrong or selfish. It's just business and we have to look out for our business and career as well. We should always be building our career on several fronts. We should definitely continue by performing but we must also continue to educate ourselves, diversify our talents and brand our name, likeness and image. This way no matter who we play with or work for we will reap a greater benefit from a business end. DON'T EVER INVEST MORE TIME INTO ANYONE OR ANYTHING THAN YOU INVEST IN YOURSELF. I know we have a strong work ethic so for every one thing you do for someone else, you should do two things for yourself. This will insure that you are always building your own business and focusing on YOU.

The Truth

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