Take Control Of Your Own Destiny

I'm a member of a very distinguished club of musicians that plays or has played extensively with major artists. We have all had great experiences and have great stories to tell but we all have dealt with the great dilemma. Landing a big gig is great but, depending on the artist, it can be all consuming and intoxicating. What I mean is that you spend ALL of your time serving this person's every whim and being seduced by the fame or shall we say the association with fame. Most of us loose sight of our personal goals and as good as any gig is, it always comes to an end and we are sometimes left to realize that we've invested some of our most productive years into someone Else's career. It's important to take control of your own destiny. Playing with major artists is just ONE of the things I do and I've learned not to tie my identity to any one situation. It's important that people are able to see the value in who we are as artists, musicians and educators in our own right. Yes I spent X amount of years with Little Richard and I continue to do work with him as MY schedule allows but that is just one of many things I've done and my career continues to flourish. It's great to have these experiences as a calling card but we don't have to be defined by them. It's better for people to follow us because of who WE are as musicians or artists. This is the only way for us to build a stable career financially and otherwise. Trust me, you should never put all of your eggs in one basket, so to speak. Never let ANY man/woman, no matter how famous or rich, feel as if he/she can control your life. It's important to remember that we are always working for ourselves and when we are out with these artists, we have to take advantage of the access to build a network of business relationships that we can use long after the gig is over. We have to always stay sober and not get high on the perceived fame the gig brings us. One quick reality check is that we can go out with these artists and make GREAT money but when we come home, we will use this association to get other jobs but people won't pay us anywhere close to the same money and for the most part, they just want to say they know someone that works with X artist. The bottom line for you is still not great. Therefore we have to stay focused on building our value and controlling our own destiny. Enjoy the journey.

The Truth

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