Facing The Truth

As we navigate through this business and our careers, we soon realize that not everything and everyone are what they appear to be. The closer we get to success the smaller our circles become. This can be hard because it involves us facing the truth about a lot of our associations and relationships. The truth is most of the people that we consider friends are only around to try and usurp our energy and get something for nothing. These people pretend to be in your corner while all the time stealing your ideas and concepts attempting to make them their own. This is a hard truth to face but in order for us to reach our goals, it is a truth we must embrace. Now this doesn't mean that everybody is out to get you but you have to learn to be more discrete about what you share and who you share it with. After all, this business is about competition to most people and they want to win at all costs. If you think I'm being paranoid, test the theory. If you are working with people that praise you in your presence but never publicly acknowledge your contribution to their work, if you are working with people that miraculously always seem to have the same ideas as you only after you have told them of your plans and if you are working with people that will sell themselves and take credit for work they didn't do then it's time to face the truth. These people are not your friends and you should only deal with them as it suits your business. Bottom line, only get involved with them from a business perspective and only discuss things that concern them and never discuss your other business plans or aspirations. Having to face this truth only means you are on the right track or better yet, you have arrived and you just need to tighten your inner circle. Welcome to your success.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Maintaining Your Passion and Drive

The music industry is full of ups and downs. If you are not careful it can make you loose focus and forget the reason you started pursing your goals. It is important to always maintain your passion and drive in all that you do in this business and your life. What most artists/musicians miss is that talent is one thing but it is our passion and heart that makes the real difference. No matter how long you've been doing what you do, you should still attack every situation with a child like exuberance. I do a lot of studio work as well as live performance and the truth is I still enjoy playing my instrument now as much as I did when I was twelve years old. I've come to find that my passion and love for what I do is contagious in every situation. When I play on people's records, that child like energy helps to drive the music to a beautiful place and the same is true with the live shows. People really connect with seeing someone putting their all into something they love because it makes them feel good as well. We just have to get out of our own way. I mean you can be focused on being the best this or that but without connecting with your passion for the craft you will come off kinda flat or pretentious. We should always be in the creative moment. Playing music is like being in love and when you are in love you bear your soul and become vunerable to the one you love. We have to open ourselves to the music with the same passion. Your play your personality. Just be you and never be afraid to bask in the sunshine of your love for what you do and every time you play, dance, sing, write or whatever you do, put all of YOU in it. This is the secret to success because this is what drives the unknown X factor people speak of. Some people call it the IT factor as well. Don't try to figure it out, just be honest and forever passionate about what you do and rest will take care of itself. Don't become jaded hang on to what made you love this from the start. Now go and create something beautiful.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011

Defining Yourself

One of the most difficult things to do in this business is to define yourself. It seems a bit contradictory being that music is supposed to be freeing and a unique form of artistic expression but most of us have fallen into the trap of trying to be all things to all people and this is just impossible. We have to divorce ourselves from the opinions of those around us and focus on what really defines our artistic expression. Now, don't get me wrong, we must keep things in proper perspective. I mean whatever art we create must still be commercially viable but even that has no limit when you are able to truly connect with who you are creatively and deliver an honest piece of creative work. This is so hard to do now because we have so many people that want to enslave us to their perception of who we are and sometimes the worst thing to do is to listen to some one who is really close to you. I know this sounds strange but the people that are closest to us sometimes like keeping us in a particular box that they feel like they can control. The truth is that as creative people we live our lives out of control. Not in a bad way but we must be allowed to live, breathe and grow according to our own creative hearts. This can sometimes be frightening to people. It is never wrong to be completely honest with yourself and those around you. If your honesty drives certain people and things away then they where not supposed to be in your circle anyway. Stay true to your creative self and enjoy the manifestation of what is to come.

The Truth

All Rights Reserved by Airtight Productions 2011