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