A Break from the Story: You Aren’t Special

Posted by admin on April 6th, 2010 | 1 Comment »

I keep coming across more “artists” who think that simply because they can sing or play an instrument they are somehow “special,” different from all the rest and entitled to success.  Now, they are special, everybody is special in their own way but I’m talking about a different kind of special.  “Entitlement,” might be a better word, but the general attitude is that simply because you are an artist you feel entitled to success.

Well sorry.  That’s not how it works.

Do you want to be successful?  Do you want to make a difference, get your message across, reach millions of people, touch the lives of many?  Then work your fucking ass off.  Period.

Talent will get you as far as about a mile in a 26 mile marathon.  It will give you a one minute headstart, but then all the people who put in the work, the sweat, the time and the hours for their dreams will plow you down before you even get a taste of that you might win.

And here is the real truth.  Even when you are pursuing your absolute dream in life, there will be many times when you have to do shit that you don’t feel like doing.  Yes, even when it’s your total dream to be a musician, there will be times you don’t feel like singing, practicing, even performing!

Why are so many people in this country averse to hard work?  What is it about mediocrity that we so love?

Chapter 10: What I’m Learning from Tom Jackson

Posted by admin on March 23rd, 2010 | 1 Comment »

Tom Jackson separates the reason that we (musicians and music lovers) do music into 4 “M’s.”

The Music       The Message       The Money       The Me

I’m going to talk about the “Me” because I’ve always had an issue with the “me.” A part of me has always felt like it’s self indulgent to be a musician or an artist. Like “who am I to think that I can/should/deserve to do this?” Anybody else ever feel like that?

Well, what Tom said is that the “me” could either one of two things. The first “me” is the “ME…” the look at “ME.” The “ME is performing so clap for ME.” We all hate this “me,” and this is not the “me” that he speaks about. The “me” that he speaks about is the “me” that has always known, that has always felt that I am here to do this…that my love for music is so deep it must be my calling and in order to honor the gifts that I was given by the Universe, or God if you don’t have a problem with that word, then I have to DO SOMETHING about it!

I used to think that I was selfish for thinking that I could be a world-renowned musician because I thought that everybody’s dream was to be some kind of performer if they really could choose anything. Wrong.

When lived in Colorado, I met a guy who told me his dream in life was to climb the 7 highest peaks in the world, and that he had already tackled 4 of them, K2 included. I thought about the fact that this dream was the apotheosis of what he thought was dream worthy…his ultimate goal in life, to climb all 7 peaks.

Now, I would never want to do that. I have absolutely no interest whatsoever in mountain climbing. Skiing down a mountain, yes please. Climbing up a mountain. No fucking way.

My point is obvious: not everyone dreams about the same thing so maybe there’s a reason for why we have certain dreams, desires or callings in life: because that’s what we are supposed to do! We dream about it, yearn for it, desire it because we are supposed to have it!  Me! Me me me me me is supposed to be doing this because that’s what fulfills my hear the most!  And the truth is is that if I didn’t do my hearts calling, I would be cheating God so to speak, or cheating my life; turning my back on that which gives me the most fire and most fulfillment.

So thank you Tom Jackson for reminding me of “Me.”

More coming…