Chapter 16: A Change of Approach?

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

My very close friend Itay gave me some feedback about this blog and real time story.  This is what he said: “I read chapter one and to be completely honest I was looking to get more of you and I got a manual. I want to hear more about your feelings, fears, thoughts, and challenges and how you overcome them. I want to hear how you evolve. When you complete the journey, you can write a manual.”  Of course my quick reaction was to defend myself and tell him that he only read the first chapter and I already WAS doing that.  This is what he said: “I’d market it as a journal not a manual, I’d also void 1. 2. or any structure that makes it look like a manual. I think you analyze and explain too much. As an example in your paragraph about the reasons you were nervous (Chapter 3). You also mention there that “It was my first gig with my new friend Arthur, a truly remarkable bassist and music business veteran” – I want to hear more about his this guy and how you met and why you chose each other and what is your commitment to each other rather. I care less about why you were nervous.”

SO, I have thought about what he said I realize that I’ve been keeping the “ends” to much in my mind while trying to write about the “means” as they are happening.  In trying to position myself as an authority, I have neglected to truly share myself and how deep and profound this process is for me of truly going for my dreams, taking all the neccesary steps and believing in myself 100%.  This will now function as a real time “journal” of how I am making it, day by day in this business and how I am working towards my vision of being a world-renown artist.

Here is what is up for me right now:  I just added two back up singers to our “act.”  The first is my amazingly talented girlfriend Sally Swallow and the other, my friend and the equally amazing Keesha Gumbs.  We have been re-arranging some of my songs with background harmonies and let me tell you, it sounds fucking amazing.  I know that I am more in love with my music than anybody, but seriously…fucking amazing.

Arthur, Dan and I had an electric trio gig at a German drinking hole in Queens called the Wunderbar.  I wasn’t expecting too much in terms of the gig, just a good opportunity to practice and have a good time and it was our most fun show yet.  There were a number of college students in the bar and both Dan and I were nervous that they wouldn’t dig the music, but they got SO down…dancing, singing along to the cover songs we played.  It made me very excited and pretty much reinforced all the things that we have been working on in terms of making our music funky and accessable to a younger audience.

I’m a very happy man today and beyond pumped for our first NYC show as a full band.  We are going to dress up it up!

-Zach

Chapter 15: The Thick Skin of an Artist

Posted by admin on April 16th, 2010 | 2 Comments »

After my set last saturday I got off stage, took my mailing list and a handful of CD’s and walked around to everybody in the audience to introduce myself and ask them if they would like a free CD or sign up for the mailing list.  Why do I do this?  If your thinking it’s because I want as many people to take CD’s, give money or sign up as possible then that’s not correct.  If your thinking it’s because I want to meet the right people, the people that actually loved the show, listened, would come back again, shake their hand and have them get to know me, even for five minutes to build intimacy and direct relationships with fans, then you are correct. This may seem obvious but it’s not.

“I’d rather but 9 people’s favorite thing, than 100 people’s 9th favorite thing” is a lyric from a show called [Title of Show]  That’s not a typo, that’s actually what it’s called, and the reason I would rather be 9 people’s favorite thing is because who really talks about their 9th favorite thing?

Most of the people that I walked around and met were happy to meet me.  Some were very happy, loved the performance and called themselves “new fans.”  Others didn’t want a CD, or even to have anything to do with me.  This would have hurt me a year ago.  Now, with thicker skin, I can be present to the fact that I’m doing something right.  Now I know that I’m being specific enough in my “brand” that I appeal to a certain kind of person with a certain worldview and that my music tells a story to that kind of person, and not to others.  This will assure my success.

Stay tuned.