First off, I want to say we are by no means perfect. Any professional of any trade who thinks they are, are sorely mistaken and are setting themselves up for a very rude awakening. Never have we claimed to be perfect.
Sometimes, it seems, the universe likes to give you the great, and then pull the rug out from under you. This is the universes way of seeing if you will be able to keep on your feet. We have known many musicians who fall when this happens and they are unable to get themselves back up. It is a tragedy, but for some, it is for the best.
Before you put your heart and soul into anything you should know a few things. 1: Is this what I truly want and for what reasons? 2: Can I work toward this if it takes all my life? And most importantly 3: Can I handle all the bull shit that is inevitably going to come my way from every direction possible when I am least expecting it.
If you want to be a musician, you unfortunately have to deal with the following on any given night at least once in your career and if you tell me at least 90% of these have never happened, they will or you’re a liar lol:
Cancelled shows, shows where you play to only the bartender (99.99999% of this happens when starting out but every once in a while you have a fluke show or last minute at an unknown venue), People texting during your set, people talking during your set, people laughing at something other than you and in some cases at you during your set, unprofessional musicians, unprofessional booking managers, unprofessional venues, free shows, paid shows, paid shows where the pay becomes an issue, agents who don’t come through, agents who come thorough with things you didn’t expect, agents with little or no skill, agents with lots of skill and bad luck, agents with great luck, bad sound, bad sound men, broken equipment such as bad cords, bad mics, etc, stinky mics, ill suited venues for your style, misunderstandings, missed shows for one reason or another, bad shows for one reason or another, missing gear, missing picks, missing songs, tough crowds, drunk crowds, obnoxious fans, no fans, great fans, head colds, sore throats, sore fingers, missed chords, missed verses, nay sayers, getting sex eyes from someone, getting sex eyes from someone you do NOT want them from, loud cheerers, no cheers, no applause, ‘free bird!’, ‘Skynrd!’, Crazy people, Cool people, new connections, LESS connections, clash of personalities, bad pictures, no pictures, bad video, no video, long drives, running out of gas, car breaking down, no place to sleep, bad moods, fights between fans, fights between people you don’t know, the need to put your foot down with a venue or a booking agent, firing people, hiring people, missed opportunities, being left out, being forgotten momentarily, being referred, being denied, being dissed, being complimented, being new, being hit on, being neglected, feeling like a #........ Need I go on?
Many of these have happened to us at one time or another in the 3 years we have been playing together and to me in the 2 years before that I played on my own. I’m sure Ty has a few things to add to this list lol. I’m not trying to be discouraging. I’m trying to tell you that these things happen.
So what do we do about them????? We are professional no matter what! We shrug off the bad, and look toward the good and we understand that in ANY venture, bad things happen and good things happen and good can not be constant. It’s the way of the world. But, if we train ourselves to rise above the immaturity and the high school attitudes we sometimes come across we are the better for it. No one can stop you if you are talented and act like a human being. You have a right to stand up for yourself, but no one has a right to act like an ass hole, think they are a God, to walk all over you, or to slam your good name if in fact you have one. On the same note, no one has the power to ‘ruin you’ unless you let them. If you are doing the right things, any slamming that may come from someone’s ego will be dismissed because you have already set a foundation that no one but you can destroy. On the same token, you shouldn’t do it to them either.
The point to today’s blog? Some days suck. Some days you will want to give up even if for a split second. Some days, you will hate everything. But there is one constant. Karma is a bitch. Lol.
1/26/2011
1/09/2011
Only YOU can affect you.
Ok. In all honesty, I have realized something this week that I had never truly grasped before. Only I can be mad at ME if something doesn't go the way I want it to. No one else. Ever.
We have been working on a lot lately and I have been frustrated with many things in my life and I started looking at other people who may be to blame. I realized that I am to blame. I can not make someone else do something. I can not make someone else feel something. I can not make someone else read my mind, be somewhere, say something, or even see something through my eyes. I CAN pay attention to what I see and want and feel and be me and follow those things through to the best of my ability. If anyone or anything ever stops me, it will be me and only me.
I want to say, there are no particular people who are being refered to here. Its a joint effort from everyone starting with me and going to people who have nothing to do with out music. I have been letting everyone affect my attitude.
If you want to be successful, you do everything you can and never blame. If we don't do something right, it could be my fault just as easily as it can be Ty's or anyone else's but if I take responsibility for my actions and be all I can be (not in the army) I have no one to blame.
I just want to encourage everyone to look at what YOU are personally doing and what you could do to make those things more valuable and decide....is it worth looking for other people's problems, or fix your own?
We all want something in our lives and placing blame is the easiest thing in the world. I cant pay my bills cause the cop pulled me over and now I have to pay for that. Well, dont get pulled over. I can't go on this trip because I have too high a credit card limit. Well, pay off your CC. (again, no one in particular. these are all just examples) I cant be a famous singer because my songs aren't good enough and my voice isn't well trained. Well, take songwriting classes and vocal lessons.
There is always something YOU can do to accomplish your goals and if you only look to yourself for success, the things or people who are not condusive to your success will weed themselves out naturally. :)
Here are a few inspirational quotes to help you all out :)
Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.
David Frost
I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it.
Jonathan Winters
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby
If you want to achieve things in life, you've just got to do them, and if you're talented and smart, you'll succeed.
Juliana Hatfield
Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown.
Ross Perot
One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
Benjamin Disraeli
Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching.
Tennessee Williams
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
Dale Carnegie
Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time.
Arnold H. Glasow
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
William Feather
What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.
Margaret Thatcher
Success comes from a heavy focus on what you want, proving wrong the nay sayers, listening to the idealists, genuinely caring about the contacts you make, having a basic back up plan at all times, and lots and lots and LOTS of luck.
Melody
We have been working on a lot lately and I have been frustrated with many things in my life and I started looking at other people who may be to blame. I realized that I am to blame. I can not make someone else do something. I can not make someone else feel something. I can not make someone else read my mind, be somewhere, say something, or even see something through my eyes. I CAN pay attention to what I see and want and feel and be me and follow those things through to the best of my ability. If anyone or anything ever stops me, it will be me and only me.
I want to say, there are no particular people who are being refered to here. Its a joint effort from everyone starting with me and going to people who have nothing to do with out music. I have been letting everyone affect my attitude.
If you want to be successful, you do everything you can and never blame. If we don't do something right, it could be my fault just as easily as it can be Ty's or anyone else's but if I take responsibility for my actions and be all I can be (not in the army) I have no one to blame.
I just want to encourage everyone to look at what YOU are personally doing and what you could do to make those things more valuable and decide....is it worth looking for other people's problems, or fix your own?
We all want something in our lives and placing blame is the easiest thing in the world. I cant pay my bills cause the cop pulled me over and now I have to pay for that. Well, dont get pulled over. I can't go on this trip because I have too high a credit card limit. Well, pay off your CC. (again, no one in particular. these are all just examples) I cant be a famous singer because my songs aren't good enough and my voice isn't well trained. Well, take songwriting classes and vocal lessons.
There is always something YOU can do to accomplish your goals and if you only look to yourself for success, the things or people who are not condusive to your success will weed themselves out naturally. :)
Here are a few inspirational quotes to help you all out :)
Don't aim for success if you want it; just do what you love and believe in, and it will come naturally.
David Frost
I couldn't wait for success, so I went ahead without it.
Jonathan Winters
I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.
Bill Cosby
If you want to achieve things in life, you've just got to do them, and if you're talented and smart, you'll succeed.
Juliana Hatfield
Most people give up just when they're about to achieve success. They quit on the one yard line. They give up at the last minute of the game one foot from a winning touchdown.
Ross Perot
One secret of success in life is for a man to be ready for his opportunity when it comes.
Benjamin Disraeli
Success is blocked by concentrating on it and planning for it... Success is shy - it won't come out while you're watching.
Tennessee Williams
Success is getting what you want. Happiness is wanting what you get.
Dale Carnegie
Success is simple. Do what's right, the right way, at the right time.
Arnold H. Glasow
Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go.
William Feather
What is success? I think it is a mixture of having a flair for the thing that you are doing; knowing that it is not enough, that you have got to have hard work and a certain sense of purpose.
Margaret Thatcher
Success comes from a heavy focus on what you want, proving wrong the nay sayers, listening to the idealists, genuinely caring about the contacts you make, having a basic back up plan at all times, and lots and lots and LOTS of luck.
Melody
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