often doesn’t mean the best team.
It turns out working together, having a cohesive plan, knowing your role within the whole, enhancing others’ strengths, experience, and persistence enhances a group of people beyond what it seems their raw talent level is.
There’s a good chance that the crew you think is super talented is simply good at all the things listed above.
When your set of problems is so specific, so on track with your goal, and so unique to the people on the team…and the deadline is near…even the stress is a work of art. And it’s really beautiful.
What a blessing to be in the position of doing great work and experiencing the unique stress that goes along with it.
When people come see you play, it might be the only night of the year they’re going to see live music.
(And it’s almost certainly the only music they’re going to see this week or month.)
Why is this important?
Because even if it doesn’t always seem like it…they’re on your side. They have to be. They have to believe that when they expend a tremendous amount of effort leaving the house, getting in the car, parking the car, and buying the ticket…that it was worth the effort. Deep down everyone believes their time is important and how they spend it is important.
So they made it to your show. And your show might be the only show all year. There’s something in them that wants to believe. Give them something to believe in. Give them their reward.
First Monday of the month, new Hum Love playlist on Spotify and Apple
Fourth of July and fireworks are a big deal where I grew up in Minnesota. One of the years when I was in high school and fully into music, a couple friends and I went to the big festivities in the next town over.
After walking around trying to look cool for a while we got word that there was a rooftop party happening with a bunch of older, much cooler, much more experienced musicians in town.
We found our way up to the rooftop and got in a conversation with guitar player Andy. We hung on every stylish, effortless, trendsetting word. We asked him what music we should be listening to and he gave us: The Shins, Jon Brion, The Merrymakers, Jellyfish. My whole world opened up.
A good recommendation when you’re desperate for a good recommendation can be a life changer.
Digital can sound the same as analog. I’ve done the A/B tests along with many other well trained sets of ears. No one knows.
So why would anyone bother recording to tape ever again?
Because it changes your mind. Tape is an attitude, a mentality, an approach. So it changes the room (and the sound) before you ever hit record.
