If you want to get good at painting, hang out with painters.
If you want to get paint jobs, hang out with trim carpenters.
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If you want to get good at bass, hang with bass players.
If you want bass gigs, hang with drummers…or band leaders.
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If you want to get good at three point shooting, hang with the shooters.
If you want to be the three point shooter in a game, find a team of post players.
You want the guitar quieter in the second verse…that’s not a problem. There’s nothing wrong with that.
But the guitar player wants the guitar louder in the second verse.
Your opinion isn’t wrong. Neither is the guitar player’s.
Neither opinion is a problem…but they’re problematic.
Why? Because you’re in this together.
We allow it to be problematic because we value both opinions and realize that the ultimate goal is to get to the other side TOGETHER.
What signal are you looking for from stage that the show is working?
If one person is giving the signal, is that enough? Or does everyone need to be doing it?
How will they know to give the signal?
Who has more power, the people giving the signal or the other people?
»» It’s worth remembering that no one in the room is being forced to be there…so their presence is a positive sign in itself.
When you’re working by yourself you’re responsible for the push to get started, the push through the long middle, and the last push when it’s really steep.
But if you’ve got a couple like minded, passionate people working with you, the push gets spread around.
»» This post brought to you by a recent watching of the Lord Of The Rings.
The booking agent wants the record label to secure opening slots for the artist.
The label expects management to utilize their contacts to get on tours.
The manager brought the booking agent on board to book shows, not just mitigate contract details.
And maybe the publisher or attorney or press agent or the merch company can make something happen.
And finally, everyone is hoping the artist has relationships with other artists in order to make everything easier.
And one more…everyone is secretly hoping the phone will just start ringing.
Responsibility is always up for grabs.
There’s excitement in scarcity.
When the show sells out there’s pressure to add a show.
And then maybe add a livestream.
And then maybe repost the livestream on YouTube.
And then maybe chop up the YouTube video into snippets for social media.
And then maybe comment on all the comments…just so no one feels left out.
And there’s a time and place for all of it.
But only being in town for the night, playing a gig for the people who bought tickets, talking with the people who wait out by the bus, going to the late night diner with whoever wants to stay up that late…and then you’re gone…that scarcity brings a thrill that might be worth skipping all the extra stuff.