Commercial Music Endeavors

Our recent CaLM class was pretty cool. I've often wondered what those commercial jingle guys really do for a living. I guess they just hang out together and jam on different types of music...then they record it. It's probably a lot harder than it looks, but it seems like a pretty sweet gig!

Money Issues

I was impressed by how much one's money can increase if one chooses to invest it early in life. Maybe someday I'll be in a position where I can put some money in places other than my checking account. Oh well-- I guess these MCSM classes are designed to help us with our futures, even if we're currently in the poor house.

Sean McPhearson at MSCM

Sean McPhearson came to my Creating a Life in Music class recently. This guy has got great energy and a clear idea of the direction he wants his career to go in. I really admire people who can put their original music out there and actually generate a serious following. His fan base has been growing steadily over the past ten (or so) years. I was also inspired by his ability to be so self-driven. In the music industry it's important to generate your own motivation and it often seems like you're required to work ten times harder than everyone else if you're to gain any sort of real success. It's also important to be able to sell yourself, and I believe that Mr. McPhearson has strengths in that area. As soon as you have a quality product, put it out there and sell it!

Johnny Bunco

I recently read 'Johnny Bunco' and was impressed with the simple way that the book suggests you follow your own career path. I've spent so much time in the past focusing on my flaws as a musician that I sometimes forget that it's so much more important to focus on what you're good at. Why can't we all have magical chopsticks (with a strange fairy) to help us when life gets confusing? Oh no! That reminds me- today was Sushi Wednesday and I forgot to get cheap sushi. Anyway, Johnny Bunco's adventure was enlightening and I think everybody could benefit from reading this book. Sometimes you feel like your career is already set, but you're not necessarily happy or you're not focusing on your professional strengths. Johnny Bunco is an easy read that can really help you out of a rut.

Dessa's Lecture

Dessa Darling recently came to my Creating a Life in Music class at McNally Smith College of Music. It was really cool that Dessa took time out of her schedule to talk to our class. I was impressed with how much she's accomplished using her talent in music combined with her talent in interacting with people. With social media as a communication tool, she has built a successful career and reached a lot of people. I dig that her fans can talk to her or just see what she's up to by checking out her blogs. She also provided some great insight into what it takes to be successful in the music industry. If you prepare to be "the next big thing", you'll be ready when your career starts to take off.

Social Media

I'm not a big fan of social media. I prefer to interact in person, but I guess the internet is a useful tool. Hopefully I will soon have my own website. That'll be sweet!