|
|
|
|
Hey *|FNAME|*!
Happy Friday! I hope you're having a great week and ready for the weekend! I've got some good stuff for you this issue, including (drum roll please...) the podcast is back! Let's dive right in!
|
|
|
Table of Contents, Issue 14
The Latest From Startup Musician
The Best Stuff From The Internet
A Free Chart For Another Stevie Wonder Classic
|
|
The Latest From Startup Musician
|
|
|
Comparing yourself to others is something that pretty much everyone does. And predictably, doing this makes it easy to get frustrated.
“I’m not as good as…"
“I don’t have as many gigs as…"
“This person got the gig and I didn’t”
This can be a frustrating profession, and full of mental games we play.
“If only I was on this gig, then I would be set"
“If only I had this piece of gear, THEN I’ll be a real pro"
|
|
|
That guy has a double necked guitar, so I gotta keep up!
|
|
|
YOUR ADVANTAGE
Maybe you look at other musicians that are working more an envy them. "Man, they’ve got it made.” you think to yourself. But while we’re comparing ourselves, you have a huge advantage over them. Let me explain.
In the book David and Goliath by Malcolm Gladwell, he talks about the idea of the “inverted U” curve. Here’s the 2 sentence summary of this idea:
The more you increase a good thing, the better it is, right? Well actually, at a certain point the benefits decrease and you are worse off because of it.
|
|
|
As you increase anything, the benefits increase. But at a certain point the benefits actually become counterproductive.
|
|
|
Going to the gym is good for you, right? It’s good to be in shape, be stronger, and look fit. But, have you ever seen those guys at the gym that have gone a little overboard? The guys whose shoulders are so big that they can’t clap their hands? This is an example of the inverted U at work. The gym certainly is good for you, but at a certain point, you now have a new weakness: being so muscular you can barely move.
|
|
|
If this disturbs you as much as it does me, let me know. I have some bleach you can pour into your eyes.
|
|
Here’s another example from the greatest film franchise in cinematic history: Star Wars. How is that a rag-tag group of rebels were able to destroy a moon sized space station that is so powerful it can destroy an entire planet? Easy, the inverted U is at play here as well.
The Death Star may be big and scary and able to blow up a planet, but because of it’s size, it moves at bantha pace. And then there’s the issue of the thermal exhaust port. Turns out, if you have a ship small enough (which the rebels do), a pilot brave enough (which the rebels do), and a proton torpedo tiny enough (which they also do), you can take down the greatest evil in the universe.
|
|
|
"Now what? Well I guess let’s build another one” - The Empire
|
|
Talk to any musician who works a lot and ask them about their practice routine. I guarantee they will tell you that they don’t practice enough, or at least not as much as they’d like to. They don’t have the chance to just play. They’re too busy playing music for a living to sit down and get better at playing music. Because they’re so good, their talent is actually holding them back. There’s just not enough hours in the day. They've reached the other side of the inverted U.
Here’s your advantage: you’re probably on the left side of the U. You can make time during the day to practice, experiment, and create new things. You can go out to jam sessions and go to other musician’s shows and meet lots of new people. You have more time than the top call cats that you’re bumming out about. But they would kill to have the kind of time and opportunity you have.
So use this time wisely. Use your advantage… to your advantage. No, you’re not as good as Cory Henry, but you’ve still got an advantage over him: time. Use it wisely.
|
|
|
The Podcast is back! We've been on hiatus for a while, but we're back and here's what you can expect:
A New Episode Every Week
That's right, every Wednesday there will be a new episode. Make sure you're subscribed so you don't miss anything!
In Depth Interviews
Every other episode is an in depth interview with one musician, just like you’re used to. We’ve got some great episodes coming up that you’re going to love.
Conversations With Musicians
The ones in between (other every?) will be conversations between me and a few different musicians. We’ll talk about what’s new in the world of musicians, new gear, and the tips and tricks they use in their own careers. Oh, and there’ll probably be some jokes too.
This Week's Episode
In today’s episode, I sit down to talk with Eman and Dave Brunelle. You know Eman from episode 6, and any time you hear guitar on the podcast, that’s Dave. We talk about what they’ve each been up to (touring, turning a new leaf in their careers, and making questionable stock investments), the latest news in the world of streaming music, and battle it out over who is going to win the coveted title “Song of the Summer”.
|
|
The Best Stuff From The Internet
|
|
|
YouTube and the music industry have been in a fight lately, namely over the DMCA (Digital Millennium Copyright Act) which regulates how YouTube handles royalties. Many artists and labels have signed petitions to change the DMCA and have been very vocal about their problem with YouTube. Another issue for artists is how easy it is for users to upload unauthorized music and get paid for it.
Well, YouTube has responded. This week they released a report called, "How Google Fights Piracy," in which they say that they've paid out over 2 Billion dollars through Content ID (the system which fights piracy and tries to monetize it). They also threw in this little fact: they've invested $60 million in their Content ID system.
It's a 62 page document that is the legal equivalent of saying, "Come on dude..."
|
|
Furrriggin Pokémon Go. It's took over the country this week. With the release of the iPhone and Android game, Nintendo set in motion tons of unintended consequences.
In addition to the streets being filled with zombie-esque players, roaming endlessly, trying to catch 'em all, Spotify announced that the streaming of the Pokémon theme song has increased 360%. There are over 190,000 Pokémon-themed Spotify playlists.
It's crazy to see this game take over the world, but also take over other apps that aren't directly related (also, Facebook. Please everyone, stop with the Pokémon Facebook posts). So right now is probably a great time to record that Pokémon theme song cover video you've been dreaming about.
|
|
"Yeah man, we just have couple fly dates but I should be back in time for the gig"
Flying is part of the professional musician life, but have you ever noticed it seems to always be worse when traveling east? I mean sure, jet lag is bad no matter what, but I always seem so much more exhausted when flying east instead of west.
As it turns out, there's a reason for that, and it has to do with your body clock. Moral of the story: only travel west, ever.
|
|
Sir Duke
The month of Stevie continues! This week we're diving into another great tune, Sir Duke. This is a favorite for musicians to play. The chords are unique, the melody catchy, and that unison riff! Oh man... you've got some practicing to do.
Grab the chart, listen to the song, and get to work!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
