When I used to be a bandleader, I had a terrible reputation as being a hard ass. I was. I dedicated my entire self and soul to the music I performed. I expected no less from those playing with me. That was my problem. My expectations did not allow for mistakes.
All in Self-Effectiveness
If you know me, you know that lawyers raised me, two of them. It's almost like the wolf pack raising Mowgli. My parents bred me to be a fighter. I don't like this quality about myself. Well, no, I like it in balance.
The only failure I know is the failure to embrace failure.
I keep my kindergarten diploma on my wall. I do it as a reminder that the most effective ways of being are the simplest ways of being — no need to overcomplicate the simple. Everything you need, you learned in Kindergarten.
On Impressions
"The best impressions are when people expect them the least." - John Brady
Why Be Average?
I hypothesized that bands that differentiate themselves from the others, have a clear customer focus, will have more bookings per year than others. I believe I am right. Here's why.
For you to create value, you must be able to see - empathize - with the venue and their patrons. In this post, I share a few strategies that might work.
Play the music that may not artistically fulfill you. Don't play the gig for yourself. Serve others who came to receive from you an answer to their problems. Be their answer.
They Don't Try to Suck.
If you are like so many other leaders, consider using the sentence I suggested. Take a step to see a bandmate's problem and invest the time to be an answer. Empathy helps.
You're a Cog
In the end analysis, a lack of "empathy" kept me from getting the things I had seen others receive, and worse, ruined relationships. You might be a cog now, but you don’t have to be.
Grant Yourself Some Grace
To be empathetic is to be able to put yourself in someone else's shoes. To be able to see and accept their present - their truth. Grace is your ability to be thankful for the present.
"He who begins to be your friend because it pays will also cease because it pays." - Seneca
For you, determine where you are in life. When it's time to leave this life, you won't be thinking about the jobs you held or the career you made. Instead, you might be thinking of how you've changed the lives of others for the better. That's your vocation.
A job that you’re passionate about, willing to sacrifice everything for, and helps you build your "something bigger" is a career.
I'm writing a small series. The series is about jobs and careers. The series is for musicians that often mistake their jobs for their careers or even their vocations. Also, it's about the frustrations that follow.
When it's not right - reflect - get out. Find the others that are like you. Connect them. They’re safe.
Maybe it's just a Wisconsin thing, but I see so many T-Shirts that read: "Feed me tacos and tell me I'm pretty." You don't need tacos.
You cannot be the answer if you cannot see the question.
"The distance between where you want to be, and where you are, closes with one small step." - David Brady (until someone says someone else said it.)
You don’t need to be at the right place, at the right time, and with the right thing in order to prosper. Your time is not based on luck. Your time is now. Right now, you can do something that matters.