I'm looking into a Flamenco group, playing with a Zydeco group on Saturday, playing a few gigs with Aaron English, getting in touch with the rock crowd up here on the North end of the Seattle area, and releasing a professionally mastered solo debut album (finally).
I'm leaning more and more toward putting myself out in front. I've learned so many valuable lessons as a pro musician these past few months, the hard way: bus crash, smashed gear, weird gigs, ect.
The lesson is, don't do a gig just 'cause you're promised decent pay: do what makes sense in advancing your career. Better to pass up a potential opportunity then to jump into a disaster.
Thanks always to those who have been so very helpful and supportive; I hope that I can do the same for you and others with my choices.
"Caught Between a Dream and a Job" by Delatorro McNeal II
Current mood: blessed
Category: Jobs, Work, Careers
My wife bought me this book for my birthday to show support for my career decisions.
The basic gist of the book is to live every day toward your "dreams". The word "dream" in context of this book is used as a synonym to the idea of "your calling" and "fulfill your destiny".
For people that don't have a strong vision of what they should do with there lives, Delatorro provides a workbook section. I have a very strong vision of what to do, so I didn't need this section much, though most people I know are in need this sort of self-evaluation.
For people that do have a strong vision, this book helps fine-tune the vision and strategies for achieving it. Wisdom abounds: things like not burning bridges, associating yourself with people and things that enhance it and disassociating with those who harm it, ect.
Pursuit of money is discussed, with much reference to the book "Rich Dad, Poor Dad". The basic idea is that rather than pursuing the avenues that seem to be paved with gold, you pursue the avenues that allow you to use your gifts to serve others and pave the way towards your "dream", knowing that using your abilities as close to thier "potential" as possible will open doors for you to get paid to do what you love and are good at.
For those of you who have strong biases against religious folk, beware. Mr. McNeal is unapologetically Christian and talks of praying and meditating. He doesn't come off as "churchy" or "preachy", but if you have a belief in one God who cares you'll get much more from the book.
The downsides of the book are actually upsides. He writes in a workbook/tutor sort of format with seemingly cheesy phrases like, "I'm proud of you that you've made it this far". Self-promoting his own career as a seminar and keynote speaker is also a recurring theme. Yet as I got deeper into it, I realized that these strategies for a meaningful life and career work for him and he honestly wishes for others to copy them and benefit from them.
I wouldn't recommend this book as the sole guide for your life's direction, either would the author; yet I'm sure it's been a turning point for a number of people. At the bookstore where my daughter has been working a job there is a section that contains other books of a similar nature. I took a look at those books and decided that this book probably is the best of the bunch.
I hope to use my gifts and abilities for good things and to reap the rewards, and I hope the same for you. I think this book will help many of us blur the line between work and play and experience a new level of prosperity.
In order to get product out before my tour I've teamed up with some friends to get more songs recorded. I just posted "Belly Beat", a collaboration with Smoove J., and there's more Mad Science stuff coming for the album.
I should also have some stuff with Kassanova on there...
Check out "April" on Aaron English's site, that's mwah on the strings.
I shoulda done this years ago!
Where's my stimulus check? I need it for mastering and replication...
I got this from ASCAP (of which I am a member) this morning:
"David Israelite, NMPA President and CEO tells us, "The current rate for physical phonorecords is 9.1 cents. The RIAA has proposed slashing the rate to approximately 6 cents a song - a cut of more than one-third the current rate! For permanent digital downloads, NMPA is proposing a rate of 15 cents per track because the costs involved are much less than for physical products. The RIAA has proposed the outrageous rate of approximately 5 - 5.5 cents per track, and DiMA is proposing even less. For interactive streaming services, which some analysts believe will be the future of the music industry, NMPA is proposing a rate of the greater of 12.5% of revenue, 27.5% of content costs, or a micro-penny calculation based on usage. The RIAA actually proposed that songwriters and music publishers should get the equivalent of .58% of revenue. And DiMA is taking the position that songwriters' and music publishers' mechanical rights should be zero, because DiMA does not believe we have any such rights!" "
Amazing that the organization that so aggressively sued children and parents for downloading music doesn't want those who created and published the music to get paid...and all the giant media corporations stand against the artist and publisher also.
Hey peeps, the NAMM convention in Anaheim, CA was great.
I didn't do a lot of standing in lines to meet rock stars; instead I plugged into everything I could and jammed my ass off! I've come across one pic that I signed a release form for:
If you see any more media from NAMM with me in it, let me know!
I'm working on a deal to get a Mark Wood "Viper" 7-string-fretted violin. I was concerned about the frets getting in the way of quarter-tones and vibrato, but they don't . On a guitar you press down behind the frets; on the violin the frets are low and you press directly on the frets. They act simply as a guide for playing many fast notes with increased accuracy.
My roomate for the trip and good friend Bradley Earle, Sonic Earth Angel guitarist, hooked me up with some famous people. I'm just not one to chase the names, I guess; it's always good to have people looking out for you who will explore avenues for you. I jammed with acclaimed guitarist Scott Henderson, and will very likely have some studio and possibly stage work with some very big Seattle artists.
I don't buy any of the crap I'm fed....people need to remove thier self-image from cars. We can do without gasoline. One dude made an electric that looks like a lamborghini and goes 200 miles for $2. Another made one that never needs a charge. Production cost on the fake Lamborghini would be much less than that of a Prius. Al Gore, you filthy, lying heap of dung (sorry Oprah, loved ya in Beloved and I know you like the guy, but you can go help him find Man-Bear-Pig), have a look when you're done flying back and forth across the country on your stinking, polluting, wasteful private jet. Heh heh...I guess that'll piss off some of my potential friends. When keepin' it real goes horribly wrong... ;)
Thanks y'all (all two of you who read this), have a nice day and leave a comment.
DESERT DANCE ENSEMBLE November 3rd Party until 5a.m.!!!
3600 E Marginal Way, Seattle WA the corner of E. Marginal Way and Spokane Street, biggest building, can't miss it. Doors open at 8:30, I play at 10. I put together an all-star group: George Sadak, Ashrof Hakim, Bradley Earle, A-bro, me...and last but not least, the dancers, Sarah Gamble from my videos, Kendra and friends from the captivating troupe Hands of Kali. This event has a Day of the Dead theme, 3rd day, day for the ancestors, Necropolis (Egyptian city of the dead) motif...so they are very enthused (as am I) about having a bellydance-world-fusion group with musicians originating from Egypt. More info at: www.molecular.cc and www.arthavenseattle.com It's a benefit for Arthaven, a nonprofit orginization whose goal is to help artists get on thier feet making a living with thier crafts. If you like wierd, crazy events like I do...this will blow you away.
Solo album coming for real this time....
Current mood: Motivated
Category: Motivated Music
I saw my friend Gypsy De Rose over the weeked (all you awesome bellydansahs....check out her silks...) and she talked me into resurrecting my album project NOW...by offering to help get it out...so...it's coming. I've gone through hundreds of my tunes on my computer and come up with 15 that are ready to go...the best 12 will be on the cd. The music will be in Gypsy's hands on Saturday with notes for credits, album art, and stufff...
It will be for sale immediately at Old Country Village in Bothell, WA and through me; CD Baby and whoever else wants to sell it in the future for a reasonable cut (this will probably eliminate the SNOCAP/Myspace monster).
blessed
aggravated
