The Effects of Negative Input

Hey all,

As I said last week, my topic for today is the negative input that we are subjected to on a daily basis.

It's my contention that from a young age we are inundated with negativity. In fact, it's become a Social norm and I don't really think that anyone thinks anything of it. The reason for that is that it's super easy to rationalize the tactic as a benefit. Let me explain what I mean by that.

Parents feel that it's their responsibility to shield us from the hurtful things in life. It's instilled in all of us that our children are the most important things in our lives and must be protected. It's mandated by Society and Church, and it upheld by the Law, but it's also a broad and sweeping demand of people who really have no idea of what it truly means. One of my favorite sayings is "Babies don't come with instructions!", and it's true. This leads most parents to rely on the example their parents set, whether right or wrong.

When you decided to be a musician, were you encouraged to run with it and be the best you could be? Were you, like me, discouraged, or encouraged to "make sure you have a back up plan, because you really can't make a living being a musician"? I think the answer is pretty telling seeing the relative small numbers of "Successful" musicians in the world as compared to the number of bands beating themselves up in small clubs and bars every night for free drinks and cut of the door. But Mom and Dad did their job, they planted that seed in your subconscious that said "I'm going to have to have a back-up plan, because I'm not going to be able to support myself with music alone". Did they mean to? I'd say in most cases, no. Most parents truly do want what is best for their kids and don't realize the harm they're causing.

Parents aren't the only well meaning negative influences though. Our friends, our band mates, our teachers, our....................................yeah, you get the point.

So, what does this do to us? Well, I guess that depends on our mindset. Do we have the single-minded determination to pursue our dreams at any cost? Are we willing to find new friends, fire band mates, and limit time spent with family? Are we willing to find tools to help "re-train" the brain into positive and beneficial thinking? Are we really ready to start working for what we want? Or, is that just too much to ask of ourselves?

Take a little bit of time and really challenge what you think about success and see if you're working on negativity or if you're really positive you can make it. Next week I'm going to talk a little bit about making the commitment to changing you're mind about what success means.

Later,

It's a new day!

Hey all!

I've been doing some thinking since my last post and I think that I've nailed down where I want to take this blog.

Something that I've struggled with for years, is Mindset. Being in a solid, positive, motivated, and open mindset, is the key to being able to proceed in life with confidence and certainty, and it's up to us to make sure that we are in that mindset.

Society has become geared to work against us in this process. From an early age we are taught the kinds of limiting beliefs that form the basis of our belief structures.

"We don't have enough money for that."

" Money doesn't grow on trees."

"It's a tough industry, maybe you ought to think about a backup plan. Just in case."

"You can't make any money as a musician!"

Heard any of those? I thought so.

Well, in the next few posts I'm going to talk about some of the tactics and techniques that I'm using to erase and re-record those mental tapes. Maybe they'll help you as well. I hope so anyway. : )

I'm going to call this series "Exploring the Power of Affirmations". Now, before you start fixating on that mental image of Stuart Smalley, the old SNL character, do us both a favor and keep an open mind. This is a technique used by professional musicians and athletes every day.

In the first installment, I want to discuss The Effects of Negative Input.

In part two we'll go over Taking The Step of making the conscious decision to change your beliefs about success.

In part three we'll tackle how to Fake It Till You Make It.

In part four we'll wrap it up with Discovering Your Faith. And no, I'm not going to be breaking out any one's "Good Book" to try and convert you, though I may use some quotes from various religious texts to illustrate that this principle has been used world wide and over the span of history, by some of the greatest people to have ever graced the planet.

So, if you're still with me, join me next week and we'll start exorcising those limiting beliefs so that we can get on with getting on.



Later,

Beware The Undertow!!

It's funny how you can set out with a really great agenda, I don't know, something like just do a weekly update about the state of the music industry and what it means to Indie musicians, maybe. Then you get out in the deep water of it and the undertow just sucks you under and you resurface ten miles down river. I hate swimming.

This week EMI did something. They're still fighting Pirates in some bay in Sweden. Bob Lefsetz is still trying to save face from his thrashing at the hands of Gene Simmons. Metallica, the gods of Thrash Metal and fan abuse, are being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Iggy Pop is getting older while, for some odd reason, Paul McCartney is getting younger. Chris Brown and Rhianna have gotten back together and are singing about it. Diddy continues to be on the right side of awesome. And last, but certainly not least Britney's p&%*y is hanging out. However that happens.

Yep, stuff keeps happening in the music world, but this week only one thing really stood out to me as REALLY cool. The members of Blur reunited for SXSW. How cool is that?

The thing I like about Blur is that every member of that band seems to personify the passion of music making. It exudes from their albums, and you can hear every laugh, every tear, and every bit of tension that took place in the making of it.

That bit of news this week was the branch overhanging the river for me to grab onto and pull myself out of that mess a couple paragraphs back. It was also the mirror to remind me of why it is that I love making music so much.

So, I've been doing some thinking. I really appreciate the feedback that I've gotten from some of you and hope to continue that relationship, but I felt the need to start guiding this blog in the direction of more of a chronicle of the time I spend in the studio making music. After all, isn't that what we're all about? I hope you all continue on with me, but I understand if you decide not to.

Love and Rock n Roll!

Paul

Couldn't have said it better myself.

In the end, isn't this really what it's all about?

http://blog.copyrightalliance.org/2009/03/what-copyright-means-to-me/

Ah, the 360 to save the day.

So the Majors have a backup plan, good for them. If I'm getting this right, the plan is to wait until all of their acts are contracted under 360 deals and then they will help force the demise of the CD and fully embrace a free file share market, making all of their revenue.........................whatever.

It's plain and simple. For the time being, it's more lucrative for the Majors to sue the innovators than it is to be the innovators. When it gets to the point where it's more lucrative for them to embrace the innovation, then that's what they plan to do. It's business, they go where the money is.

So, what does all this have to do with us Indies? Probably not much. I mean, we're all free. We have the ability to build our own plan, to embrace whatever technology we choose. We can build an entire following in Second Life if we want. We can tour relentlessly, or we can couple with other media. The fact is that true freedom means that no one can change your mind. So, as long as you have a vision and pursue it to it's fullest, you'll be as much of a success as you want to be.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/08/big-music-will-surrender-but-not-until-at-least-2011/

Later,

The New Standard Bearers

What is the one thing in life that is certain? I mean besides death and taxes. : )

Change. Yep, the one thing that most people fear more than death or taxes, but what if I told you that change was the catalyst for growth?

It's becoming more and more apparent that there's going to be a major meltdown in the music biz, and it's not going to be pretty. The major labels are pursuing a "Growth By Division" strategy and, as much as it pains me to say it, there are quite a few indie labels jumping on that band wagon. The kicker is that they're all sitting around pointing the finger of blame at each other and waxing nostalgic about the good old days of sold out stadiums and multi platinum sales figures.

Now is the time for change.

Now it the time for growth.

Now is the time to take control of your own destiny and create your own music industry.

In the article that I have linked at the bottom here, it goes on about how technology is progressing faster than the PROs can handle. They're not sure how licences should be applied, and by the time things get ironed out the next technology is sitting on their desk and begging that same question, and all the while you have about 20 hands out waiting for their share.

Is that how we want to operate?

I guess that while they all sit around and talk about it, it's going to be up to us to fix it.

Innovators and Risk Takers, now is our chance! While everyone else is locked up in fear, fear of change, let's make the most of it and use it as an opportunity to set the new standards for the future.

http://arstechnica.com/media/news/2009/03/musics-copyright-battle-made-worse-by-the-fear-of-change.ars

Later,