THE SCENARIO
This last week, I spent a lot of time online, doing my research, keeping up with social media, new (to me) sites like Pinterest.com and Chill.com.
(does this sound familiar?)
Sites like Facebook, twitter and Youtube are helping me reach fans and book gigs…so I wanted to see “what I’ve been missing” and how I could ramp things up, career wise.
Oh boy…all I did was make myself nuts!
Like many musicians, or managers or “labels” I’m scratching my (bald) head wondering what’s next, and will the sites I’m signing onto even last?
Some sites will be here to – stay (for a while) while others will bite the dust like Myspace.
My head started to hurt.
Questions like this plagued me this week (don’t worry – this post will end happy…)
Some of my personal issues:
- How can anyone hope to compete with a Youtube channel with millions of subscribers?
- To get more hits & views, must I simply play every crappy cover song I can think of, in incredible voluminous amounts?
- Will Youtube yank my videos / channel, since I still am doing covers?
then…my personal hell….since I get asked for tabs of my covers constantly…
- How the hell can so many guitar instructors out there sell tabs with ZERO licenses in place, and I choose to go the high road and get licenses, am I an idiot?
- Will social media change, because right now I don’t want to know about someone’s cat barfing…so I “shut off” and others do too.
- Where is it all going? And am I wasting time trying to figure it out?
The irony is…(drum roll please)
By asking these questions I was simply “creating my world” and seeing the world as “I am” not the way it is.
BUSTED.
What appeared to be “out there” was “in here.”
This is kind of heavyweight information when you think about it.
I create my world and you create your world, minute by minute, whether we complain and worry, or whether we rejoice and give thanks!
THE CURE
I picked up the guitar.
I decided to start learning a new tune….”IMAGINE” by John Lennon. It was time to be a musician and not a social media manager for a few hours.
After hours of ironing out an arrangement, I uploaded it to Youtube:
[youtube=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dELdAQ25kT0″]
This video was done with NO end result in mind….only “love” in mind, honest to God. I wanted my fans to have something nice and soothe them.
I fell completely into the song, the lyrics, the tone of the instrument, Lennon’s voice, intention, and so on.
THE AFTERMATH
As I walked out into the street in NYC after uploading the video and I felt “all my troubles seem so far away” 🙂
The pain, headache, uncertainty and frustration I was feeling were GONE.
What?
I found myself in a “bliss” state.
Immersion into music, with no thought of “what I’d get out of it” is what got me there.
I saw after this that I have the personal power to choose one state or the other.
THAT’S BIG! Do you get this?
What I previously thought “the world was doing” was MY creation.
My NEW (forgotten) mantra “I am responsible for 100% of my life.”
THE IRONY
Once I dropped the video onto Youtube, Facebook and Twitter – it was something useful that people wanted to share.
That’s the way to use social media! (I.E. that’s the horse before the cart…)
THE MEDIUM IS NOT THE MESSAGE
Social media is a pipeline.
Garbage in, garbage out.
Good meaningful stuff in, good meaningful stuff out.
The lesson….offer something good….really good and everyone wins.
Amen, Adam!
Thank you for this.
It can be frustrating taking the high (legal) road, but keep in mind two things: 1. You can build your brand large because you don’t need to hide, and
2. The other guys will eventually have a problem.
It’s the same in the brick and mortar teaching business; teachers not reporting income to the IRS, not getting business licenses, etc.
Cheaters are everywhere. Sure, they make a little extra while they are small potatoes, but they are required to stay small potatoes.
-Justin
There are those who only key to change your playing, that has been opened to the public as if it were his own performances though.
See “Mas Que Nada – Sergio Mendes – Solo Guitar by Rafi Wazir on SoundCloud” http://soundcloud.com/rafi-wazir/mas-que-nada-sergio-mendes
I know I am late to comment here, but I do enjoy your blogs, Adam. However, what is so great about “Imagine”? Melody aside it yearns for a non-capitalistic socialist and godless society. Do you really dream of that? I get where you’re coming from and agree with you … but “Imagine”? No can do.
Hershal
Hershal, I’ve not given the tunes lyrics that much thought…it’s kind of dreamy to me, but I do like the music, hence my solo version! Also – when I know something touches a lot of people, I play with the audience’s enjoyment in mind! Thanks for commenting – AR