Thursday Thoughts 2.1.2024

This week’s shows:

• Shy Bear Brewing, Lewistown, PA 6-9pm

• Hook & Flask Still Works, Carlisle, PA 7-10pm **During ICE FEST**

• Antietam Brewery Western Maryland Pkwy, Hagerstown, PA 6-9pm

thursday thoughts….

This Thursday, I want to talk about the Central Pennsylvania Music Hall Of Fame. I’ve been nominated this year for the “Solo Cover Musician” category among 5 people, of which 4 are good friends of mine. I was previously nominated in 2021 in the category of “Male Solo Musician”, but did not come away with the award that year. I’ll share my story of my first experience in just a bit, but I should start by breaking some things down. For the listeners that are from outside of central PA, the CPMHOF is a local non-profit organization that has an annual award ceremony, the CPMA’s, where they recognize the areas “BEST” local musicians in the area. Nominees are encouraged to attend and participate in a “red carpet” style reception, a “local celebrity” studded ceremony, and capped off by what’s rumored to be a pretty epic after party.

The suggestions for nominees are submitted by friends, family, fans, and other F words, for consideration during a nomination period at the end of each year. The Board of Directors and Advisory Committee members then pick the top 5-6 acts submitted to be considered for the award. Then there’s a period of fan voting to help advise the Advisory Committee of public opinion. After that, the Board of Directors and the Advisory Committee get together to select a winner, each member casting a single vote for their choice in each category. The fan vote makes up a very small percentage of the overall vote as to keep it from being a “popularity contest”. The winner is then announced at the CPMHOF Awards show held in March each year.

I, like many others, hate awards shows. I like being recognized by my peers, but I don’t like watching the pretty people do pretty things. I’ve always been an outsider. In my high school years I was forced to be one, and in my recent years I’ve been lucky enough to choose to hang on the fringes. I don’t like letting my value be decided by people I don’t know. But, even with my desire to stay on the outside, I’m not immune to looking for acceptance from my colleagues, or a nod from the powers that be…. Although, I wish I was.

I fell victim to my own uniformed ignorance the last time I was nominated for a CPMA in 2021. I was in the “Solo Male Artist” category with Antonio Andrade, Adam Blessing, Shawn Pike, and James Zero. At the time, Adam was the only one of those names I had ever even heard of. I did some quick research of each of the nominees, analyzing them against the criteria that the committee would look at. I found myself comparing my accomplishments to theirs.

Oh, what a fun thing to do.

After viewing the other nominees Facebook pages for 5 minutes, I decided that I was clearly the most qualified out of our group to receive the award. I had the busiest schedule, I was most active on my social media, I had gained over 1,000 followers on platforms in 2021, I regularly toured out of state, and a lot of other things that I wouldn’t normally list for reasons for me to feel accomplished. I remember thinking that I had it in the bag, and all my friends, fans, and family thought I did too.

The night of the CPMA’s came, and I was there with my girlfriend, daughter, and countless other friends and supporters. I was dressed to the nine’s and ready to accept my award. I walked the red carpet, accepted early congratulations, did some interviews and chatted with friends. It was cool to see so many people from the local scene in one spot. I mean, a lot of us don’t see each other at all throughout the year unless we’re sharing the same stage for a show, so it provided a great space to catch up.

When it came time for the ceremony, we were seated 5 rows back from the stage. My daughter and girlfriend were talking, and I was nervously preparing to give an acceptance speech for the award. After only being in the live music scene for 2 years, I really couldn’t believe I had even been nominated. But I was thankful to be there. Then the time came for my category. They read the names, one by one, of the nominees. I still remember the feeling when they said my name and the crowd cheered. It was the loudest show of support among the nominees by far.

The award goes to……… Antonio Andrade.

In that moment, I remember feeling deflated, sick, angry, and bitter. They had picked the only person that I thought had zero chance of winning. He wasn’t really playing any shows, not nearly as many as me, he didn’t live stream and was only mildly active on social media, and I had never even heard of him. I had been rejected, yet again, by the popular people. They had somehow convinced me to get dressed up, pay for tickets, petition my friends and family to vote and share their page, just to rob me of an award that I was clearly the winner of. We stuck around for another 30 minutes, and then my group left. We went out to dinner and bitched about how rigged everything was, and how ridiculous it was to lose to a nobody. I spent the next week fielding a ridiculous amount of messages from people telling me I got robbed, or saying they were sorry to hear I didn’t win.

And I’m here to tell you, I was completely wrong. Antonio was not a nobody. He has a very loyal fanbase that comes out to see him and he plays primarily original music. He has multiple albums available online and is an extremely talented musician. He deserved that award just as much as any of us did, and definitely more than me. I had only been playing guitar for 2 years at that point, and I should’ve just been happy to have been nominated. I should have just enjoyed the acknowledgement for my hard work. But I didn’t. I wanted to win and somehow feel validated by my award. And this is my issue with award shows.

Every year I see the list come out of nominees, and every year the collective music scene shakes its head. In some ways, rightfully so. Local musicians chime in about the people not on the list, or who really belongs on there. We all talk about the fact that some acts are nominated every year that haven’t even earned a nomination for even one year, based on the criteria they are supposed to be judged on. We compare the names on the list to who OUR personal favorites are for that category, and then chalk the whole thing up as unfair and biased.

And it is. There are 16 people on the Board of Directors and 24 people on the Advisory committee, although I may have that composition wrong. Those 40 people are “encouraged” to do some research on the acts, but not required to. So you are getting a vote from 40 people who may or may not know anything about the musician being nominated. That definitely sounds unfair and biased to me, but so are ALL awards shows. To pretend that this one is somehow above the board and completely fair would be ridiculous.

I see calls from local musicians to boycott the awards. They say you shouldn’t show up, don’t acknowledge your nomination, don’t participate in the festivities, don’t feed into the system that is excluding so many great acts that deserve to be there. That somehow by not participating you will bring down the entire corrupt system. And to them, I ask, for what benefit?

The CPMHOF is a non-profit organization. In addition to the awards each year, they provide pathways for youth artists to get recognition, or connect with other youth artists. They host showcases and events throughout the year highlighting at least SOME of our local musicians. They have a podcast where they interview local musicians. They bring eyeballs to our incredible local music scene through TV and Radio appearances, and bring more and more local artists into the spotlight each year.

Does that sound like an evil force that needs to be torn down? Not to me it doesn’t. I think they are a positive organization overall. But, in defense of the naysayers, I will say that I would love to see them do better. Actually require your voting members to check out the acts, and find better ones. If what you come up with year after year is the same people over and over, you’re not in touch with the local scene. There are a TON of incredible acts out there, and you’d be doing the local music scene an even larger favor by discovering and highlighting the best in each category, not just the ones that are submitted for discovery during your nomination period. What those 40 people really need to understand is that when you nominate someone, and they get that nominee title or that Facebook badge, they are now more qualified to play a gig, in some peoples eyes, than someone who is not nominated. So they should not take the nomination process lightly if they want to be viewed as not just another out of touch music organization.

I will be at the awards ceremony this year, dressed to the nine’s, but with a different intent. I don’t care whether I win or not. This award does not and will not validate me and my worth. I’m going to be there to enjoy a night with my colleagues where we can celebrate being musicians. Where we can laugh and drink and be merry, realizing we all have the best jobs anyone could ever ask for. We make noise for a living, and it’s pretty cool there’s an award show for that. I hope I’ll see you there.

SM Podcast Ep. 4 "Livestreams are Fun"

Today, I’m going to cover my live-stream setup. My equipment and software, my techniques and platform hacks. I’m going to cover everything I think you’ll need to broadcast a professional, and hopefully profitable, live-stream straight from your home to the entire world. I’ll include links in the show notes to the equipment that I currently use, so you can purchase the same items if you feel so inclined. And if you’re just an observer of live-streams, today’s episode will give you a glimpse behind the camera so you can better understand what artists do to bring the show inside your home. So, let’s get into it.

The list:

1. Sound Equipment

2. Video Equipment

3. Lighting

4. Computer

5. Software/Apps

6. Other miscellaneous equipment

7. Internet connection

8. Monetization

9. Consistency

10. Audience and Post-Audience

SOUND EQUIPMENT:

In my opinion, the way your stream sounds should be your highest priority. If your stream sounds terrible, then nothing else will matter. Most people are primarily tuning in to hear you perform music. They’ll deal with a less than awesome picture quality as long as they can hear you clearly. A lot of people who listen to my streams don’t even watch the video, they listen to it on their bluetooth speakers or headphones at work. I’ve tried about 20 variations of sound equipment, including large studio boards and effects processors, all the way down to single computer interfaces. The following equipment has proven itself to be easy to operate, very affordable, and has consistently produced high quality audio:

• Mixer: I use a Behringer Xenyx 1202FX with Effects. It’s an older model that is now discontinued, but you can find them used online for anywhere between $80-$120. The modern equivalent is the Behringer Xenyx 1202SFX, and they retail for around $130. I don’t have any personal experience with the 1202SFX, but it appears that it serves as both mixer and interface for connecting to the computer. This eliminates the need for two separate purchases. As far as the Behringer Xenyx 1202 that I use, it’s a simple 12 channel desktop mixer, although I usually only use 2 channels. One for my condenser microphone and one for my direct guitar line. It has 24-bit digital effects, which just means they’re industry standard for professional use.

• USB Audio Interface: I use a Behringer UCA222 audio interface for connecting my analog mixing board to my computer. They retail for around $30. You can SKIP this step if you buy a board with USB capabilities, such as the Xenyx 1202SFX I mentioned when covering mixers. The UCA222 interface uses RCA connections to capture your audio from the mixing board and send it to the computer. It’s basically an external sound card. It has input, output, and monitoring capabilities, and the audio signal consistency is top notch. Again, if you are using a board with USB capabilities, you DO NOT need to purchase a separate interface.

• Microphone: I use an Audio-Technica AT2020 Condenser Microphone. They are around $100, and in my opinion worth every penny. I picked mine up at a yard sale for $10. I highly recommend a condenser style microphone for streaming applications. They not only sound more professional, but they appear more professional than your standard dynamic microphone. They can capture natural reverb sounds in bouncy rooms and give an added layer to your production. Make sure to purchase and use a foam filter or pop filter as well to help filter out “plosives”. These microphones are very sensitive and you will have terrible issues with your audio quality without some sort of filter.

• Cables: Don’t skimp on cables. Shotty connections or poor signal delivery can be the death of your audio dreams. You definitely don’t need to buy the most expensive ones out there, but I personally run Pig Hog Cables and have never experienced a single cable issue. I use four total cables in my setup. Two 1/4” male to RCA male cables to connect my board to my audio interface, one 10ft 1/4” instrument cable, and one 10ft XLR microphone cable. You should expect to spend around $60-$80 for cables.

VIDEO EQUIPMENT:

I currently use the built in camera on my IMAC for my video, but I’ve used some other pieces of video equipment in the past that worked great for me as well. The goal with video is to produce High Definition video, at least 1080p, so it doesn’t get blurry or pixelated when viewed on devices other than cell phones. Most people will watch or listen to your stream on their phones, but 1080p video will look clear and sharp across all devices, giving the viewer flexibility to chose how to watch it. Here’s some of the camera equipment I’ve used in the past:

• Zoom Q2N4k Camera - They’re around $200 and capture up to 4k video. They have a wide range of settings that you can control, including parameters for lighting, field of view, and overall resolution. They connect to your computer through a separate micro usb to USB A connection. I primarily used this camera for wide angle shots of my livestream setup.

• Logitech C920 HD - Priced around $60, these entry level webcams are capable of full HD (1080p). They offer both narrow and wide field of view and work well for your primary camera if the built in one on your computer sucks. I used this camera up until about a year ago. One thing to note about this camera is that you need adequate lighting for it to function properly, it does not function well in low light environments.

• Built in FaceTime Camera (IMAC) - This is what I currently use. It flawlessly records in 1080p and can adjust to lighting conditions on the fly. It has the option to blur your background out for streaming in less than ideal locations, and has the benefit of being integrated into the computer which means one less step for processing. The video quality is perfect for what I need it for.

LIGHTING EQUIPMENT:

Proper lighting is ESSENTIAL for your video to look clear and well produced. Think of it this way, with proper lighting, you can control more parameters such as contrast, color saturation, and field of view based off of your taste rather than off of what is lit up enough to even be captured. When I started, I used four cheap pedestal lights in the corners of the room out of the camera view, two small lamps with the shades removed behind the camera to front light, and a ceiling light to wash the room in amber light. It was bright enough to catch a tan, and it made the night time streams look as clear as day. Now, I only use two lights to achieve the desired effect, but I can’t emphasize enough how important lighting is for your stream to look professional. Here is my current lighting kit:

• Sutefoto 2 Pack USB Lighting - This kit includes two lights mounted on adjustable stands with tons of color gels to get the exact look you’re going after. The light temperatures ( color control from blue to amber ) are adjustable as well. You can pick these up on Amazon for about $60. I place one in front of me, behind the camera, for front lighting, and one above and slightly in front of me, for top lighting and a bit more front lighting. I don’t use any color gels, but I’ve experimented with them and found that combining the blue and orange ones provides a warmer picture.

COMPUTER:

Your computer is the brains of the operation. You need to have a good processor speed, a good video card with dedicated memory, and a high amount of RAM for the ability to run complex programs without glitches. I’ve used IMAC computers exclusively for this, and have found them to run flawlessly in all aspects of music production and streaming. My CPU usage, fancy speak for how hard the computer is working, never goes about 10% when I’m streaming. This low workload provides a consistent and high quality video every time. It also gives me the ability to RECORD my video at the same time I am broadcasting the streams to platforms. Here is my current setup:

• Mid-2020 Apple iMac with Retina 5k, 3.3Ghz - This computer is a workhorse. They retail for around $1,100 and are worth more in my opinion. I bought the computer with the standard HDD and RAM configurations, but upgraded both for further peace of mind. I’m sure that it would still function perfectly out of the box for my needs, but I wanted to make sure there would be no issues. I supplemented the 512 GB SSD with a Western Digital 4TB Thunderbolt HDD, which retails for around $120. The HDD is not so much for streaming, but for other video editing and music production needs. I upgraded the stock 8GB of RAM to 128GB of RAM by using 4 sticks of 32GB DDR4 2666Mhz RAM. The kit’s retail around $240, but with this simple upgrade to the RAM, the computer now possesses the ability to perform pretty much any function I throw at it without hesitation. The computer is SILENT when under load, which is awesome for live productions. The 27” display gives you enough room to have multiple windows open for lyrics or chat logs as well as your streaming apps. Can’t recommend this computer enough.

• Powered USB HUB - Having SO MANY things to run off USB means you’ll most likely need to expand your USB ports. A powered USB 3.0 Hub is a simple and cost effective way to give you all the ports you’ll need. The one I purchased in 2020 retails for around $25 and gives you an additional 7 USB 3.0 ports as well as a single dedicated charging port. It also gives you the ability to turn off individual devices when you’re not using them with dedicated on/off buttons for each port. This is a MUST HAVE for streaming in my opinion.

Software And Applications:

There are many different ways to livestream. There are literally hundreds of different platforms or online spaces to perform. You can stream directly to Facebook, YouTube Live, Twitch, Instagram, and TikTok, among many others. You can use an online GUI (Graphic User Interface) or downloadable app/program for products such as Restream, StreamLabs, or OBS Studio, which allow you to stream to multiple platforms at once. I’ve used all of these products in the past, and currently use the OBS Studio app on my computer to stream directly to Facebook. Here’s a little info about each:

• Restream - Restream is a service that takes your single stream and splits it into multiple platform streams. It’s a monthly or annually billed service that costs around $16 a month for 720p streaming and $41 a month for 1080p streaming. I’ve used this in the past to stream to Facebook, YouTube, and Twitch simultaneously and I LOVED the built in feature of displaying comments from all 3 platforms in the sidebar. Each comment had it’s representative logo from the platform it came from, and it’s menus and options were easy to navigate.

• StreamLabs - Streamlabs is another stream splitting service that is much like Restream. I found it’s clean user interface to be a bit better than Restream, but not by much. It does, however, claim to offer 1080p service for $19 a month or $150 a year if purchased annually. I never experienced any loss of signal or buffering issues while using Streamlabs and found it to be a great service as compared to Restream at a more affordable price.

• OBS Studio - Earlier, I identified the computer as the brain of the operation. And if the computer is the brain, then OBS Studio is the brain stem. Everything I do on live streams flows through OBS Studio. It’s the application I have downloaded to my computer specifically to organize my stream. It takes a bit to learn how to use it, and you may start out with just simple functions, but there are TONS of YouTube videos telling you how to use it and the online help community is incredible. Oh, and did I mention it’s open source? It is FREE!!! One day I will do an episode SOLELY on how to use OBS, but today is not that day. What I will tell you is that in OBS Studio, you add your input devices (camera and audio equipment) and can effects such as audio compression, reverb or delay and noise gate, and video effects, such as contrast or color control and image or text overlays to advertise your digital tip jar links. You can monitor stream quality, audio quality, video quality, and comments all in the same spot. It’s a truly awesome piece of software and I rarely experience anything resembling an issue with it. Did I mention it’s free???

Other miscellaneous equipment:

I’ve pretty much outlined all the MAJOR equipment I use for creating my live streams. I’d also like to cover some of the small things I use as well. These aren’t necessarily required for you to begin live-streaming, but in my opinion they will add to the professionalism and quality of your stream just as much as the big ticket items. And they are all CHEAP. Here is 3 pieces of non-essential equipment you might want to consider:

• Amazon Desktop Tablet Holder - The title describes exactly what it is and what it does. They retail for around $20, and are a plastic cradle for your tablet that you can sit on your desk. It’s adjustable up and down for tablet size and viewing angle, and works well at holding your tablet out of camera view. I place mine close to my keyboard for easy access and reference while performing covers while streaming.

• Desktop Microphone Boom Stand - Sure, you could use any mic stand you have laying around the house, but I find having a dedicated microphone stand that secures to the desk makes it easier to keep my performing area set up all the time, rather than having to break things down in between streams. They retail for around $40 and are an awesome way to boost your professionalism to anyone watching your performance.

• Basic Note Pads - Or any other scrap paper. You can buy a 6 pack of 5x8 note taking pads online for $9. I use them to jot down requests, things I want to talk about, keep track of tippers to thank, and other general notes. While you’re streaming, sometimes you’ll get a large influx of comments that will quickly add up. By noting things down you’ll spend less time scrolling back up in the comment feed to find the requested songs or people that just wanted to hear you say “hey” back to them.

Internet connection:

One of the fundamental forces working behind the scenes of your live stream is your internet connection. It’s your lifeline to the outside world, and its quality has a direct effect on people enjoying your performance. It can be the difference between people sticking around to watch you or people leaving your stream frustrated. In instances where an LAN (local area network) or “wired” connection is available, use that first. Being hardwired into a router is considered a more stable and faster connection and can rule out interference from your neighbors wifi.

If you aren’t able to be wired in, try to set yourself up with the most stable wifi connection you can muster. If you’re in a house or townhome, position your computer on the same floor as your wifi router. This will negate some possible sources of electrical interference and provide a more consistent signal. Try to use the 5Ghz channel of your router, if available, for better upload bandwidth (speed). Shoot for at least 15Mbps of upload speed as a baseline for streaming 1080p video and high quality audio. Download speed does not really apply to your stream quality. If you don’t know your internet upload speed, you can perform a FREE speed test by going to speedtest.net to see exactly what your devices have available to use.

Monetization:

Show me the money, right? I mean, even if your primary goal of streaming is not to make money, it sure would be nice to get a few dollars back from all the equipment, knowledge, and time you’ve invested just to make it happen. Your goal should be to make it as easy as possible for people who WANT to give you money, to be ABLE to give you money. I monetize my livestreams in two different ways:

• Digital Tip Jar links - Link.tree, Venmo, PayPal, and CashApp can be GREAT ways for consumers of your stream to tip you. Utilize the text overlay function of your streaming software to place a scrolling ticker with your usernames for each payment avenue. Make sure you post them in the post title on Facebook or in the description of the YouTube live. The easier you make them to find the better.

• Facebook Stars - Once you’re established as a content creator on Facebook, you can utilize Facebook’s STARS feature. Once enabled, this provides viewers a built-in way to tip you on Facebook. It also gives them incentive to tip to move their comments to the top of your feed. You keep .99 cents of each dollar, minus applicable taxes once you hit a certain dollar amount. It’s a fun and interactive way to earn some “tips” from your stream.

consistency:

How should you advertise your livestream? If no one knows it’s happening, how are they supposed to watch? I’ve personally tried countless ways to advertise my livestreams to potential viewers. I’ve paid for advertising, made Facebook events, partnered with advertising firms, done short videos inviting people, the list goes on and on. There is one thing, above all else, that worked for me when it comes to advertising. That thing is consistency. Commit to doing a livestream on a regular schedule, and people will come. If they know you livestream every other week on Thursday nights, they’ll put it in their calendar and invite their friends. Don’t waste money with ads asking people to join. Try to post an event for each stream on Facebook, if that’s where you’re streaming, giving people the option to check off if they’re going to attend or not. Schedule upcoming LIVE’s on YouTube to give potential viewers the chance to get notified when you’re LIVE. Make sure to SHARE your stream to any groups you’re able to on Facebook to maximize viewership. There are hundreds of these groups just waiting for you to join and share. These are all simple and free ways to market your livestream to people that will join. If you’re putting out a high quality stream, it will grow organically without you ever spending a dime.

audience and post-audience:

The last thing I’d like to cover is Audience and Post-Audience. I know what you might be thinking, what the hell is a post-audience? Well, a few years ago I realized that there are two distinct groups that watch my livestreams. There’s the people that watch LIVE in the moment and comment requests, which I categorize as the Audience, and then there are people who re-watch the stream later or listen to it on headphones at work the next day or at the gym, and I categorize them as the Post-Audience. Each group has their own place in the livestream world. For the Audience, they are relying on good quality video/audio and your ability to keep them entertained. Requests, witty banter, small talk and interaction are all main focuses when performing for the Audience.

For the Post-Audience, a lot of them will listen to your stream WITHOUT ever looking at it. They won’t be requesting songs or looking for interaction. They’re just there to observe what you’ve already done. Keep this in mind before engaging in a 20 minute conversation with a single person on your stream or spending forever in between songs looking for something to play. You’ll lose the Post-Audience faster than your tax return money if you bore them. Also, keep in mind that the Post-Audience has the same ability as the Audience to tip you whenever they watch your stream. Set yourself up for random tips to hit your digital tip jar by acknowledging the post watchers and talking about your links a few times during your performance.

As I close out this episode, I really want you to keep one thing in mind. I’ve outlined a lot of things today, mostly on the business side, to give you the best livestream experience possible. It’s not the only way to do it, there are definitely many other configurations or approaches to streaming. I’ve given you the things that worked for me, because they worked for me. But don’t forget to have fun, because Livestreams are Fun! Have a good time in an intimate setting with the people who want to see you perform. They’re in your home and you’re in theirs. Talk with them, laugh with them, and enjoy each other’s company. You can always delete it later if it sucks, so have fun in the moment.

Good luck with your streams, and if you EVER have any questions/concerns or just need a little help, shoot me a message at SoloMusicianPodcast@gmail.com and I will help any way I can. See you next week!

SM Podcast Story of "The Homeless Man"

A homeless man with a guItar….

changed my life. Forever.

This is the story, all about how my life got flipped, turned upside down. In 2018 a man outside of an auto parts store fundamentally shifted the path of my life. I’d like to tell you his name, but I never once heard him utter it. I’ve spent many nights wondering who this man was, what made his path intersect with mine. How things could’ve gone differently that day if I hadn’t been in a mindset to receive the message. What would’ve happened if I ignored him? Or tossed him a couple dollars and got in my car. Today, I’m going to share the origin story of this beautiful music career of mine. It’s a unique and powerful story full of inspiration, at least to me. Triumphs and defeats, hard lessons and moments of absolute bliss. It’s a story of taking a chance when I thought I had already used all of mine up. It’s a factual account of an impractical journey, all started with one simple act from a stranger. This is my story of The Homeless Man.

Yo, Sublime!!

A man yelled from across the parking lot. I picked up my pace, laser focused on making it to my car without interacting with the man. Yo, sublime… I looked back in his direction and notice he’s now standing up. He’s a rather portly tall black man with a ripped up t-shirt, an army satchel, a guitar, and a pitbull. He has unkept facial hair and long dreads that look really heavy. Yo, come here Sublime….

Now he’s walking TOWARDS me. Reaching the car, my eyes briefly meet my reflection in the front window. It dawns on me that I'm wearing a Sublime t-shirt, and in that moment, I confirm he's definitely talking to me. I start digging to see how much money I have in my pockets to either a) give it to a guy that’s down on his luck, or b) use it to negotiate for my life. I turn around to greet him, silently hoping my last minutes on earth aren’t spent in an Advance Auto Parts parking lot. That’d be a real bummer, man.

As he reaches me, a radiant smile graces his face, with teeth so immaculate that they defy the hardships of street life. I consider asking him about his extraordinary oral care routine, but decide that would be out of place. Looking down, I see his pitbull obediently sitting by his side, mirroring his joyful expression. He has a cross tattooed on his forehead, and the ink looks raised and irritated from days spent in the sun.

He placed his army satchel on the ground, using it as a makeshift pedestal for his guitar. "Sublime. How you doin' today?" he uttered, followed by a prolonged sigh. There's a subtle twang in his voice, perhaps southern, but I struggle to pinpoint it – I've never been good at identifying accent . "Pretty good, man. How's your day goin'?" I replied. His smile dimmed slightly. "Honestly, it’s been rough, man. I'm homeless, and dealing with the backpack, the dog, the guitar—It’s a lot,” he shared. Doesn’t seem like much to me, I thought. I immediately start to wonder what his angle is. Am I supposed to feel bad for his minimalist load and give him some money? Having worked in New York City for a while, I had to develop a razor sharp ability to identify street hustles. Mostly out of necessity, because if I had given a dollar to every homeless person on my walk from 57th to 48th every morning, I would’ve needed a grocery bag to carry all the singles. And because I’m very passionate in giving money to people in need, when I have enough to give.

"I bet," I replied, forcing him to make the next move.

"Yeah, man. Like I said, it's hard," he continued, his smile growing even wider. "Will you take this guitar for me, help lighten the load?" It's intriguing how his lips manage to close enough, despite the broad grin, to articulate the words. His face resembled a Rastafarian Cheshire Cat. "I don't play guitar," I replied, thinking that If his intention is to persuade me to buy the guitar, that's not going to happen. The instrument was heavily weathered, with protruding nylon strings, and it's been patched together a few too many times. I'm convinced that it holds little to no value, and should probably just be thrown out. Undeterred by my answer, he pressed on. "Never too late to learn, I try to play it when I can, but my hands hurt. I want to give it to you. No strings attached, besides the ones on the guitar.” he chuckled, as if he surprised himself with a joke. “It's too much for me to carry all this,” he continued, “you can start playing it now and become a big rockstar one day, man. Change your life. You never know."

Ha… Change my life, I thought. Sorry, pal. I’ve been needing to change my life for 2 years now. I’m in a pointless marriage that has run its course. I’ve never really been great at relationships, and this one is just the latest victim of my inability to domesticate. I’ve quit smoking countless times, and relapsed countless more. I have a shaky and distant relationship with my daughter and stepson, and I have no idea how to bridge the gap. I hate my job, I’m overweight, bitter, and feeling stuck in a life I didn’t want. That I didn’t deserve. Not after everything I had been through. I didn’t survive that terrifying childhood home, that car accident, that school for troubled youths I got sent to where people were murdered in their sleep, having a daughter at 18, losing my dad at 23, a nasty divorce, and all the terrible decisions I had made after, just to end up miserable at 33.

It’s not like I was completely inactive in trying to change my life. I had started to go to the gym more often and was making better food choices. Despite hating my job, I committed to showing up every day and doing the best job I could do. In 2018, I started to attend comedy open mics, and then made the choice to get on stage and do 5 minutes of material. That first open mic set can still be found on my YouTube channel, only viewed 110 times. I told honest jokes about my life at the time, finding humor in my struggles.

Making the choice to participate in comedy open mics was the beginning of realizing I could do more. I had crippling stage fright that seemed to become less and less apparent week after week, until I noticed a few months in that I wasn’t scared at all anymore. I found I really enjoyed being in front of a crowd, up on a stage, and most of all entertaining. Stand up taught me to believe in myself and what I was doing, and others would too. Now, let’s get back to the parking lot Rastafarian….

“I’m not just going to take your guitar,” I said. I fished around in my pocket and felt some folded up cash. I pulled out a $10 bill and handed it to the man. I looked into his eyes for the first time. They were a weird mixture of greens and blues. I could see the clouds in their reflection, and the colors were so vibrant they seemed like they were somehow lit from behind.

“Nah, man. I’m just supposed to give this to you,” he replied, holding the guitar out. OK, I thought, now I have no idea what his angle is. Somehow, I’m willingly giving him money for a broken instrument. I don’t know how he did it, but he did it. He may just be the best street hustle genius I’ve ever met. “I insist.” I said. “If you don’t want it, take it for the dog. Get him some treats or something.”

I swear the dog smiled harder.

“Alright, man,” He said. “Look. I’ll take the $10 if you promise me you’ll play this guitar. But don’t promise me you’re gonna play it if you won’t. That’s gonna be our deal. I’ll take the money, and you go change your life.” There it is again, I thought, change your life. Why does this guy even care about what I do with my life, or this guitar? Why does he keep saying that? Is this supposed to be a sign, cause it’s definitely starting to feel like one. I felt a wave realization, that I can’t describe to this day, that this parking lot meeting was meant to happen. That there was something bigger at play here than just a guy down on his luck, and in that moment, I made a pact with a stranger that would completely change my life. “Alright man, I promise you, I’ll play it.” I replied.

“God bless you, Sublime” he said, and without waiting for a response, he picked up his satchel, tugged his dog’s leash, and they walked away. Never to be seen again. He looked visibly lighter, possibly due to his newly freed hand. His shoulders were pressed back, his chest was proudly pushed out, as if he had accomplished exactly what he set out to do that day and could now continue on his way. He was whistling something beautiful, to this day I have no clue what it was.

I’ve often pondered whether he was real or not. That day radically changed every single day of my life since. 3 weeks later, I came to learn that the guitar he sold me was not actually a piece of junk, it was a rare 1965 Yamaha Folk acoustic. They had only made that configuration of that guitar for 2 years and then discontinued it. If it was in playable condition it would be worth thousands, but even in it’s current rough condition, it was worth hundreds. I felt like he had to have known what he was carrying around, and that my $10 donation may have actually just been paying for a ticket to board the train that would change my life. I kept my promise to that divine Rastafarian, and I played that beat up guitar until I saved up enough money to buy another guitar to play. I practiced until my fingers turned purple and bled. I stopped going to comedy open mics and started going to music ones. I went to bed with chords and arpeggios on my mind and woke up with melodies and notes in my head. I became absolutely obsessed with everything music, and when the time came for me to play my first show on November 10th, 2018…. I was ready. The guy running the local open mic, Wally DeWall, got sick. He asked if I could cover his gig at Flinchy’s in Camp Hill, PA. I looked at my song sheet of songs I could play to see if I had learned enough to fill 3 hours, and was surprised to find that I did.

I may or may not have played some songs twice, but I had done something I viewed as impossible less than a year before. I had played my first paid show, 6 months after I had met that homeless man. I played that show, with a smile on my face, to a half full room of friends and strangers. Most of them still pop up at shows to this day, and we laugh and talk about how it all began. Since that first gig, I’ve played over 700 live shows. I’ve laughed, I’ve cried, I’ve won and I’ve lost. I’ve grown into a person that I never imagined could’ve been me. I’ve opened up the show for national acts, including Lit and Better Than Ezra. I’ve shared the stage with some of my favorite local musicians in bands like Observe the 93rd and Adrian Blitzer. I’ve been regarded as one of the best solo acts in the area by my peers enough times to make me really uncomfortable.

When I look back to June of 2018, I see a man that was settling for a mediocre outcome in every area of his life. A man that was destined to survive, but never actually live. A man that was completely incapable of change. But with the newly found courage from playing music, and a real path towards fulfillment, I finally separated from my failing marriage. I haven’t had a cigarette since 2019. I repaired, and continue to work on, my relationship with my daughter. I lost 45 lbs and continue to keep it off. I was able to quit my job in 2021 and make a living as a full time solo musician. The list of areas where progress has been made goes on, and on, and on.

I share my story in hopes it motivates you to watch for the universe’s intervention. So you can walk through life being receptive to the moments that may change it’s course. So you know it’s never too late to find your purpose, never too late to start walking the path that actually calls to you. I know it’s cliche, but you didn’t come this far just to come this far. I really hope this story finds you when you need it most. When you’re lost and looking for a sign. I hope somehow, someway, that homeless man can see my story about him one day, but I also think it’s entirely possible that….

….he was watching me write it the whole time.

Here’s a few more pictures of the guitar:

Thursday Thoughts 1.25.2024

Shows this weekend:

• Wednesday 1.24.24 - Walker’s Tap & Table, Glenwood, MD 6-9pm

• Friday 1.26.24 - Carlisle Club (Members Only), Carlisle, PA 7:30-11pm

• Saturday 1.27.24 - Lebanon Valley Craft Brewery, Lebanon, PA 5:30-8:30pm

THURSDAY THOUGHTS…..

My show was canceled last Friday due to snow, so I decided to do a live-stream on Facebook. I have to admit, I wasn’t prepared for the way I felt when I was setting up all the equipment for the first time in this new house. I found my mind transported back to that old house in Marysville where I first pressed START on a live stream, playing and singing into a camera for anyone, anywhere, who would listen.

When covid appeared and shut down all the venues I was playing, I turned to the world of live-streaming for the ability to perform in front of people. My show at Hook and Flask on Sunday, March 22, 2020 had been canceled due to the lockdowns, so I made the decision to take it online for the first time. I was about 45 pounds heavier than I am now and I was wearing a yellow hat that didn’t quite fit my bulbous head. I was nervous and not sure that anyone would even watch. The computer I used was occupying a lonely, drafty and cold room in my newly empty house. My ex-wife and I had recently separated, and I was really struggling with understanding what I was even doing with my life anymore. And then the pandemic hit. So, with not much to lose, and a burning desire to be heard, I adjusted the lighting, stared into the camera, checked the levels one more time, and started the intro music.

I remember feeling like I just needed to connect with SOMEONE.

Three……Two…….One. A glowing blue light indicated that the camera that was on. I nervously talked for a few minutes about my album release that had been thwarted by the universe. I played my original songs and gave my descriptions of why I wrote them. I spoke directly into the camera lens, knowing the people on the other side were most likely alone, and afraid, just like me. The lockdowns had forced us to be apart, to isolate and avoid our closest people. To this day some of that gap has remained unbridged, but I was convinced music had the power to bring comfort and connection, if I could just somehow reach some people in need. To my surprise, I only had to wait two minutes and twelve seconds for the first person to make their presence known. “Sounds awesome” said Jeff Zigner. I can’t explain the level of comfort I felt from that first comment. Someone was listening.

People continued to join at a steady pace, and by the time I played my second song, I didn’t feel so alone anymore. The stream continued for nearly two hours, with people requesting songs and proclaiming they were singing along. Clap emojis and laughing faces littered the comment feed. It felt like we were all together, collectively escaping the new reality we had all been thrust into, even if only for a moment. It didn’t fix where we were at that time, but it definitely seemed to make it more manageable.

And that’s exactly what it continued to be. An escape, a gathering place, a weekly community check-in to have some fun and just be together. For some people it was a date night soundtrack, for others it was a living room or garage party. It reached farther than I imagined it ever would, crossing state lines and country borders. It gave us all hope. It gave me hope.

I’ve since moved on to playing live gigs again, and the livestreams have become less frequent. But, the people I connected with during that time have remained. I’m still constantly blown away when people come up to me after shows and tell me their live-stream stories. They tell me that by joining in the livestream each week they strengthened their families, their marriages, and sometimes even themselves. That they had something to look forward to in a world plagued with uncertainty and fear. That they felt connected. People often thank me for doing it, not realizing I needed it just as much as they did. We all went through some of my lowest moments together, whether they knew it or not. I’m grateful every single day for the people who kept me going during that time, and I’d tell you all of their names, but it would take hours to read the list.

The livestreams ended up verifying my hypothesis, that music does have the power to comfort and connect. It has the power to unite and feed our souls in an ever changing and terrifying world. And while I thought the time for online performing had passed, spending some time with everyone again last week made me realize that the world may need this now, even more than it did before. A virtual hangout to escape the craziness of reality and the heaviness of life. It feels like we could all use a little more of that, so I’m going to make it a goal to bring us all together for a community check-in a little more often. I’d love it if you would join me, and everyone else that shows up, for some free online music therapy. No catch. Watch the Facebook page, Dave Gates Music, for updates and scheduled live streams, and I can’t wait to hang out with everyone again.

SM Podcast Ep. 3 "Foundation to Succeed"

“The best way to predict the future is to create it” ~ Peter Drucker

It’s crazy how true that can be. While you can’t predict variables or obstacles, I’ve found that you can definitely set yourself up for the best chance at success by being proactive with tasks that are within your control. One of the biggest things I tell musicians I meet just starting out, IF they ask for advice, is that if you want to be treated and paid like a professional, conduct yourself like one. Show up early, don’t be a creep, be a generous tipper to the staff that supports you, don’t get drunk, blah blah blah blah.

The reality is, the path to becoming a successful solo musician starts way before you get to the gig. It starts when you email the venue, or you meet the booker. It starts when you drop a business card on a counter or give a firm hand shake. When you understand that you’re a salesperson, and the product is you. There are some simple steps you can take TODAY to expand your marketability, justify a higher compensation, and give the venues all the reasons in the world to give you a shot at entertaining their guests.

In Episode 3 of the Solo Musician Podcast, I’ll identify some key building blocks for a solid base of professional appearance, no matter where you are in your music performing journey. These tips are the result of countless conversations with live music bookers concerning what they are, and are not, looking for. Some of these will illicit an eye roll or may feel reminiscent of a corporate powerpoint, and I would completely understand if someone revokes my street cred for treating all this fun music stuff like a business. Rock and roll is supposed to be cool, man. I get it, and it is cool, man. But I’ve found that by personally implementing the steps I’ll outline in this episode, I’ve been able to feel more fulfilled, play the music with more passion, and get the highest paying gigs I’ve ever had. And that’s pretty cool, man. So, strap in for a bit of a long one……

That’s what she said

Solo Musician Podcast Foundation to Succeed in 3……….2………..1

Learning to develop and grow things within your control is a key part of giving yourself the best chance at succeeding at anything you set out to do. The more time you spend working on the things you CAN control, the less time you’ll have left to work on things you CAN’T control. I realize that’s not rocket science, and it definitely felt very therapisty. But once you actually identify the things that are within your control, you can get a better feel of whether those areas are holding you back and need your attention, or if you’re crushing it in that area currently and can turn your attention elsewhere. It’s a valuable time and energy management tool that you can start using immediately to unclutter your life. Here’s some things that I’ve identified as being within our control when it comes to being a solo musician.

Our communication with bookers when getting a gig:

• Professional Email: Your name MUSIC at Gmail, Your name BOOKING at Gmail, Your name ENTERTAINMENT at Gmail. Your email address is a simple, and free way to appear professional and set yourself apart from others.

• Concise and to the point. This is my name, this is what I specialize in, here are some links to videos of me performing LIVE, here are links to my socials, here is my website. I hope to hear from you, have a great day. Don’t bore them with a million details. Give them just enough info so they have an idea of who you are, then show them what you do. Let your performance/professionalism sell you to the booker.

• Don’t hound the booker. Send the email, then forget about them for at least 2 weeks. If you don’t hear back, send one follow up email. If you don’t hear back again, move on.

• Utilize FB messenger, the venue website, and their email for the best chance at a reply.

When we arrive:

• Get there EARLY. At least an hour before your gig. You’re allowing time for things to go wrong, and if they don’t, you have extra time to chill and decompress before getting on stage.

• Introduce yourself to the staff when you arrive. Talk to the Manager on duty if needed. Find out where you set up and where you get electric from.

How we treat the staff:

• Be courteous, don’t be creepy.

• Tip the bartender who gets your food/drink, and tip heavily.

• Pump up the service staff while performing. Make it fun.

• Make sure to thank your point of contact for letting you perform. They didn’t have to book you. Be grateful.

Our sound:

• If your sound sucks, people will leave, no matter how good you are.

• Turn it down. Make them ask you to turn it up. The venue and patrons will appreciate that and they will DEFINITELY tell you if it’s too quiet.

• Run pro gear. Don’t skimp on your production, it’s the first thing people notice about you. If you walk in carrying carpeted speakers, and your soundcheck sounds like whale flatulence, people will leave.

• Turn off the reverb in naturally bouncing room. Most solo musicians are playing in corners of hard surface rooms, not in rooms designed to handle live music. The people up front may hear more of your pitchiness or mistakes, but the people in the back won’t just hear a garbled mess of notes.

Our cover song choices:

• Read the room. Play what you feel like playing initially, and if the crowd responds well, continue doing exactly what you’re doing until they start requesting songs. If you feel the music, they will too. Don’t play music you don’t want to play without it being requested. Once music is requested, play those immediately to encourage more requests.

• Devote time to learning different genres and heavily requested songs. Having a wide range of music in your repertoire, including current hits, can help you stand out among other acts, as well as give you a much larger group of venues you can perform at. 

• Know your range, and play the shit out of everything in it. If you can’t sing a C6, don’t. Performing inside your range, while working to expand it, can make you develop a really good base of songs you can nail every single time.

Our stage presence:

• Act like you’re meant to be there. You were booked to perform, whether the patrons were aware or not. Confidence in your ability to entertain from the stage equates to confidence from the audience in your ability to entertain them.

• Smile more, and don’t take it so seriously. You are making noise, no matter how beautiful it is. It’s literally vibrations in ear holes, and it’s not the end of the world if you miss a note. No one will notice, except the guy who is attending your performance instead of playing his own. How are people supposed to have a good time if you’re not? Have fun.

• It is your job to dictate the mood of the performance. If you don’t think that is true, try playing 3 slow, boring songs back to back, and watch how the crowd reacts. You’ll have more control over the general vibe of the audience if you make it a point to actively dictate the mood. Slow = Melancholy and beautiful. Fast = High energy and Happy.

Our crowd interaction:

• Engage the crowd. If there is no crowd, play for the people that booked you, so they book you again.

• Take requests, and play them as soon as possible.

• If you’re in a noisy or unforgiving room, keep the talking to a minimum.

• Don’t bring down the vibe, man.

Our gratitude:

• We are getting paid to make noise, be grateful for the opportunity.

• Be grateful for the people who DON’T leave when they see you setting up. And for any person that shows up to see you play. Stop worrying about who isn’t there and be grateful for who is.

• Be grateful to have one of the best jobs in the entire world, one where you can express yourself and connect others.

The types of venues we play:

• Actively seek the types of venues you’d like to play. Whether that’s dive bars, restaurants, theaters, wineries, breweries, private parties. Each venue has a different atmosphere. Figure out which one you enjoy the most and target those venues first when booking gigs.

• If you don’t get a good feeling during the booking process, bail.

• If a venue is not a good fit, and you have more dates booked there, finish out your dates and then simply don’t go back. DO NOT cancel your remaining dates. Use them as an opportunity to work on your adaptability and resilience when playing in a challenging environment.

Our compensation:

• Know your Worth. Reference Episode 2 of this podcast.

• If you say YES to low paying or bad gigs, you will say NO to higher paying or great gigs.

• DO NOT accept less than your baseline requirements when booking ANY GIG. Consider the money, comps, creative control, travel, and self fulfillment for each individual venue when determining what you will charge. It will not be the same for each venue, but you should have a general idea of what you require to feel compensated.

What are things not in your control as a musician?

THE AUDIENCE, OR LACK OF:

• If no one shows up, that’s not on you. If you’ve done your part to advertise, and you have a professional sound and demeanor, you couldn’t have done more. Play for who is there.

• If they are rude, learn to crack jokes and grow some thick skin. Pass them a note with an address down the street and hash it out after the show…. Just kidding, don’t fight the customers, you will not be asked back.

• Most of the time in a restaurant environment, they ARE NOT there for you. Be okay with being background music. Use the time to get better at performing.

The venues advertisement of your gig:

• DO NOT depend on the venue to advertise your gig. Do your part to advertise where you’ll be. Have a calendar of events on your website, facebook, bandsintown, and anywhere else where people can see it.

• Send them a co-host request when hosting an event on facebook. Do the work for them.

The place where you set up inside the venue:

• A lot of times, the venue choses WHERE you set up. If it is not in an ideal location, ask them if you can set up somewhere you find more suitable. If the answer is no, the answer is no. Set up where instructed and play your heart out.

Audio issues from in house sound:

• Completely outside of your control. It would definitely benefit you to learn some basic audio troubleshooting, but the responsibility in this case falls on the venue.

• If the in house sound is terrible, and the venue thinks it is terrible, ask if you can use your equipment. Furthermore, as a general rule, always bring your live sound setup to every gig, even if they have in house sound. Having your equipment there as a backup for unexpected in house issues is a way to show your professionalism and preparedness.

The parking/load in situation:

• You can’t control where you have to park when arriving to a venue. Some venues have street parking and sometimes there are no spots available. You may have to park down the block or in a parking lot further away. Try to scout the parking situation prior to arriving to the venue, and leave ample time for more difficult parking situations.

• You can’t control the distance from your vehicle to the stage. You can control your ability to haul your gear back and forth though. Farmers carry exercises are INCREDIBLE for grip and carry strength, work them into your weekly routine to be better prepared for long distance load ins.

• Sometimes you will need to park in front of the venue, possibly blocking other cars or in a handicap space, to load in. This is a normal occurrence at most downtown venues I play in large cities. If this is the case, put on your 4-ways and be mindful of anyone trying to leave that you are blocking. Get your stuff in and move your vehicle to it’s gig resting place as quickly as possible.

Traffic or weather conditions:

• You cannot control the traffic or weather. The only thing you can do is be prepared for it. Most gigs during the week at restaurants are 6-9 or 7-10. Depending on your location in relation to the venue, you may have to leave your house between 4-6pm to arrive an hour earlier than your start time. Utilize the Waze app or other traffic tracking apps to ensure you will be on time. Sometimes that means leaving MUCH earlier to arrive to your gig. Be a professional and you’ll be treated like one. Arriving on time (early) is just another part of conducting yourself professionally.

The owner or bookers attitude:

• You can’t control who owns or books for a venue you’d like to perform at. They may not like you, or more likely, they have absolutely no clue who you are. Keep this in mind when talking to them, and remember you are always selling yourself to them. 

• Some owners/bookers are asshats and some are incredible human beings. Don’t do business with people you don’t want to do business with. A venue with a shitty owner is a Red Flag for me personally, I simply move on.

By identifying and understanding how to grow and nurture things that are within your control, you’ll be laying the Foundation to Succeed at anything you do in life. This reaches far beyond music. This is a time and energy management system you can implement in anything you’re trying to be the best at. 

Thank you SO MUCH for reading this blog post or listening to the podcast. I hope you’ve learned some useful tools and identified some areas within your control that you can make progress in. We can always be better versions of ourselves, we can always adapt and learn new ways to be better at the things that mean so much to us. It’s never too late to succeed at anything you want to do. I’m always available to anyone who thinks I may be able to help them, my email is SoloMusicianPodcast@gmail.com. Looking forward to hearing all your feedback from this episode.

Thursday Thoughts 1.18.2024

Shows this weekend:

• Thursday 1/18 - Tony Locos, Woodbine, MD 6-9pm

• Friday 1/19 - Carlisle Moose Lodge, Carlisle, PA 7-10pm

• Saturday 1/20 - River House Bar & Grill, Middletown, PA 6-9pm

THURSDAY THOUGHTS……

I find myself missing the old days lately. Although I’m 21 years too young to be considered a “boomer”, I feel just as out of touch and disconnected from the world as someone who can’t navigate a smartphone lock screen. I miss the simpler days. The days where no one was talking about vaccines and their effectiveness. No one was talking about how we are in the end times. We didn’t have to discuss wars abroad while at the same time predicting a coming conflict at home. We didn’t have to talk about about how divided we all are, and how we see no way to come back together.

Bars and restaurants were well staffed and open past 10 PM. Two bags of groceries were NOT $50, unless you bought something awesome. People, in general, were courteous to you for no reason. Or at the very least respectful. Gas, vehicles, apartments, houses, health insurance, and other basic things to sustain your life were more affordable. Concert tickets were not valued the same as a 40 hour paycheck. Streaming services you paid for already didn’t make you pay more to not see ads about shows you’ll never watch.

I believe the pandemic radically escalated us to where we are today, but I do not believe it was the root cause of our current status. I believe this started long before the first case of covid. I believe that our downfall started with the invention of social media. Social media, like the one you may have clicked through to get to this dissertation, made people feel the need to sell their worth to others. People became more and more self centered as the likes, comments, and notifications were pipelined directly to their connected devices. This is my awesome vacation. Here’s my awesome family, look at my new car, my high paying job, my filtered face.

My highlight reel.

Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think social media is inherently evil. It has given a voice to the people who previously had no voice. It has connected families and friends across the globe, giving them the opportunity to be more involved in each other’s daily lives than just a phone call or Skype. It’s a place of boundless inspiration, connection, acceptance, motivation, information, and entertainment. There are groups containing likeminded people for literally EVERYTHING that you can be interested in. If you seek those types of things, you CAN find them on social media.

But it is also a place of desperation. A place of opinionated comments and meaningless conflict. A place where you can have “friends” and feel completely alone. A place where you can feel unheard, undervalued, and too small in a world SO big. An online marketplace of comparison of lifestyles, love lives, parenting choices, and status. For some, it’s a dopamine factory. Mindlessly scrolling, or “doom scrolling” as they like to put it, looking for the next hit. Car crashes, police violence, animal abuse, combat footage, it’s all there… if you seek it.

I have, on more than one occasion, found myself in vapid explicit exchanges with strangers about a subject I don’t really care about. I’ve found myself scrolling mindlessly just to pass the time. To escape from the current reality, because the online one is so incredibly interesting. I’ve formed opinions of people I don’t know based on their profile picture or pronouns. I’ve succumbed to my own need for acceptance by relying on people I do not know for validation. I’ve seen people I love fall victim to mobs of opinion and judgement, and made to feel worthless.

I am required to use social media to enhance and progress the career choices I’ve made. Musician, podcaster, blogger…. They all benefit from having an online presence. Sure, I could probably do it without using social media, but I don’t believe the actual interface is the evil. I’ve actively changed the way I interact with media platforms, and I feel that it has done wonders for the way I treat myself and others. By exposing myself to less of the hate, I feel less hateful. By hiding posts or removing “friends” that bring me down, I’ve felt elevated. I seek out the positive and rule out the negative. By not doom scrolling for hours at a time, I’ve found myself having more times to do things that mean something. By not comparing my life to others, I’ve been more grateful for the things and people I have in mine.

My thought process is not a novel one. There are a lot of others who have had this realization and adjusted course. I truly believe the only way out of the spiral is to come together. To realize we are all one. To actively change the way we interact with people. To spread love at any opportunity were are presented to do so. To embrace the differences we have as unique and interesting, and not as contentious and ridiculous. To realize that we are only weakened by our divisions. They do not build resiliency or stamina in the face of actual evil. Divisions keep us distracted from being a collective force for the greater good.

So, if you’re feeling disconnected from the world, maybe try connecting with others through social media a little less, and connect with your actual friends and family a little more.. If your family or friends suck, find new ones. It’s not going to make the current cost of everything go down, and it won’t end wars or get your president elected, but it will enhance your everyday life. Use your scrolling time to develop a new hobby. Make a difference in someones life, even if it’s as simple as smiling at a stranger. As cliche as it may be, be the good you’d like to see in the world. We can do this if we all come together.

And we don’t need social media to do it.

SM Podcast Ep. 2 "Know your Worth"

“If you don’t know your own value, somebody WILL tell you your value, and it WILL BE less than you’re worth” ~ Bernard Hopkins

When I was just starting to play live gigs, I pretty much accepted whatever any bar would pay me to play. I was not privy to a negotiation, the venue just TOLD me how much they paid. I was completely fine with that, I mean every gig was an opportunity to perform, and most were more akin to a paid practice session than to an actual performance. I was thankful for the space to share my new found passion of noisemaking with anyone who would listen, and learned incredibly valuable lessons about drinking too much, vocal stamina, audience engagement, song selection, travel, audio setup, and the list goes on and on….. I took every gig I could get my hands on, and in no time I had a calendar FULL of gigs all over the place. Life couldn’t have been better.

Fast forward to 2021, and I find myself booking my ENTIRE YEAR of shows 12 months in advance. I’m playing a mixture of dive bars, high end restaurants, beach bars, breweries, and wineries. I’m receiving a steady influx of booking inquiries, and taking anything that fits. I’m making more money than ever before. I felt like I had it all figured out. I mean, isn’t the goal to perform in front of as many people as possible? To earn as much as possible? To strike while the iron is hot?

My friends in the music biz told me to slow down, take some down time, don’t get “burnt out”.

I, like a rebelling teenager, told them that I knew what I was doing.

Turns out, I didn’t, and like a lesson beamed down from the music gods, things started to unravel. Turns out driving 35k miles a year hauling gear means you’ll replace wheel bearings on your vehicle like they’re made of plastic. Playing 4-5 shows a week WILL give you vocal nodules if you don’t warmup and use proper singing form. Drinking 2 beers at each show turns into 10 beers a week pretty damn quick, which will turn into a frontal counterweight if you don’t keep it in check. Your marriage WILL fail if you’re never home and you don’t pay it the due attention it requires. Your family and friends WILL become estranged and the strangers at your shows will become family and friends. You will feel alone, especially when you’re always alone. You will feel guilty for wanting to complain about one of the best “jobs” in the world.

I made my goal for 2022 to play LESS shows for MORE money. I didn’t know how I was going to do it, but I knew that the steady grind of 4-5 shows a week was not sustainable for me. It wasn’t that I didn’t enjoy music, or appreciate the wild opportunities that had been given to me, it was that I was burnt out at home, I was burnt out on stage, and I was just wholesale not happy anymore. I needed to figure out a way to charge more so I could be home more with my family, pursue other interests and hobbies, maybe even start a podcast…..

So, I raised my prices, and immediately lost 25 venues on the first round of booking emails.

My schedule was now wide open, and I was FREAKING OUT!!! Did I just screw up? Had I just burned all the bridges that I worked so hard to build the last few years? Was I not worth what I thought I was? Would I have to go back to those venues begging them to take me back? Negative thoughts can run rampant when allowed to, and at the time, I was giving them an all access pass.

Two days later, I received a booking request from a bar in Delaware. I told them my rate, and they booked me for 4 dates without any negotiation. Later that week, I landed a bi-monthly residency at a local bar paying me OVER my asking price. The booking requests kept coming in, and each one I booked gave me more confidence in my decision. Within 2 months, my ENTIRE YEAR was filled with new venues that paid my new asking price. By believing in myself, and knowing what my time was worth, I was able to achieve a better work/life balance, better compensation, and better fulfillment from my “job”.

In this episode, I’m going to discuss the importance of “Knowing your worth”. Simply put, the compensation you should require, both monetarily and non, for the that work you do. How to gauge where you are, how to know when to ask for more, and how to continue to invest in yourself to achieve greater fulfillment. Because compensation and money are two different things, we will dive into exactly what compensation may mean to you on an individual level. I’ve broken down my approach to understanding what I truly believe I am worth into 5 questions:

1. Where am I at currently in regards to the quality of performance I’m providing?

   Are you just starting out?

   Seasoned vet with a draw?

   Professional sound and demeanor?

2. What do I bring to the table, and HOW is that different from other acts?

   Will I bring people out?

   Do I take requests?

   Do I have a versatile song catalog?

3. How does this venue/event positively impact my life, or others’ lives, beyond money?

   What are the comps?

   What is the clientele?

   Do I feel fulfilled when I play this venue?

4. Is this good business?

   Does this make sound financial sense?

   Does this move me forward in the career path I’m trying to progress in?

   Would I attempt to talk a friend out of this business decision?

5. What does compensation look like for me?

   How much money do I need to survive? And how much to THRIVE?

   How much is the time spent away from family and friends worth?

   When do I actually feel compensated?

Even if you’re not a musician, you too can benefit from learning ways to value your time appropriately. The more you feel fulfilled and well compensated for what you do, the more time and energy you can focus into getting better at that skill. If you’re constantly undervalued and under appreciated at your day job, does that motivate you to improve your skillset? Does that make you want to go the extra mile? Or does that make you bitter, make you want to quit? When you commit to valuing yourself and your time, no matter the cost, you will encourage others to value your time as well. By being real with yourself about exactly what you’re bringing to the table, you can gain a new confidence that you’re never asking TOO MUCH for your time. That no matter what, you KNOW YOUR WORTH, and you aren’t in the business of settling for less than that anymore.

SM Podcast Ep. 1 "Drinking on the Job"

“Always do sober what you said you’d do drunk. That will teach you to keep your mouth shut.” ~Ernest Hemingway

Alcohol and music have shared an intertwined relationship throughout history, often serving as companions in various social gatherings and cultural festivities. From the rollicking tunes of Irish pubs to the smooth melodies of jazz clubs, alcohol has been a common presence in musical environments, influencing both the performers and the audience. The consumption of alcohol can also sometimes enhance the experience of music by fostering a sense of camaraderie and relaxation. Furthermore, the creative process for many musicians has been intertwined with alcohol, inspiring some and plaguing others. As with any powerful force, the relationship between alcohol and music warrants a nuanced understanding and responsible approach to ensure that both can be enjoyed harmoniously.

In this inaugural episode of the Solo Musician Podcast, I dive into a recent discussion with a live music venue booker on what is expected from musicians and music lovers when it comes to imbibing on the job. I hope you find this rambling intriguing and please comment your thoughts below!