I got to take my daughter to the Jonas Brothers World Tour 2009 stop in Nashville last night and have been thinking about it all day long. Mostly I’ve been thinking about how great the show was. Really. No it wasn’t the most indescribable musical event in the history of the world, but it was thoroughly engaging, professional, high quality and entertaining.
And isn’t that what it’s about
For a period of time in my younger years in the music business, I toured with Charlie McClain. Her husband, Wayne Massey – himself a star, toured with us as manager and as part of the band. One night on the bus, we were all sitting around lamenting the prior year’s success of Billy Ray Cyrus’ “Achy Breaky Heart” (look it up, he’s the dad of Miley Cyrus and this silly song was a HUGE HIT!).
After many comments and laughs, Wayne stopped us and said something I’ll never forget. He said “boys, never forget it’s the entertainment industry. You can talk about music, talent and creativity all day long, but that song caused millions and millions of people to lay down their hard earned money to buy a copy.”
And he’s right.
Now, that doesn’t mean you have to do whatever it takes to get millions and millions of people to buy your stuff. What it DOES mean is that no one will do ANYTHING unless they see value in doing it. And in the case of music and the arts, the value is in the entertainment.
And the Jonas Brothers were hugely entertaining. They sang and played very well, their band rocked and the stage/lights were nothing short of amazing: 30 foot rising platforms, rotating stages, four different elevator platforms for the band, multiple floating screens with complete video coverage, flying light trusses and lasers galore.Oh, and two water cannons and rain.
Yes, it rained on stage. Beautifully I might add.
Check out the stage here.
One more thing: the guys did a fantastic job of connecting with the audience. They spread themselves out all over the stage, sang TO THE PEOPLE, and bantered back and forth like pros. Which is saying something when the overall response to everything was SCREAMING! They also tackled topics like Nick’s Diabetes and life in general with a message of hope. Nice.
They were entertaining.
I’ve sworn off linking to posts on sites that I encourage you to read, but this one is simply to significant not to. So, go read this if you’re at all serious about understanding and pursuing a career in today’s entertainment industry:
Terry McBride at Berklee | Future Of Music
A small teaser:
“As music returns to its emotional and social roots, McBride predicts a rapid change as we move from what he calls the “Digital 1.0” era into the “Digital 2.0” era where the accessibility of music and social media has grown legs and is now traveling with us on the train and down the street in the form of smartphones such as the iPhone”
Enjoy.
Please get involved in this critical issue for our nation. It is NOT about parties, our new President or other partisan theologies. Get the facts and then write your Senators and Representatives. PLEASE! Here’s what I’ve written to mine:
I oppose the economic stimulus package because it is:
a – filled with @$300 Billion worth of Pork
b- carries an additional $300+ Billion in interest charges over 10 years bringing the total to over a Trillion Dollars
c – misses the point that we are in the throes of a global shift from the industrial age to the information age. It will be painful, but we must change or die – not prop up old thinking
d – misses the point that government is for governing NOT creating jobs or economic growth
Thank you.
I have my concerns, but for all the reasons eloquently written about in this piece, this is a great moment in American History. We are blessed.
America’s Bittersweet Change
So I’m watching the news tonight and seeing clips of reporters, Democratic Party officials, Joe Biden and Obama himself openly criticizing Joe The Plumber. They’re mocking him by saying “I don’t know many plumbers that make $250,000 per year (which isn’t what he said)” and several other disparaging things about him and his profession.
Excuse me?
Is this what we want from the leaders of a nation? An open attack on an average citizen simply because he asked a question they didn’t like? And by the way, please think review this issue in detail.
Review exactly what Joe asked Obama. There is NOTHING in that question that is wrong. It is a question we would all ask no matter what our income level is. And speaking of that, listen to the hatred being spewed at this man for “earning a quarter of a million bucks” a year (Obama’s words). You’d think this man was a murderer!
He’s an average hard working man who is exporing his options to better the future of his family by buying a business.
Which is exactly what our founding fathers had in mind when they declared independence from an over taxing, over governing regime. And yes, I’m hoping you’ll see the parallels.
Just in case you didn’t catch this on my Facebook or my delicious links, if you have ANY interest to have a career in the arts GO READ Music Think Tank’s 10 Mistakes Bands and Musicians Make. It’s dead on, full of truth and honesty, and covers it all. I especially like reason #4 ’cause it’s what I’ve been saying since 2005:
4. Thinking The Key to Success is Musical Talent, Money, or Looks
Yes, if we’re talking about pop music, MTV, or the major label
system, a certain amount of a contrived “image” probably helps sell
records.
Obviously, money helps things. And it’s always good if you can sing.
But it’s not “image” that gets somebody on MTV, it’s marketing.
It’s not good songs that get people on the radio, it’s marketing. And
it’s not money, although it helps. It’s marketing.
You can play well, have money, and look like a model, but if you don’t have the marketing to back you up, none of it matters.
You know what? If you do have a good, solid marketing plan in place
(and you’re using it), everything else doesn’t matter so much.
Um. Well said.
Thousands of bloggers around the world will write about poverty today. Here’s my contribution:
Why You Should Be Wealthy
We live in a world that cannot make up it’s mind about money. And no group of people is more confused than the church. I personally believe this is a tragedy and I’d like to point out why. So here are my 25 reasons why I think you should be wealthy:
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Because you can.
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Because others can’t.
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Because others need you to be so…
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They can see your success and believe they can succeed too.
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Because righteous, rich and loyal Christians terrify the enemy.
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Because a 10% tithe of a lot is a lot.
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Because 25% or 50% of a lot is even more.
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Because there’s no way to legally become wealthy without helping a whole lot of people (and if you win the lottery, see reason #7). Wealth is gained by providing something people want and creating a company (jobs) to provide that something. Both of these activities help people. Period.
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Because the Lord gives you the power to gain wealth. Deuteronomy 8:18 – But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
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Because He hates poverty. Among others, here’s Prov. 10:15 – The wealth of the rich is their fortified city, but poverty is the ruin of the poor.
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Because the bible says the following in Prov. 13:22 – A good man leaves an inheritance for his children’s children.
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Because you’ll be free to spend your time how, where and when you’re truly needed instead of spending 50% of your waking life working for someone else.
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Because you’ll eat healthier and probably live longer.
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Because you’ll have extra food and…
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Extra cars and…
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Extra homes.
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Because someone you know is hungry, has a broken down car, or simply needs a place to go on vacation.
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Because you would be a Godly and kindhearted employer.
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Because you would be a Godly and kindhearted landlord.
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You’d have more peace in your life. I didn’t say happiness, I said peace (see reason #10).
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Because you could become more active in your community, town, state or country.
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Because money is a tool and…
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As a tool, it is either controlled by you, used against you, or sitting idly wasting away. Wealth is NOT about amounts, it is about control. It is about stewardship – which is really what this post is about (see reasons 1, 6-9, 11, 12, 13, 14-19 and 25)
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Because properly gained wealth is one of the tangible measures of how you’ve helped other people. This sounds controversial, but it’s not. What I mean is IF and WHEN you help people (see reason #8) you will gain wealth. For some reason, this repels people from moving forward in life. They keep their goals small so “people won’t think I’m greedy and selfish.” Sorry, but if you have the next Microsoft, Cancer treatment, Automobile Engine or local restaurant idea inside of you and you don’t let it out, THAT is being selfish and greedy. And DON’T apologize if letting them out gives you reasons 6, 11, 12, 13-16 and 18-21 in the process.
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What have you been given? This is much deeper than reason #1. That is not simply about effort but about living out the big dreams God has placed in your heart. The ones that make you excited and terrified at the same time. The ones that cause you to think “what if” and “no way” in the same breath.
My hope is that you’ll put “because you can” with “what have you been given” and become a #5. And isn’t that what you really want to be?
By William James:
“In human life, although we only see our world, yet encompassing it a
still wider world may be there; and to believe in that world may be the
most essential function that our lives in this world have to perform.
The “scientific” life itself has much to do with maybes, and human life
at large has everything to do with them. Not a victory is gained, not a
deed of faithfulness or courage is done, except upon a maybe; not a
service, not a sally of generosity, not a scientific exploration or
experiment or textbook, that may not be a mistake. It is only by
risking our persons from one hour to another that we live at all. And
often enough our faith beforehand in an uncertified result is the only
thing that makes the result come true.”
We must risk if we are to live at all.
What if we all wrote in the name Jim DeMint for President on election day? Why would I ask, here’s part of the reason, follow the link for the entire text.
“We have seen this Government socialize our education system and make
our schools among the worst in the world. We have seen this Government
take over most of our health care system, making private insurance less
and less affordable. We have seen this Government socialize our energy
resources and bring our Nation to its knees by cutting the development
of our own oil and natural gas supplies. And now we see this Congress
yielding its constitutional obligations to a Federal bureaucracy,
giving it the power to control virtually our entire financial system.
Americans understand this and they are angry. They are our judge and
our jury. They are watching what we are doing, and they will render
their verdict based on our actions.”
Video and text of his Senate floor speech here.
Audrew Rondeau’s thorough and powerful thoughts on success. My favorite, mistakes are part of being successful.
Hmmm, sounds like failure can teach you something…
