When Dreams Become Goals

~ This is simple, sound advice...
article source HERE.

Humans have the amazing gift of dreaming. It allows us to imagine things that are absolutely crazy, and completely out of our reach. Like flying, staying hours under water – or world domination. That’s what we do. Ambition is a great source of energy. Being able to dream big will give you guts and make smaller dreams feel much more attainable. Ambition will make you creative and more resourceful.
Dreams are only dreams until you write them down. Then they become your goals. – Anonymous

The difference between a dream and a goal is just a question of attitude. Dreams are by definition something that’s out of reach. A goal is something that you plan and work towards. If you start treating your dreams as your goals, then you have already taken the first step towards making them come true.

1. Start Small

The first step towards your dream is to get started. Do something every day, anything. Don’t go and spend tons of money on fancy instruments and studio equipment. Don’t waste time on trying to get a gig at the best venue in your town before you’ve played the toilet around the corner. Start with the stuff that matters and that you know you are capable of handling. Give yourself time to learn your art and the tricks of the trade.

2. Live Cheap

You are immediately limiting your options if you get yourself into too much debt. If possible, start saving so that you have a bit of a buffer if you need to take time out of work, or your car breaks down. Don’t jump at every fancy new gadget that comes your way. Buy stuff only when you really need it. Keep your every day expenses reasonable. The less you spend, the less you need to make money. And that will give you more freedom to do whatever you want.

3. Plan Regularly

Ok, so you played that toilet around the corner a few times now. Maybe it’s time to move on. Take a step back and map out the road to your Big Dream. Break it down to monthly, quarterly and yearly goals. Decide what to do and make time to do the tasks you set yourself. By having a good plan will make each step a bit clearer. It will give you ideas of what you should be aiming for next. It will also help you realise what is useful and what is a waste of time. Set yourself a budget and stick to it.

4. Make Friends

Connections are gold. Your genius will go unnoticed if no one knows about it. The myth of the lonely genius is exactly that – a myth. Successful people are without exception well connected. Luckily making connections is easier than ever before. Connect with other bands, bloggers, music lovers, friends of friends and random people. Don’t try to gain anything from these connections. Have inspiring conversations and people will remember you. Offer to help and people will help you back.

5. Commit

No dream is going to come true if you don’t make a commitment to it. Everything that can, will go wrong. You will lose faith. You will suck. You will run out of money. You will play empty venues. You will be too busy. Sorry, you’ll just have to keep your head down and keep going. Without a commitment life will get in the way and before you know it the attainable goal has turned into a distant dream again.

The Lemmy Interview!

~ A few months back I interviewed Lemmy from Motorhead for the cover of Bass Player magazine. That issue is on the stands now. Lemmy is a huge influence on me, and it was an honor to get this opportunity. Thanks to Lemmy for taking the time and Brian Fox at Bass Player for making it happen. Due to editing restrictions, some elements on the interview got clipped, so I am posting the interview in it's entirety now. Enjoy!



Blasko: Lemmy, I would just like to start off by saying what an honor and a privilege it is to interview you today for Bass Player. I was lucky enough to convince the magazine that I was the right guy to pull off this interview…

Lemmy: Ha-ha, you probably are man.

Blasko: Was there a defining moment in your life when you decided you wanted to play Rock ‘n Roll for a living?

Lemmy: When I saw how many chicks you could get. I was watching this show that used to be on English TV in the 50’s and 60’s called 'Oh Boy!'. It was a live kinda show that always had these visiting singers. They had Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent on one night and they were both fucking great and they were surrounded by screaming women who appeared to be tearing their clothes off. And then I thought, hey that’s the job for me ya know? That was the very moment right there.

Blasko: I had heard that you were able to see the Beatles before they even had a record deal. Musically speaking, were they a heavy influence on you as well?

Lemmy: I was way into Rock ‘n Roll before that. I mean Little Richard, Elvis, Fats Domino, the Everly Brothers, and Ricky Nelson. I was into those guys long before the Beatles.

Blasko: As a songwriter outside of Motorhead, is there someone living or dead that you would or would have liked to collaborate with?

Lemmy: There are a few of them. Kurt Cobain for one. Lennon and McCartney of course, although you really couldn’t write with them could you? I mean you would end up being beaten to death by the awe of it all. That girl from Evanescence, I would like to collaborate with her. I bet she is a really good writer.

Blasko: Your band Motorhead is one of the worlds most consistent and reliable Rock ‘n Roll bands. You are about to release your 20th studio album*, which is a fucking tremendous achievement. *(The World is Yours available worldwide Feb 8, 2011). There has never been a time when you have changed direction to fit into current trends. Motorhead fans get 100 percent from you on every album and every tour. What would you credit as the secret to the bands “never say die” work ethic?

Lemmy: Well that’s just it, never say die ya know? I mean for one thing, and you have to realize this, I am not qualified to do anything else. I am not going to suddenly quit and become an eye surgeon any time soon. And if I quit, the other thing is… They said we were going to be finished in six months at the beginning of the band. Well, I can’t let all those bastards be right. I would rather die, than let them be right. So here we still are, and now they’re all gone.

Blasko: Sure, but there are numerous musicians that have dedicated their lives to Rock ‘n Roll, however they don’t produce nearly as much material as you do: 20 studio albums, 5 live albums, 8 compilations, 4 ep’s and 21 singles. There has to be a pretty strong amount of love for what you do as well?

Lemmy: Well yeah of course. I always loved Rock ‘n Roll from the first day I heard any. I knew that it was me. It was like an invocation, like being called to the priesthood.

Blasko: Was the writing and recording process any different on the new album “The World is Yours” in relation to any previous ones?

Lemmy: No, it was just the same really.

Blasko: So what continues to inspire you?

Lemmy: One of the factors is that not enough people have heard us yet. We aren’t selling a ton of records, but I will keep on making ‘em until they do buy them. So if they want us to stop making records, all they need to do is give us a number one hit (laughs). Well, that’s not totally true. I mean it is one thing, but really I just enjoy doing it. I love doing it. It’s my life.

Blasko: Sure that makes sense, but do you ever get to a point where you think, “fuck, do I have to play Ace of Spades again”?

Lemmy: I used to get that moment a couple of times, but I killed it. Ace of Spades has been really good to us and it is in fact a very good song. It’s one of the best that I ever wrote. So I suppose you have to put up with it because everybody wants to hear it every night. And you have to realize that just because you have played it every night, they haven’t heard it in this place every night. In a small town on one night it may be the first time that someone has ever seen us, and they have to hear Ace Of Spades because it’s part of our fabric. It wouldn’t be fair not to play it.

Blasko: Speaking of Ace of Spades, the bass intro riff is legendary. As much as say, “Smoke on the Water” or “Paranoid” in my opinion. You’re mid range driven tone and hard-hitting pick style is uniquely undisputed. I assume some of the origin comes from your history as a guitar player, but for readers that maybe don’t know can you explain a little about how your style came to be what it is today.

Lemmy: Well as a bass player my idol was always John Entwistle from the Who, and he had this tone too if you remember. A little bit deeper, but still very much the same. They were one of the best bands I have ever heard in my life. But Entwistle didn’t have to cheat ya see, because he didn’t have to sing. He didn’t have to sing and play the bass line as well. But also as you said, like a guitar player, I like to be heard. I don’t like to be mumbling away in the background. You know, I am a front man. I didn’t get into this thing to be not noticed.

Blasko: You have been very loyal to Marshall and Rickenbacker for as long as I can remember. I suppose if it ain’t broken why fix it, but is there any particular reason you gravitated to those companies?

Lemmy: Marshall because I saw The Who using them and they sounded wonderful, and when I was working for Hendrix he was using them as well, and I thought 2 out of 3 ain't bad. I always liked Marshal anyway. I got my first stack when I was with Hawkwind and it sounded fantastic to me. Like ya said, why fix it?
And the Rickenbacker I just got it for the shape. It was just so wild. The neck was just so skinny as well. I am a guitarist turned bass player don’t forget so it was easier for me to play a Rick because of the thin neck. When I first started Playing Rickenbacker you had to change the pick-ups because the old toasters were no good. They were to trebly. I used to replace them with a few different ones. The original one I had I replaced the pick-up with a Gibson Thunderbird one. That was a great sound, but I wore it out. I killed it. Now Rickenbacker is using much better pick-ups. I don’t have to switch them out anymore.

Blasko: Can you give me a little insight into the history, death and eventual resurrection of your amp Murder One?

Lemmy: Well Murder One we had to lose for a while so that Marshall could copy it. They lost the blueprints to the original. My amps were mostly from the 70’s. The JMP Super Bass 2’s which is quite an exotic animal now a days. You can’t find those things anymore. They are like antiques. Now Marshall has started to make the Lemmy stack and so they copied the Murder One. They are very good amps and I use them quite a bit. For the cabs I use 4 x 15’s flat front and 4 x 12’s flat front in each stack. I have 2 stacks on stage.

Blasko: Wow, that is some serious power.

Lemmy: Yeah it is. That’s what I was after.

Blasko: Personally, I have never worn earplugs in rehearsals or live, and I will probably be worse off for that decision in the long run, but I subscribe to the notion that “ it doesn’t hurt if you like what you are listening to”. Have you ever had your hearing checked?

Lemmy: No, I don’t understand that. If you can’t handle it, stop doing it. What you said is a true statement. If you like the material, than the volume is immaterial. It doesn’t matter. Rock and roll is supposed to be loud by its very nature. What’s the point of quiet rock n roll? That’s fucking nonsense.

Blasko: “Everything Louder than Everything Else” then becomes quite the appropriate slogan. Motorhead is notoriously one of the loudest bands ever. I once heard a story, and I am paraphrasing, but it went something like this… You were at a sound check, and you asked the monitor engineer if he could hear the deafening volume that was coming from your monitors. He looked at you kinda curiously, and your response was “Great, now fucking turn it up’! Is that close to how that story goes?

Lemmy: (laughs) Yes, that’s pretty much it. I think that bit is in the movie*. *(Lemmy: 49% Motherfucker 51% Son of a Bitch, in theaters now and due out on video Feb 22, 2011).

Blasko: The movie is out now, and hopefully by the time this issue comes out that more people will have seen it. I was fortunate enough to see an advance copy of it, and I thought it was incredible by the way. I don’t even have a question here; I just wanted to say I thought it was awesome.

Lemmy: Well, thank you.

Blasko: You may be too deep in it to see Motorhead from an outside perspective as I do, but Motorhead is probably the most significant brands in Rock N Roll. Whether it’s the logo, the song titles the record covers or the band members nicknames, it all comprises one complete vision and presentation. How much forethought went into the Motorhead branding?

Lemmy: Back in the 60’s almost every band had a distinctive way of writing their band name. You know, the Yardbirds, the Beatles or the Who all had their specific logos on their kick drums and record covers. That’s where I come from. As a band ya gotta stand out… ya gotta be customized.

Blasko: Where did the concept of the Motorhead logo originate?

Lemmy: I designed all that, and I still do today. I have all the initial ideas, but we don’t always use them if they are too silly.

Blasko: You have one of the most recognizable looks in rock n roll. So much so, it has been immortalized in video games and cartoons just to name a few. I don’t get the impression it is anything short of 100 percent genuine, but in terms of branding a self-image, how important do you think it was to your career?

Lemmy: Very! It was essential. You see that every night with Ozzy don’t you? You would recognize that guy from 30 miles away.

Blasko: Well, to me that’s the school that I come from. Everything has an identifiable look. Something where you take one look at it and go “yup, that’s me”! And today, I feel that a lot of that has been lost. Nothing makes noise anymore. Nothing stands out.

Lemmy: That’s because there are no heroes anymore. That’s the problem. People are too scared to be heroes.

Blasko: What wisdom can you share with the aspiring rock stars reading this magazine right now?

Lemmy: I’ll tell ya what wisdom I can give ‘em… nothing. And I’ll tell ya why. It’s because the problems I encountered on my way up this ladder they aren’t ever going to experience. They will have their own problems because they are in this time. I never came across their problems because I was in that time. So they are going to have to make their own mistakes and figure out a way to cope with them. And even if I gave them all my advice from chapters 1 through 56 it still wouldn’t help them. There is no real advice you can give to anyone about anything. If you want to do something enough, you will just cope with it ya know? Stop waiting on a bail out clause from someone else’s advice, because that won’t help. It won’t be a cushion, and it certainly won’t help you avoid anything in the future. My advice may end up just causing confusion (laughs).

Blasko: Lemmy, I have just one last question for you. If Little Richard is one of the originators of Rock ‘n Roll, and Motorhead is one of the kings of Rock ‘n Roll, what is the future of Rock ‘n Roll?

Lemmy: I have no idea. I hope it cure’s up a bit though, because it been pretty miserable for a long time.

The New Music Business Model: Integrity = Bullshit

~ You hip to this Rebecca Black "hit" Friday yet? As a young musician with aspiring dreams and goals in 2011 this will either be a source of inspiration or suicide depending on how you look at it. Allow me to paraphrase / quote Peter Shankman in relation to this topic: "We like destruction. We embrace mediocrity because we need some level of proof that we're not the worst things out there". Enjoy the article, but I refuse to post the video.

Move Over Major Record labels, independent artists are becoming top sellers on iTunes today. New music artist Rebecca Black is living proof independent careers are more possible than ever. Recently going viral with a $2000 music video shot in California, her single "Friday" is going to earn over $1 million dollars thanks to her innocence.

Rebecca Black "Friday" YouTube music video has over 44 million views to date. According to iTunes, the song itself has sold over 2 million units, making her one of the hottest selling artists today. The only artists to strike double platinum in single sales lately is Justin Bieber, Lady GaGa, and Wiz Khalifa who she tops individually in daily averages on video views.

QR

Anyone hip to QR codes?

Launch Music Conference 2011

If you are on the east coast, or maybe need an excuse to travel to the east coast, you might want to think about attending the Launch Music Conference April 21 - 24. This is it's 3rd year running, and for what you get it is definitely worth the low price tag.

Network. Build relationships. Get your music heard. All things that your career requires.

Check out more info on their site HERE.

See ya there...

Success or Death

"Success or Death" should be your new mantra.
Without dreams we are nothing.
We might as well be dead.

I will tell you this: Please DO NOT think that your success is defined in the music business by how much money you make. If that is your goal, then I politely suggest you quit now, or wrap you head around this: Please DO measure your success by how much music you make.

Make great music. Make music that makes you happy. Make music that gets you out of bed every morning. Make music that is an escape from the responsibilities of everyday life.

Do this and consider yourself a success!

What are you doing right now?
What steps are you taking to reach your goals and make your dreams a reality right now?
How will you define your own success right now?

~ Thanks to Hugh Macleod and his new book Evil Plans for inspiration.

Your Daily Online Check List

~ I found this on the Music Think Tank. Read the full article HERE.


Do you or your band have a daily online routine? You better. At the speed this world moves you can’t afford to miss even one day of what is happening. Your competition is not sitting still, so you better be out there. But as a band you have to find a balance that is not going to hinder your ability to be a band. You need to write, rehearse, record, perform… if you don’t do any of those things, being online won’t mean much.

So I thought I would take a look at my daily online routine and maybe you can apply to it your routine.

10 Things Every Musician Should Do Online Every Day

1. Quick Email Scan. – When you wakeup, you’re a band, so whatever time of the day this might be is fine. Grab your iPhone or smartphone and do a quick scan of your email for anything important or urgent. Respond to those very urgent emails right away. You will know what they are when you see them.

2. Clean out garbage email. – Get out of bed, get yourself some coffee, breakfast, whatever you need to get going. Sit down and open your laptop, clean out all the garbage email you received overnight. Even with spam control all our inboxes get filled with crap. Get rid of it now so you only have real messages to deal with.

3. Review all new Twitter followers. – Twitter will send you a email for every new follower you receive. Do a five second scan of those new followers. No profile picture, no website link, no profile description, nobody follows them; delete the email and go on to the next one. If they have these items go check their profile in Twitter. Do a quick three second scan of their tweets, if it interests you follow them back. If they are clearly a music fan, a fan of your band, a fan of your style of music, a fan of similar bands… follow them back and send them a quick Direct Message thanking them for following you. Do this for everyone who is following you.

4. Do a Twitter brand review. – While in Twitter check for new Mentions of your Twitter ID. Check for any of your tweets that have been retweeted. Review your saved searches. Basically you are doing a review on who is talking about you on Twitter. Personally reply to everyone who mentions or retweets you. The searches could be for your real name, maybe your site URL, album title, anything. The key here is to get involved in the conversation!

5. Facebook initial review. – Review any friend requests. Check Notifications. Check Facebook Messages. See what is happening in your Facebook world. Just as you reviewed Twitter followers, do the same for Friend Requests. Do you have any friends in common? Are they clearly a music fan, a fan of your band or a similar band? If you accept their request, send them a quick message, or leave a wall post thanking them for the request. Check all your notifications. Who Likes your posts, left you comments, etc. Respond to comments that have been left. Check your Facebook messages. Same sort of review you give to your email can be applied to Facebook. Delete the garbage and respond to those that are important.

6. Facebook News Feed Review. – Do a quick review of your News Feed’s Top News. This will let you see what stories have the most activity. Leave comments and Likes on anything you like or anything that could help promote your band. Then switch over to your News Feed’s Recent News. This is a full list of everything all your friends have posted. Again, leave comments and Likes as you see best. Review everything since you last logged in. The key here is to get involved in the conversation!

7. Facebook Page Review. – Same drill, review all posts by fans. Review all comments. Respond to EVERYONE who left you a post or a comment. The key here is to get involved in the conversation! See a trend here? You have to talk with your fans on Twitter and Facebook.

8. Back to email. – Respond to any important emails. If using Gmail which I highly recommend… Star important emails you need to follow up on later.

9. Review your RSS feeds. – Switchover to Google Reader or your RSS reader and do a initial review of important feeds. Look for new, interesting and important stories. You can Star them in Google Reader to come back later for a full read. RSS feeds are the fastest way to keep up with new content added to your favorite websites, without having to visit every single one of them. You only visit the site when you find a new story that interests you. Be sure to review RSS feeds from other bands, see what they are doing.

10. Check your web or blog stats. – I bet most people never do this. This is so important, do not ignore it! Stats will tell you what your fans like and don’t like. Where they are coming from and where they are going. Be sure to look at these few numbers daily: Total traffic, Top stories, Referring sites, Top searches inside your site and searches that delivered you traffic and top exiting links (what links to external sites are being clicked). Google Analytics is a great free web stats tool to use on your website. WordPress.com Stats is a great plugin for a WordPress site that delivers great stats. Numbers don’t lie, so pay attention to them.

Now go write a song!