Category Archives: Let The Music Play

Degree Insert

What if some variation of this was inserted into every tube they put a degree in next month across our nation’s universities?

  • Busy doesn’t mean profitable.
  • The difference in you at 22 and you at 27 will be the books you read and the people you meet. Shake a lot of hands, be nice, and read everything you can get your hands on (the subject doesn’t matter).
  • You get to use your notes in real life – so take good ones and pay attention.
  • You never know the test question in real life – so train, prepare, be sharp, and know your stuff.
  • Find as many mentors as you can possibly gather and spend as much time as you can with them.
  • Take a sabbath and it doesn’t have to be on Sunday.
  • Don’t trade love for money. If there’s no passion in your work, your art will reflect that.
  • Stay close with the friends you’ve made here. They will be on the same battle field you are throughout life.
  • The news media buys your eyes by selling ads. Careful with claiming it as gospel.
  • Just because you can TiVo doesn’t mean your TV consumption should go up.
  • Work hard then work smart. It rarely works in reverse order.
  • Google everything.
  • Find out what it means for you to Let The Music Play.

Looking back over the last 2,500 days, I’ve learned a lot since graduation. Often I’ve wished what I’ve learned would have been taught during my college days.

But I’m not so sure it can be taught. It appears it has to be learned.

PS – I just noticed that learned has the word “earned” in it. Looks like there is supposed to be effort and challenge involved in learning these things.

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Music in a Noisy World

I’m speaking this morning in Los Angeles on the subject of making music in noisy world.

Truly, we either make noise or we make music with our lives.

Noise is rarely noticed in a world full of a billion tweets, pokes, pins, texts, products, and ideas.

Music, on the other hand, the masses can’t seem to get enough of.

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The MoMa Has Moved

The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) has been an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.

However, it has now moved…and it’s right out your front door.

Walk out that door and there you will find art like, but not limited to:

A deal well closed.

A dish well served/cooked.

A lawn well mowed.

A paper well written.

A child well raised.

A fashion statement well stated.

A generous life well lived.

A job well done.

A garden well-grown.

A speech well delivered.

A game well-played.

A character well played.

An encouraging word well thought out.

An encouraging word well delivered.

A song well written.

A song well performed.

An idea well thought out.

An idea well executed.

A dream well pursued.

Notice the use of “well” in all of the previous entries. Not everyone will say “well done” when they’ve experienced you art. But that’s not the point. No one leaves the MoMa with inspiration from every piece. The goal is to find and continually inspire those that are saying or thinking “well done” and to do the same for those that you can get to the point of remarking “well done.”

Keep painting and singing for your promoters and disregard the naysayers (most of them have bad tastes anyway – look at their walls – that should tell you something).

Think paint and think song in everything you’re looking to do well at.

The world is 2 in 1: a blank canvas and a sound stage.

Paint and plug in.

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And The Grammy Goes To…

Of course, this will be different for all of us, but whomever your Grammy goes to, be sure to tell them.

We love to know when our music is changing people and the world as we know it.

Let the music play.

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