Today is my birthday. I'm not doing anything huge - mostly spending the day with my partner and doing some work. In the past, I've usually been on tour. In fact, Facebook Memories reminds me that I was in Taiwan with The Slants just four years ago (we even made a tour documentary on it, … Continue reading On Milestones and Birthdays
It's easy to write a book, a song, direct a film or to start a business. Everyone with a pen or smartphone can do so. It's much harder to create something that is meaningful and can shift the culture. The difference between those two extremes seems stark: one seems like it could be mundane, rejected, … Continue reading How to Write a Book
About this time last year, I had an impactful (and surprising) discussion around race. Here's how it went...
When I reconnect with old contacts and tell them that I moved to Nashville, TN, I almost always get asked, "Did you move to Nashville for your music career?" The answer of course, is no. I moved to Nashville because my partner and I wanted to live here (it was more affordable and diverse than … Continue reading On Moving to Nashville for Music
What is it that causes otherwise kind and gentle people to become villainous beings? What is it drives people to compromise their moral code, to distort their constitution? It's uncertainty. Fear is the thing that breaks us. Fear "is a unique political force. Its ebbs and flows through American political history have pulled on elections, … Continue reading Justice is not a destination
When you think about groups of people that you are connected to in some way, be it a networking group, a church of volunteer organization, or a school, do you stop and reflect on what your purpose is? Often, people attend out of obligation, desire for status, or to gain something (education, fulfillment, clients, etc.). … Continue reading On Hustles, Networking Groups, and College
Tonight, I'm doing a new presentation in Nashville, TN about scaling up in the music business. It's based on an idea I've been developing for a new book. I believe that many artists get stuck in a rut and find themselves unable to achieve more (in terms of income, new fans, opportunities, or otherwise) because … Continue reading Scaling Up
It's hard to find a news source that isn't reporting about the coronavirus at the moment. Despite the fact that death and infection rates are fairly low (nearly 500 deaths at the time of this writing, compared to the 60,000 who died from the flu last year), fears over this disease are leading to a … Continue reading Unmasking Our True Fears
There are specific tactics for winning Tic Tac Toe, or at the very least, to never lose. I took this knowledge by challenging restaurant regulars who were friends with our family to a friendly wager of fifty cents per game.
It's not surprising to find contradictions in our ideas, values, and beliefs. For example, many who are pro-life also support the death penalty and military intervention that includes swift, violent retribution or the assignation of others. Or, those who say they believe in freedom of speech... at least until they find speech that they find … Continue reading Oh, the Contradiction
