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Hello, This is the thirteenth installment of Sound Bites. Sound Bites-quality information in bite-size pieces is for anyone in or associated with the music industry who is in the pursuit of freeing themselves in all areas of their lives, both personal and professional. I have received great praise throughout my life for my ability to find the most accurate, succinct and quality information about products, experiences, fun facts, you name it. With my affinity for research and the ability to compile the best of the best out there, I feel compelled to share my wealth of knowledge. Because I value your time, this newsletter intends to share my findings with you on a routine basis in digestible and curated morsels. Check out this week’s findings below!
Billy Joel – The Stranger Legacy Edition Billy Joel’s ability to capture such real and honest feelings still gets me. I feel the core of music is to translate and communicate feelings and experiences we have as spiritual beings in a human experience. He can paint a picture lyrically, melodically, and musically rich and still somehow makes it super palatable. It is what has kept him on the short list of artists who I keep coming back to and never get board. Inspired by my co-parent Kerry who sent me the song “Vienna” on a day I was feeling really overwhelmed, it sparked a desire to listen to the entire Billy Joel catalog start to finish. The Legacy Edition of the Stranger with a bonus of live recordings is the one I chose to share with you guys. It has a version I’ve never heard of the song “The Entertainer” one of my favorite songs of his. It speaks to the tensions and pressures of being an artist in the music industry. It also includes some alternate lyrics and other cool gems. Check it out. App I AM Using: As musicians we can rack up miles on our car pretty quickly. We often drive all over town for coffee meetings, sessions, rehearsals and gigs. Before you know it, you’re gas tank is on “E”. Gas prices are high right now. Even with the high gas prices there is still a price spread of up to 60 cents per gallon depending on which station you choose. How do I know that? It’s not because I study the gas market. It’s from using the free gas buddy app. You simply turn it on and click the “find gas” button wherever you are and it will find you the best price on gas near you. Don’t think it’s worth the effort? The difference between what you could save on gas annually by using this app is $443.52. That calculation was made using a 22gal tank filling up once a week at the lowest and highest price using the app right now. Maybe it’s still not worth it to you. If that’s true I would encourage you to instead check out the book Atomic Habits. With 84,748 5 star reviews author James Clear (@JamesClear) explains how it’s the tiny changes that create remarkable results. What better place to start than with something you have to do as long as you are choosing to own and drive a vehicle. I AM Reading: Do you desire relief from the hustle of wondering where your next gig is gonna come from and the pressure of relying on your ability to actively earn that income for the rest of your life or at least the foreseeable future? Maybe you just want to take a vacation without the emotional stress of feeling like you have to get back to performing to make next month’s bills? If you answered yes to any or all of that keep reading because this book addresses all those obstacles and was music to my ears when I read it. It cuts through the dogma of what a lot of people believe surrounding jobs and money. It also address emotions as it relates to money. A lot of books on the topic of money don’t address this importat element. It showed me that there is a light beyond working long hours to earn an income if I am intentional in directing where the money I do earn goes. Don’t be fooled by the title like I was thinking it wasn’t for me unless I was a middle age parent who wanted to be rich. I was wrong. It has everything to do with comparing and contrasting the belief systems of two dad’s that author Robert Kiyosaki had growing up teaching him about money. One path, the path of his rich dad, lead to abundant passive income and freedom if you can learn how to make your money work for you. The other path, the path of his poor dad, lead to working a lot harder for your money to earn it while different sources siphon it away from you. If you are someone in the music industry who’s income is dependent upon you showing up to work but desire to free yourself financially from that path I can’t recommend this book enough. Don’t take my word for it. This book is on the amazon’s best sellers list with an average 4.5 stars and 83,128 reviews. I was so inspired by this book I’ve already read his follow-up book Rich Dad’s Cash Flow Quadrant: Guide To Financial Freedom and am in the middle of Rich Dad’s Guide to Investing
Small Change That Made A Big Difference In My Happiness Level: A set of wiper blades might seem like a boring item or even out of place to post about in a music newsletter. In a lot of ways it is. However, what I feel is important here is not the wipers, (although they have been the best wiper blades I’ve ever had) it’s why. I had a bit of a mental shift recently after listening to a podcast interview on the Tim Ferris Show with Mr. Money Mustache. (@mrmoneymustache) (@timferriss) In this interview he talks about spending money on things that might appear seemingly insignificant but actually return a high level happiness every single day you use this item. We often look for the one big experience, like an amazing concert, or one special dinner out, and overlook the small ways we could spend that money that could sometimes have a higher return of happiness on something that might not be as special but would improve the quality of your life everyday. For me it was wiper blades. If not wiper blades, what is something small you could spend money on that would improve the quality of your life everyday? Maybe get yourself a REALLY nice drum key, or a REALLY nice guitar cable that would improve the quality of your tone every time you plug-in your guitar or bass to throw a few ideas out there. Quote I AM Resonating With: “We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing”
My Business: Source Science Sound – Consulting with musicians, bands, and artists to free themselves in their personal and professional life until they are in a Sound State – sustainably doing what they love and loving what they do in all areas of life. Life can feel really challenging at times, we feel like the muse just left and we don’t understand why life is a mess and caving in on us. Sadly, there is a lot of misinformation out there that quietly steers our minds further into the darkness and leaves us feeling hopeless and aimlessly searching for answers. The universe and life isn’t intending to be cruel. It’s actually there telling us exactly what we need. We’ve just forgotten how to listen and transform the information into constructive and empowering actionable steps. Click here to book a session if you are feeling stuck or even just curious how much better life can get. I’d love to connect with you. Please give me feedback by replying to this newsletter or connecting with me through one of my social media platforms below. Which sound bite did you resonate with most? What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Let me know! Enjoy, SS |