NHT Blog

With only two blogs left for this calendar year, the one you’re reading now is the last before Christmas.  I know, everyone running around frantically didn’t need that reminder.

Two nights ago, I was out at a place that had live music.  The performer said from the stage that it was only their second time performing since things opened back up and the first time being back (playing) inside somewhere that people weren’t wearing masks.

Huh?  Clearly, they were referring to the end of the pandemic.  Now, before I go on, let me throw out all the disclaimers, just to cover myself.

Not too far from my house there’s a sports bar that has been open for something like a year or two now.  Yet, they still have a NOW OPEN sign out by the road.  I mostly scratch my head about it, although I do understand the possible strategy they’re trying to employ.  Regardless of if you’re familiar with them or not, it does get your attention, after all, doesn’t it?

I’ve had this take for a while now about, “What do you mean, you don’t know who John Cena is?”  It’s sort of my example for putting things into perspective.  As much as I’m abundantly aware of the WWE superstar turned movie (and TV) (and pop culture) star, there are people in various parts of the world – and various walks of life – who simply don’t know who he is, what he does, or why he’s famous.

To someone like me who is a big fan of his, I’m appalled that people could possibly not be aware of him.

Two weeks ago today marked the release of the 700th hosted/recorded episode of my podcasting career.  If you’re wondering why I’ve waited until now to write a blog about it, I challenge you to instead look at how much mileage you can get out of a similar milestone that you might reach in whatever you’re creating.

Yesterday was the final day of the 38th Frank Brown International Songwriters Festival.  Last Wednesday in the weekly e-newsletter, I wrote that I’d just come back from being at that event in Alabama, yet it’s so big that it was still going on!

In that email, the above statement was part of an item about a “Promoting Your Music Career” seminar that I had put on, now nine days ago (pictured above and documented here too).

On Episode 434 of my weekly “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast, Nashville-based singer, songwriter, guitar player Blue Foley talked about the conscious decision he made at one point in his career to not go down the path of a recording and touring artist.  When he said that he just didn’t have the ego for it, he explained how he meant that.

Hosting the “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast every week, not to mention working with clients who make and perform music, and, with that, traveling back and forth to the likes of Nashville and Los Angeles, I have a front row seat for the challenges of writing a good song.

Time and again I hear songwriters talk about the many variables that go into creating something memorable that, hopefully, is going to have success and staying power.

Since I don’t have a huge office with a massive roster of employees running around making all the magic happen, it’s hard to believe that last night marked just two weeks since I’d returned from the Florida panhandle and the 12th Pensacola Beach Songwriters Festival, yet already one episode of “Now Hear This Entertainment” recorded there has been released, another has been edited and is ready to drop the day after tomorrow, AND a recap video has been published on YouTube.