NHT Blog

Each week a blog is posted to provide insights that will help performers take one more step in advancing their career.  The hope is to contribute to that vision you have of where you’re headed in both the near and distant future.

I’m still amazed at some of the emails that I receive.  Artists or managers write with what are intended to be pitches to get looked at as a potential new client or to be booked on the weekly show.

Unfortunately, I am amazed at them in a bad way, not an impressed way.

I always say that I’m not a fan of people who generalize.  In fact, I remember in my Logic class in college learning about statements that you can prove to be fallacies by (among other criteria) an appeal to large numbers.

Many (many) years ago my brother made a joke.  “What talks but can’t sing and dance and doesn’t walk?”  He was referring to money in the context of the lyrics to “Forever in Blue Jeans” by Neil Diamond.

Last week I wrote a blog about handing out postcards or brochures or flyers when in a networking environment instead of business cards.  In there was a ‘note to self’ about writing at some point about people who tell you they don’t have a business card.

Well, “at some point” is now, because I just witnessed it again over the weekend.

This past Friday I went to a major business symposium.  One portion of it featured a massive speed networking that guaranteed that each participant would meet at least 20 people.

This is where you not only hear everyone’s elevator pitch, but, obviously, get their business card.

It’s a boring topic and, as a result, not one that musicians – or people from most other professions for that matter – want to spend lots of time thinking or talking about.  But, ignored, it could become a real problem.

I was at a big event recently where I finally had the opportunity to meet in person with someone who I previously had only talked to via email and phone.  I’m tempted to put her in the category of an up-and-comer, but, with all she has going on, one might argue that she has (already) arrived.

It was an outdoor event, with not the best of weather conditions – windy and cool, instead of sunny and warm.

It’s ironic that in a society that is trying to be more green by using less paper, more and more companies want to give you their long, drawn out privacy policy.  Even crazier is that they’ll then waste more paper by giving you a form to sign that says that they gave you their privacy policy!

My fiancée has the day off from work today and I’ve got a doctor’s appointment this morning.  That sounds like a scene ripe for blowing off work.  It sets up as an ideal setting for skipping writing a blog, right?  But then the streak (consecutive Mondays writing a new blog) would end at 56.  So instead, number 57 is going to talk about cancellations.