NHT Blog

You remember how to make a G chord on the guitar.  You have instant recall when it comes to what gets plugged into where for your live music setup.  You have lyrics that you know by heart.  You still replay lessons from your voice teacher in your head when you fall back on the techniques that he or she taught you.

But what about the big lesson that we all learned during the pandemic?  And just because we’re now beyond May, it doesn’t mean that we can discard mental health awareness.

We happily interrupt your regularly scheduled weekly blog for the creator industry to instead present another song review because it means that a melodic needle has been found in the haystack of submissions.

This time around the track that gave me great joy to not have to hit the Decline button on is a tune called “Suffocate,” from an artist named Rae Lou.  It just came out a little over six weeks ago and I’m optimistic that it has been enjoying increased growth and popularity.

Social media has become an essential tool in the music industry, especially for new musicians looking to gain attention and create a following. The Plugged Into Music study from the marketing agency Wasserman found that “one in three use social media to share music they like with friends and family.” They also found that “TikTok is the most used social media platform for music discovery among Gen Z.”

Nice guys always finish last.  For years (and years) I have said that I, unfortunately, have had to learn that the hard way, meaning, firsthand.  Although mind you, I certainly won’t apologize for leading with my heart and being nice to people.

While it’s true that in business you do need to think with your brain and not your heart or you’ll end up broke, I think it’s awfully tough to criticize someone who is kind, honest, thoughtful, polite, and, well, just always trying to do what’s right.

You can imagine how nerve wracking and what a range of emotions it has to be for an artist when they’re about to release their newest single.

There’s the obvious excitement, of course.  There’s also relief that the project is completed.  He or she (or the band) also is hopeful that the song will be well received and, obviously, that listeners will buy it and/or pre-save it.  Unfortunately, it’s also human nature that negative forces will try to chip away at one’s confidence and whisper, “What if people don’t like it, though?”

Variety is the spice of life, they say.  But it’s true, isn’t it?  It’s easy to get stuck in a rut when you’re a creator and have been at something for a long time and get to a point where you feel almost as though you’re on an assembly line, meaning, just doing the same thing over and over again.

This even extends to writing a weekly blog and so this week I’m doing a song review instead of the content you’re typically used to seeing here.

Over the weekend I attended a ticketed performance by an up-and-coming trio that performs live with a bass player and drummer also joining them on stage.  I must say that they more than exceeded my expectations going into it.  To be honest, I really went into it unemotionally, but sure came out having been moved, although first to a disappointed mood and then to a very impressed demeanor.

Last Thursday night I was broadcasting a men’s college lacrosse game.  Had the home team – dare I say, the favorite – won that night, they would’ve advanced to the conference championship game.  Unfortunately, that wouldn’t be the case, as they lost by two goals.

It has been refreshing lately to see a few folks posting on social media about someone other than themselves or their own business.  And in this context, I’m not referring to people who are posting from a personal standpoint, meaning, sharing on, say, Instagram, a picture of an immediate family member.  (Although, to be sure, not that that doesn’t count for anything.)

Today I’m flying back home to Tampa from having been out in Anaheim since last Wednesday, with the NAMM Show having been the impetus for this latest trip out west.  My luggage weighs the same as it did going out there, but I’m sure carrying back lots of new insights gained while in California.