That's What He/She Said

Today in the United States, Presidents Day is being celebrated.  A couple of the proverbial founding fathers are remembered for what they did as well as some things that they said.  Profound statements from past presidents have found their way into history books for generations to learn from.

With the possible exception of September 30th, which is National Podcasting Day, there probably won’t be a day set aside anytime soon for impactful quotes made by musicians.  However, there have certainly been some memorable statements made that likewise give lessons for students of the business.  Since Presidents Day this year is being celebrated on February 16th, here are 16 notable quotes from episodes of the “Now Hear This Entertainment” podcast, which marks its one-year anniversary on the calendar this month:

1.    "I'm forcing myself into something that I've never done before and I know I'm going to make it work!" – Singer/songwriter Alyssa Jacey, “Now Hear This Entertainment” (NHTE) Episode 2
2.    "Luck is where opportunity and preparation meet." – Singer/songwriter Marc Alan Barnette, NHTE Episode 12
3.    "Dreams and goals are guard rails…they’ll hold you up." – Singer/songwriter Danny Brooks, NHTE Episode 19
4.    “Hearing nothing is almost worse than hearing ‘this can be a lot better.’” – Singer/songwriter Rachel Pearl, NHTE Episode 26
5.    “You have to put your ego aside.  The people who carry the ego with them are the ones who struggle the most.” – Actress/former WWE Diva Karlee Perez, NHTE Episode 29
6.    “Great art isn’t something that gets created on an assembly line.” – Author/podcast host Srinivas Rao, NHTE Episode 32
7.    “If you love what you do, don’t ever lose sight of the goal.  Look straight ahead, don’t slow down, don’t look right or left, just keep focused.” – Las Vegas headliner Frankie Scinta, NHTE Episode 35
8.    “I’ll just keep on making music until there is no more.” – Singer/songwriter Scarlett Rabe, NHTE Episode 36
9.    “Being a mom is probably my favorite thing that I’ve ever done that I don’t know how to do.” – Singer/songwriter Ellie Holcomb, NHTE Episode 39 (Part 1)
10.    “That’s how you become a good songwriter, is, you write a whole lot of bad songs and eventually you run out of all the bad ideas and get to the good ones.” – Singer/songwriter CJ Watson, NHTE Episode 41
11.    “There’s something exciting about the hard work that goes into it.  It wouldn’t be worth it if it wasn’t difficult.” – Singer/songwriter Maddy Rodriguez, NHTE Episode 45
12.    “(not being a musician) is the reason why I love music so much, the fact that I can’t sing and I can’t play an instrument, but I can go to music and get releases and I can go to music and understand that this person has a gift and they’re sharing it. – Gasparilla Music Festival Executive Director Ty Rodriguez, NHTE Episode 47
13.    “Music helps connect the right and left brain, the head to the heart, and our heart to each other’s heart.” – Universal Music Day Founder Susan Golden, NHTE Episode 48
14.    “Don’t take anything as a roadblock.  Honestly, just take it as a scenic route, because you never know what lesson you’re going to pull from it.” – Songwriter Mark Goujon, NHTE Episode 49
15.    “Great melodies, great musicianship, and great songs are all ya’ need to touch people and to communicate with people.” – Singer/songwriter Daniel B. Marshall, NHTE Episode 51
16.    “I don’t care if I’m the best singer in the world.  If I can relate emotion to somebody, that’s what it’s about.” – Singer/songwriter Amanda Page Cornett, NHTE Episode 53