Music Success In Nine Weeks http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:05:00 GMT http://bandzoogle.com Brett Barry Newsletter - December 2011 http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=1658632 December 7, 2011 Greetings friends and family! Welcome to the occasional edition of my newsletter. (OK. More precisely, welcome to the annual edition of my newsletter - so far anyway). Hmmm...better communication...could be a New Year's resolution...nah. Speaking of the New Year, since I most likely won't get another email out before then :), Erin and I would like to wish you an incredible Christmas AND a meaningful New Year in 2012. May you be filled with undying hope and ever increasing vision for how to get the most in to your life and give the most from it. How did Gandalf put it (or Tolkien, that is), &quot;All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.&quot; May yours be spent well and fully, and may your contribution ultimately bring back to you more than it takes. &nbsp; ................................................................... New Songs&nbsp; This past year has been really full. Lots of life challenges, but also a great deal of progress in many areas artistically and otherwise. Strangely, (to me anyway) I've been writing like never before. The songs have been flowing out and the topic truly inspired. You see, love is in the air...not new love, per se, but refined and refreshed love - the kind that has been tested, tried, chosen and renewed again and again, often by choice and certainly by default of staying committed to the process of loving - and I've been breathing as deeply as is humanly possible (maybe even deeper than is humanly possible). Erin and I just celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary (just so you know, that's like obtaining doctorate degrees in Physics, Psycology, Theology AND Economics!). Truly, though, the farther we go and grow in our commitment, the better it gets. It's certainly challenging at times - getting past ourselves always is. But rewarding? Even more so. Getting past ourselves always is. So,&nbsp;among other relationship matters, I've been writing songs that support the mission of growing the kind of love that not only endures, but flourishes; the kind that ultimately gives back ten times what it took to build. Yeah, like many fine things, true love gets better with time. &nbsp; &nbsp;................................................................... &nbsp; Upcoming Concerts (Photo: Todd C. Walker - green room, Brewer's Alley) I've also been playing out more and more, lovin' that...a lot, and am looking forward to digging in even more this coming year. In addition to my solo spots, I'm working on some dates with an acoustic band, and we're further developing the Inseparable Live concert &amp; marriage workshop event, with the goal of doing a handful of those in 2012. If you're interested in any of these (booking, connecting, helping), or in hosting a house concert, perhaps, <a target="_new" href="http://brettbarry.com/contact.cfm">let me know. The response to the new material has been a lot of fun. Turns out most people are up for being encouraged through songs about the kind of love that inspires, grows wildly and ultimately wins. Works for me. Dates - In Dec/Jan, come out and enjoy songs from the upcoming Inseparable Live CD: <a target="_new" href="http://www.reverbnation.com/brettbarry#!/show/5970280">Friday, Dec 16 @ 8PM-10PM Frederick Coffee Co. <a target="_new" href="http://www.reverbnation.com/brettbarry#!/show/5774361">Friday, Dec 23 @ 8PM Frederick Coffee Co. (Christmas theme with other artists) <a target="_new" href="http://www.reverbnation.com/brettbarry#!/show/5306506">Monday, Jan 16 @ 8:30PM Brewer's Alley Songwriter Showcase, featured writer &nbsp; ................................................................... &nbsp; Inseparable Live Soir&eacute;e ~ Soir&eacute;e (sw&auml;-r&atilde;&rsquo;) ~ n. A formal evening party. As you may be aware, the Inseparable concept began a couple years ago with the song and video by that name (<a href="http://brettbarry.com/video.cfm" target="_new">video). Since then, Erin and I have been writing relationship and devotional materials based on that theme, and, with the completion of this recent group of songs, in November we recorded a live, acoustic-based dessert theatre concert &amp; chat. The recording is intended for a new, acoustic-driven CD of Americana-esque tunes, and the dessert theatre concert as a part-one of what will become a two-part marriage enrichment event. Day one being a food/fun/social concert and brief chat time to cast vision for what marriage can be and inspire hope (and want-to), and day two being a three or four-session workshop where we dig in a little more to some of the foundational aspects of building healthy marriage and family relationships. The video and audio recording of the November concert was a crazy big project to take on with our limited resources - how's that go...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger (or dumber - it's arguable). Anyway, we did it and lived to tell! Actually, it was great fun and the evening went really well. We want to again express a huge thank you to all who stepped up - over 40 people worked really hard to make it an awesome experience for everyone. The band worked long and hard to prepare and played over the top (consisting of locals Matt Danner on bass, Nick Frey on snare/percussion/accordion/vocals, Mya Frey on vocals/tambourine and Ashley Black Danner on vocals, and we brought long time friend and mandolin virtuoso Jeffery Dunn up from Nashville to round things off). Overall, we captured some exceptional video and audio and are now working on overdubs, mixing and editing. It was a great night. A few comments from concert attendees: The evening was magical. My husband felt obligated to go since it was so important to me. He left saying it was one of the most memorable evenings of his life. There was a simple, refreshing atmosphere of powerful hope. I'm not a &quot;conference-kind-of-person,&quot; but Brett and Erin's authenticity, sensitivity, and clarity at the Friday Inseparable Soiree made me want to come back for the Saturday event. The songs were all in support of marriage - where it comes from...and where it can go. This is so rare these days. I&rsquo;m inspired to reignite the spark, or more precisely, fan the embers. Inseparable Live ~ New Tracks&nbsp; I had hoped to have some acoustic tracks ready to share with this newsletter, but our schedule has been really full. Additionally, before we could get to the overdubs, our bass player (Matt - header photo far left, married to Ashley, far right) went out for a midnight run with their Husky. No harm there. However, while engaged in a full sprint race, the dog cut in front of Matt causing him to take a hard dive onto the concrete. Result? A shattered collar bone, broken in five places with fragments galore. So...that slowed things down a bit. (Actually, if I'm to be totally honest, I think he's just slackin' - I mean, good grief! He came through surgery just fine and he's had almost four weeks to heal...and besides, he has a high-tech plate, nine screws and a whole stack of staples holding him together - so everything is solidly in place...He should be able to play just fine by now! :) Ouch. Can you feel it? Ouuuuuch! Anyway, hope to have something to share from the new record sooner than later. &nbsp; &nbsp; ...................................................................&nbsp; &nbsp; Erin Barry&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; It's been a long time coming, but Erin will soon have a personal presence at brettbarry.com. We'll be inviting you to join her for coffee (or your favorite life-processing beverage) as she shares some thoughts on marriage, family, education and other life matters. I've been listening to her for many years now (yes, I have), and, if you do too, you can be...as sane as me! (Scary, I know.) Seriously, though, she's got a lot to offer the world. &nbsp;&nbsp; So, stay tuned for some life-enriching chat sessions with the caffeinated counselor. ................................................................... Until Next Time&nbsp; Well, we sincerely appreciate the encouraging notes, time and support so many have contributed to our work. It's so meaningful to know the songs are connecting and inspiring hope, and that the challenges (victories and failures) Erin and I have been through in our lives and marrigae are helpful to others. Your contribution injects fresh hope into our perseverance to carry on in this mission of writing songs and materials that help grow people - which ultimatley helps build healthier marriages and family relationships. We're looking forward to this next season and pray that you will be encouraged to live passionately, love deeply, and hope endlessly. God bless you, Brett &amp; Erin <a href="http://brettbarry.com/home.cfm" target="_new"> &nbsp;


December 7, 2011

Greetings friends and family!

Welcome to the occasional edition of my newsletter. (OK. More precisely, welcome to the annual edition of my newsletter - so far anyway). Hmmm...better communication...could be a New Year's resolution...nah.

Speaking of the New Year, since I most likely won't get another email out before then :), Erin and I would like to wish you an incredible Christmas AND a meaningful New Year in 2012. May you be filled with undying hope and ever increasing vision for how to get the most in to your life and give the most from it. How did Gandalf put it (or Tolkien, that is), "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us." May yours be spent well and fully, and may your contribution ultimately bring back to you more than it takes.
 
...................................................................

New Songs 
This past year has been really full. Lots of life challenges, but also a great deal of progress in many areas artistically and otherwise. Strangely, (to me anyway) I've been writing like never before. The songs have been flowing out and the topic truly inspired. You see, love is in the air...not new love, per se, but refined and refreshed love - the kind that has been tested, tried, chosen and renewed again and again, often by choice and certainly by default of staying committed to the process of loving - and I've been breathing as deeply as is humanly possible (maybe even deeper than is humanly possible).

Erin and I just celebrated our 24th wedding anniversary (just so you know, that's like obtaining doctorate degrees in Physics, Psycology, Theology AND Economics!). Truly, though, the farther we go and grow in our commitment, the better it gets. It's certainly challenging at times - getting past ourselves always is. But rewarding? Even more so. Getting past ourselves always is.

So, among other relationship matters, I've been writing songs that support the mission of growing the kind of love that not only endures, but flourishes; the kind that ultimately gives back ten times what it took to build. Yeah, like many fine things, true love gets better with time.  
...................................................................
 
Upcoming Concerts
(Photo: Todd C. Walker - green room, Brewer's Alley)
I've also been playing out more and more, lovin' that...a lot, and am looking forward to digging in even more this coming year. In addition to my solo spots, I'm working on some dates with an acoustic band, and we're further developing the Inseparable Live concert & marriage workshop event, with the goal of doing a handful of those in 2012. If you're interested in any of these (booking, connecting, helping), or in hosting a house concert, perhaps, let me know.

The response to the new material has been a lot of fun. Turns out most people are up for being encouraged through songs about the kind of love that inspires, grows wildly and ultimately wins. Works for me.

Dates - In Dec/Jan, come out and enjoy songs from the upcoming Inseparable Live CD:
  ...................................................................
 
Inseparable Live Soirée
~ Soirée (swä-rã’) ~
n. A formal evening party.
As you may be aware, the Inseparable concept began a couple years ago with the song and video by that name (video). Since then, Erin and I have been writing relationship and devotional materials based on that theme, and, with the completion of this recent group of songs, in November we recorded a live, acoustic-based dessert theatre concert & chat.
The recording is intended for a new, acoustic-driven CD of Americana-esque tunes, and the dessert theatre concert as a part-one of what will become a two-part marriage enrichment event. Day one being a food/fun/social concert and brief chat time to cast vision for what marriage can be and inspire hope (and want-to), and day two being a three or four-session workshop where we dig in a little more to some of the foundational aspects of building healthy marriage and family relationships.

The video and audio recording of the November concert was a crazy big project to take on with our limited resources - how's that go...what doesn't kill you makes you stronger (or dumber - it's arguable). Anyway, we did it and lived to tell! Actually, it was great fun and the evening went really well. We want to again express a huge thank you to all who stepped up - over 40 people worked really hard to make it an awesome experience for everyone.

The band worked long and hard to prepare and played over the top (consisting of locals Matt Danner on bass, Nick Frey on snare/percussion/accordion/vocals, Mya Frey on vocals/tambourine and Ashley Black Danner on vocals, and we brought long time friend and mandolin virtuoso Jeffery Dunn up from Nashville to round things off). Overall, we captured some exceptional video and audio and are now working on overdubs, mixing and editing. It was a great night.

A few comments from concert attendees:
  • The evening was magical. My husband felt obligated to go since it was so important to me. He left saying it was one of the most memorable evenings of his life.
  • There was a simple, refreshing atmosphere of powerful hope. I'm not a "conference-kind-of-person," but Brett and Erin's authenticity, sensitivity, and clarity at the Friday Inseparable Soiree made me want to come back for the Saturday event.
  • The songs were all in support of marriage - where it comes from...and where it can go. This is so rare these days. I’m inspired to reignite the spark, or more precisely, fan the embers.
Inseparable Live ~ New Tracks 
I had hoped to have some acoustic tracks ready to share with this newsletter, but our schedule has been really full. Additionally, before we could get to the overdubs, our bass player (Matt - header photo far left, married to Ashley, far right) went out for a midnight run with their Husky. No harm there. However, while engaged in a full sprint race, the dog cut in front of Matt causing him to take a hard dive onto the concrete. Result? A shattered collar bone, broken in five places with fragments galore. So...that slowed things down a bit. (Actually, if I'm to be totally honest, I think he's just slackin' - I mean, good grief! He came through surgery just fine and he's had almost four weeks to heal...and besides, he has a high-tech plate, nine screws and a whole stack of staples holding him together - so everything is solidly in place...He should be able to play just fine by now! :) Ouch. Can you feel it? Ouuuuuch!

Anyway, hope to have something to share from the new record sooner than later.  
 
................................................................... 
 
 Erin Barry 
 
It's been a long time coming, but Erin will soon have a personal presence at brettbarry.com. We'll be inviting you to join her for coffee (or your favorite life-processing beverage) as she shares some thoughts on marriage, family, education and other life matters. I've been listening to her for many years now (yes, I have), and, if you do too, you can be...as sane as me! (Scary, I know.) Seriously, though, she's got a lot to offer the world.

So, stay tuned for some life-enriching chat sessions with the caffeinated counselor.

...................................................................
Until Next Time 
 Well, we sincerely appreciate the encouraging notes, time and support so many have contributed to our work. It's so meaningful to know the songs are connecting and inspiring hope, and that the challenges (victories and failures) Erin and I have been through in our lives and marrigae are helpful to others. Your contribution injects fresh hope into our perseverance to carry on in this mission of writing songs and materials that help grow people - which ultimatley helps build healthier marriages and family relationships.

We're looking forward to this next season and pray that you will be encouraged to live passionately, love deeply, and hope endlessly.

God bless you,

Brett & Erin














]]> Tue, 27 Dec 2011 05:05:00 GMT 68AD3F760A25BEEB8B762E57BB89C4EA Season's Greetings & New Year Blessing http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=669813 One Christmas season a few years back, I was thinking about Christmas (in light of the celebration surrounding the birth/childhood of Jesus) and the desire we have in our hearts to better understand the fullness of this blessed event. And, in my heart, I heard the Lord say, &quot;Have a very Mary Christmas&quot; this year. I thought, that's interesting, Lord, why very, and why Mary instead of Merry, and I began to contemplate the meaning of that twist to an otherwise traditional, seasonal blessing. As I considered the roll of Mary in the life of Jesus, a descriptive and four P's came to mind that apply to each of us who call Jesus, Lord. I'll sum them up this way as a blessing to each of you: This year, may you be overwhelmed (the very part) by the honor of your Purpose in carrying the Promise, so that you might be tirelessly faithful to Persevere in your Position before the Father. For the sake of time, I won't address each of the P's, but I felt they were to be capitalized in order to remind us that these areas must be well tended in the Spirit (through prayerful listening and obedient timing) before our activity in the natural can deliver the full intent of God's plan for our participation in advancing His kingdom. Further, I'm reminded that our measure of success in each of these areas will be in direct proportion to our level of submission to, and utter dependence upon, the grace (power) of God moving through us by the Holy Spirit. Much of our doing must cease, and we must learn to address and more consistently embrace the becoming (maturing process). We must come to that level of mental, willfull and emotional submission where we truly do act in agreement with what God is doing (and how He does it) and speak what He is saying (and how He says it) - the how is ever as important as the what. In short, while we are crucified with Christ (submitted to His will and priority), we must also be consciously raised with Him (act in agreement with our confession). Then our doing will naturally carry the full impact of God's intent, and we'll reap the full blessing of living a life worthy of the Lord (Col 1:9-14). So as we roll up our sleeves to attend the practical aspects of it all (life and each God-led appointment), we pray these reminders serve an encouragement - so you might Prevail in Christ even as you Participate in managing His Provision. (OK, that's seven P's, but it all has to lead to rest at some point, so it seemed appropriate.) Then, a couple days later, as Erin and I were discussing the &quot;Mary&quot; part of this Christmas blessing, I heard the Lord clearly say, &quot;...and a Happy Knew Year&quot;. Immediately my heart smiled. Yes, Lord, make it so! May this be a year of promises fulfilled (and seen in the natural), so we might look back over the past season(s) and each area of obedience that required sacrificial faith in order to press on or let go and say, &quot;Yes, Lord. I knew it. I knew You are not a man that You should lie. I knew You would fulfill each word spoken, that You would bring to pass in Your perfect way the full intent of Your purpose - even in this day and even in my life! Yes, Lord. I knew it! Oh, fool that I may appear, or even at times have been, passionate for Your heart and ways I will remain!&quot; Finally, I was also reminded regarding these promises fulfilled, that much of what we will see accomplished in the coming season, while it certainly has to do with God's timing for advancing the kingdom, has a great deal to do with our having learned how to see - how to view life through the Spirit (from His vantage point and according to His standard) each promise, each appointment, each practical application in the natural. All of His activity happens in the spiritual realm before culminating in the natural to bring about a shift or complete change. So learning to see in the Spirit helps us better understand, endure and even rejoice in the sometimes lengthy process of His timing for the natural. It's much like getting a new pair of glasses or flipping on a bright light in a dark room - it takes a while for your eyes to adjust. And it requires time and consistent application of the new for your eyes to become fully functional in the new environment. I'm seeing (no pun intended) that this is where each of us are at spiritually during every new season the Lord takes us through, regardless of where we're at in our Spiritual journey). As I think about this past season (several years) and the many incomplete God things I still tend to wonder about (yes, and even complain about at times), I hear the Holy Spirit reminding me that I'm the one who has been in process throughout this time, not God. I'm the one learning to keep in step, not Him. I'm the one learning about faithfulness, perseverance, how to resist the enemy and my own selfishness/willfulness, how to overcome, how to love, give and even receive. I am the disciple, not Him. Ultimately, I'm the one learning to trust Him to the point of resting IN Him so that all the above doesn't seem overwhelmingly impossible. And that's good news certainly worth Proclaiming! But then...you already knew that, didn't you. So, dear friends, in lieu of eight P's (for a new beginning), may you have a very Mary Christmas and a Happy Knew Year! Shalom, The Barry's Brett, Erin, Lauren, Brooks and Pierz One Christmas season a few years back, I was thinking about Christmas (in light of the celebration surrounding the birth/childhood of Jesus) and the desire we have in our hearts to better understand the fullness of this blessed event. And, in my heart, I heard the Lord say, "Have a very Mary Christmas" this year. I thought, that's interesting, Lord, why very, and why Mary instead of Merry, and I began to contemplate the meaning of that twist to an otherwise traditional, seasonal blessing.

As I considered the roll of Mary in the life of Jesus, a descriptive and four P's came to mind that apply to each of us who call Jesus, Lord. I'll sum them up this way as a blessing to each of you: This year, may you be overwhelmed (the very part) by the honor of your Purpose in carrying the Promise, so that you might be tirelessly faithful to Persevere in your Position before the Father.

For the sake of time, I won't address each of the P's, but I felt they were to be capitalized in order to remind us that these areas must be well tended in the Spirit (through prayerful listening and obedient timing) before our activity in the natural can deliver the full intent of God's plan for our participation in advancing His kingdom.

Further, I'm reminded that our measure of success in each of these areas will be in direct proportion to our level of submission to, and utter dependence upon, the grace (power) of God moving through us by the Holy Spirit. Much of our doing must cease, and we must learn to address and more consistently embrace the becoming (maturing process). We must come to that level of mental, willfull and emotional submission where we truly do act in agreement with what God is doing (and how He does it) and speak what He is saying (and how He says it) - the how is ever as important as the what. In short, while we are crucified with Christ (submitted to His will and priority), we must also be consciously raised with Him (act in agreement with our confession). Then our doing will naturally carry the full impact of God's intent, and we'll reap the full blessing of living a life worthy of the Lord (Col 1:9-14).

So as we roll up our sleeves to attend the practical aspects of it all (life and each God-led appointment), we pray these reminders serve an encouragement - so you might Prevail in Christ even as you Participate in managing His Provision. (OK, that's seven P's, but it all has to lead to rest at some point, so it seemed appropriate.)

Then, a couple days later, as Erin and I were discussing the "Mary" part of this Christmas blessing, I heard the Lord clearly say, "...and a Happy Knew Year". Immediately my heart smiled. Yes, Lord, make it so! May this be a year of promises fulfilled (and seen in the natural), so we might look back over the past season(s) and each area of obedience that required sacrificial faith in order to press on or let go and say, "Yes, Lord. I knew it. I knew You are not a man that You should lie. I knew You would fulfill each word spoken, that You would bring to pass in Your perfect way the full intent of Your purpose - even in this day and even in my life! Yes, Lord. I knew it! Oh, fool that I may appear, or even at times have been, passionate for Your heart and ways I will remain!"

Finally, I was also reminded regarding these promises fulfilled, that much of what we will see accomplished in the coming season, while it certainly has to do with God's timing for advancing the kingdom, has a great deal to do with our having learned how to see - how to view life through the Spirit (from His vantage point and according to His standard) each promise, each appointment, each practical application in the natural. All of His activity happens in the spiritual realm before culminating in the natural to bring about a shift or complete change. So learning to see in the Spirit helps us better understand, endure and even rejoice in the sometimes lengthy process of His timing for the natural.

It's much like getting a new pair of glasses or flipping on a bright light in a dark room - it takes a while for your eyes to adjust. And it requires time and consistent application of the new for your eyes to become fully functional in the new environment. I'm seeing (no pun intended) that this is where each of us are at spiritually during every new season the Lord takes us through, regardless of where we're at in our Spiritual journey).

As I think about this past season (several years) and the many incomplete God things I still tend to wonder about (yes, and even complain about at times), I hear the Holy Spirit reminding me that I'm the one who has been in process throughout this time, not God. I'm the one learning to keep in step, not Him. I'm the one learning about faithfulness, perseverance, how to resist the enemy and my own selfishness/willfulness, how to overcome, how to love, give and even receive. I am the disciple, not Him. Ultimately, I'm the one learning to trust Him to the point of resting IN Him so that all the above doesn't seem overwhelmingly impossible. And that's good news certainly worth Proclaiming! But then...you already knew that, didn't you.

So, dear friends, in lieu of eight P's (for a new beginning), may you have a very Mary Christmas and a Happy Knew Year!

Shalom,

The Barry's
Brett, Erin, Lauren, Brooks and Pierz


]]> Fri, 31 Dec 2010 03:50:00 GMT A0C43B80994842F6A54FDC18867793AC Funnel Cakes and the Spacetime Continuum http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=637051 <a target="_new" href="http://musicsuccessinnineweeks.com">Music Success In Nine Weeks: (Week 9 &ndash; Funnel Cakes and the Spacetime Continuum) Let&rsquo;s see.. Well, this is it: the final week of the Music Success In Nine Weeks blogging challenge, by <a target="_new" href="http://arielpublicity.com/">Arial Hyatt. This past week, I&rsquo;ve worked on how to strengthen our products and developing a continuum program, which I&rsquo;ll address shortly. First, Ariel and team, thank you. If I could look you in the eye, you&rsquo;d see without question the depth of sincerity with which I mean that. With zero exaggeration, I can say that your contribution has been positively life changing. You&rsquo;d also each get a big hug. So here&rsquo;s reaching across the distance to squeeze you tightly and wish you much success for the future. Thank you. Next week I&rsquo;ll write a bit more about what I&rsquo;ve been able to accomplished so far through this program. For now, suffice it to say, the MSI9W challenge has opened doors of possibility that I was previously unable to even approach. And it has done so by equipping me with an understanding of the bits and pieces strewn across the social media landscape and specific tools with which to address them. I&rsquo;ve always been willing to be responsible for my own success; on the PR side of things, however, I&rsquo;ve just not known how. Overall, I&rsquo;m amazed at what I&rsquo;ve learned in only nine weeks. Aside from all I&rsquo;ve gotten done, one of the most intriguing aspects so far is the growing feelings of resolve and confidence I'm experiencing. Though I&rsquo;m just getting started, I feel centered. I&rsquo;ve broken through some fear restraints, made tremendous progress on my business infrastructure and product development, found my voice within the online community (finally writing and interacting), and I have definitely made some new friends. Very cool. Oh yeah, and I&rsquo;m getting used to Twitter &ndash; which I&rsquo;m actually beginning to see the value of, and&hellip;even enjoy. OK. There. I said it. I hope you&rsquo;re happy, Ariel. (In all seriousness, thank you!) Now, I will continue learning and diligently practicing what I know (plan your work, work your plan). This feels good. Really good. Also, if you&rsquo;ve been reading these blogs, thank you for your support. I&rsquo;ve appreciated the comments and personal notes of encouragement. Of course, I hope you&rsquo;ll continue to drop by, and even interact. OK &ndash; on to this week&rsquo;s blog: Funnel Cakes and the Spacetime Continuum At band rehearsal the other night, our drummer said he and his family recently drove an hour and a half, one way, to eat Ribs and Chicken&hellip; OK &ndash; 180 minutes of driving&hellip;for a meal? Ah, but it wasn&rsquo;t for just any meal. It was for Ribs and Chicken from the Dutch Market in Hunt Valley, MD! A place apparently known for its delectable, Amish cuisine. Not sure I would do it, but then, it does sound interesting, and knowing they would value it enough to put forth that kind of effort makes it even more attractive. Also, since I heard of it via word of mouth &ndash; the most powerful form of advertising known to man &ndash; it makes me wonder whether it might even be worth a shot at some point&hellip; Yep, the wheels are turnin&rsquo;. Every business hopes to create that kind of draw. And developing products that people prioritize, talk about to their friends, and even go the extra mile for (in his case &ndash; about 180 extra miles) is what does it. Yes, it&rsquo;s amazing what people will do to get something they really want. On the manufacturing end of the equation, the question is, how do you create something that people want, nay, that they must have? (Music Success helps with that.) And, if you have that something, how do you get them to pause long enough to consider it? As a musician and life builder, I desire to create quality content that 1) sounds like music to your ears, 2) puts a song in your heart and 3) leaves a smile on your face &ndash; as well as provides practical insight and hope for life, love, and the pursuit of well being! Yes, this is the goal. And, while I&rsquo;ll be forever growing in my ability to more effectively communicate those things by improving my melodies, lyrics and creative ideas or products in general, I&rsquo;ve seen my work connect that way in the past &ndash; and even on a consistent basis. So I know it can happen, again. My immediate challenge then is how to find those people with whom I connect. Which means I must draw people&rsquo;s attention and hold it long enough for them to check out and hopefully relate to my work. I&rsquo;m seriously not interested in force-feeding anyone in order to make a buck (as Ariel teaches, people hate to be sold to, but they buy from people they like and trust), but I love the idea of a mutual relationship where what I have to offer meets a basic need or desire of someone. That&rsquo;s a win-win! Yeah. That&rsquo;s the ticket I&rsquo;m looking for. Thus, the funnel cake. I like ribs and chicken, but, like my friend (and for the sake of where I'm tryin to go with this particular blog), there are certain scents, tastes and memories that move me even more deeply - like funnel cakes. When I was a kid we attended the county fair each summer. The air was packed with the scent of cotton candy and...funnel cakes (out west they were also called Elephant Ears). The mention of funnel cakes would always accompany our talk of attending the fair. Man, are they good! What&rsquo;s a funnel cake? Well, it&rsquo;s this incredible smelling, mouth-watering, deep-fried (cholesterol-inducing) vanilla batter creation &ndash; like a stringy donut all bunched together with powdered sugar or some other sugar-high-enhancing substance on top. But, in this case, it&rsquo;s also a metaphor to introduce a marketing concept called, The Funnel. So, while this blog isn&rsquo;t exactly about how to make a funnel cake, it is about creating an attractive aroma that draws attention, and hopefully introduces a series of desirable substances that create such an exhilarating experience that people will keep coming back for more&hellip;and bring friends! OK then, what&rsquo;s the spactime continuum have to do with it? Well, uhhhh&hellip;honestly&hellip;, nothing. I don&rsquo;t know squat about physics, or funnel cakes for that matter, but together they made a great title! Although, thinking about it logically, a continuum is anything that goes through a gradual transition from one condition, to a different condition, without any abrupt changes. Like a funnel &ndash; wide to narrow. So, how about, the goal being to gradually decrease the space between the time that people buy, and increase the amount until it becomes a continual flow? What do ya think? Is that reaching? Yes? No? The Funnel The funnel then is a system of products or services that range in price from free (what people find most attractive &ndash; largest opening) to more substantial (smaller opening), and that ultimately can grow from individual sales to customers buying from you or contributing support on a regular basis. In MSI9W, Ariel gives some great ideas that can be tailored to fit your particular goals and marketing approach. As mentioned, the funnel is supposed to be a tiered type of income generator, positioned with the widest portion at the top. (NOTE to reader: It is really hard to pour anything into a funnel if the small end is pointing up.) I currently have five CD&rsquo;s and one t-shirt design, a few newly recorded titles (though they&rsquo;re all new to someone who&rsquo;s never heard of me), along with several new projects now under way. So our funnel will be as follows: Tier 1: Items for FREEeeeeeee Weekly Blog Free Shipping on all physical products Mp3 download with newsletter signup Monthly Newsletter New mp3 download monthly (members only) Future incentives: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Song: weekly YouTube video upload (acoustic/vocal version) &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Story behind the song: YouTube video (members only) Tier 2: Product Configurations (5 previous CD&rsquo;s plus new tracks): $0.69 - $25 Single song download &ndash; pay what you can, minimum $0.69 Album download &ndash; pay what you can, minimum $06.90 Any physical CD: $12 T-shirt: $19-$25 (2 designs ready for print) Tier 3: Specialty Products $15-$47 Inseparable CD Wedding Package $15 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Inseparable demonstration track &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Accompaniment tracks with BG vocals &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Accompaniment tracks w/o BG vocals &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Sheet music: piano/guitar/vocal &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- With 2 Inseparable T-shirts: $43 Inseparable DVD: $19 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Inseparable Video &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- Making-of bonus footage &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- 30-day Devotional download code &ndash; pdf &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; -- With 2 Inseparable T-shirts: $47 Tier 4: Packages (Physical CD/T-shirt or DVD): $28-$49 Any two CD&rsquo;s and a T-shirt: $28 Any two T-shirts and a CD: $35 Two T-shirts and Any Three CD&rsquo;s: $49 Tier 5: Continuum We established our ministry, Worship Is, under the umbrella of the not-for-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization, Without Walls, Inc, located in Greenville, SC., making donations to Worship Is tax deductible. One time donation:__________ Annual contribution: ___________ Monthly partners: $10 / $25 / $50 / $100 / $250 / $500 / Other __________ Tier 6: Live Events: House Concerts $8-$13 (or donation: working this out with the 501 status) Brett solo: Tickets $8-$10 Brett w/3-4 piece acoustic ensemble: Tickets $10-$13 Churches &ndash; offering + travel, average $250-$500 I&rsquo;m also working on new product ideas. I have the songs ready to begin pre-production for a new record project, am writing the story board for a new video, have some designs in mind for inspirational coffee mugs that will include key lines from certain songs, and have some picture framed/matted lyric ideas for key songs &ndash; format to include the choice of printed, ornate fonts or hand-written copy. Well, lots to do. I&rsquo;m getting more and more organized &ndash; and this is getting more and more exciting! Wow, got a serious hankerin&rsquo; for some funnel cake. But, I&rsquo;ll refrain for now. Savin&rsquo; up for the Christmas parties we&rsquo;ll be attending over the next couple of weeks! In Closing If you&rsquo;re an aspiring artist reading this, I&rsquo;d be happy to help answer questions or chat with you about possibilities for your product line, record production or whatever &ndash; there are some great ideas out there. Shoot me an email through our contact page at <a href="./contact.cfm">brettbarry.com. I just received a call from a guy today asking about the best route to take when setting up a DAW system (Digital Audio Workstation). I&rsquo;ve been a Pro Tools/Mac guy for years, but there are lots of great options on numerous platforms. He said it was a very helpful conversation. Anyway, I&rsquo;m here to help however I can. Oh, and by the way, he&rsquo;s on PC. And, yes, we can be friends. Must have something to do with the spacetime continuum&hellip; All the best to you this Christmas season and New Year. May they both be filled with blessed memories. Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church <a target="_new" href="http://brettbarry.com">www.brettbarry.com <a target="_new" href="http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic">www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a target="_new" href="http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic">www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic <a target="_new" href="http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic">www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic Music Success In Nine Weeks: (Week 9 – Funnel Cakes and the Spacetime Continuum)

Let’s see..

Well, this is it: the final week of the Music Success In Nine Weeks blogging challenge, by Arial Hyatt. This past week, I’ve worked on how to strengthen our products and developing a continuum program, which I’ll address shortly.

First, Ariel and team, thank you. If I could look you in the eye, you’d see without question the depth of sincerity with which I mean that. With zero exaggeration, I can say that your contribution has been positively life changing. You’d also each get a big hug. So here’s reaching across the distance to squeeze you tightly and wish you much success for the future. Thank you.

Next week I’ll write a bit more about what I’ve been able to accomplished so far through this program. For now, suffice it to say, the MSI9W challenge has opened doors of possibility that I was previously unable to even approach. And it has done so by equipping me with an understanding of the bits and pieces strewn across the social media landscape and specific tools with which to address them. I’ve always been willing to be responsible for my own success; on the PR side of things, however, I’ve just not known how.

Overall, I’m amazed at what I’ve learned in only nine weeks. Aside from all I’ve gotten done, one of the most intriguing aspects so far is the growing feelings of resolve and confidence I'm experiencing. Though I’m just getting started, I feel centered. I’ve broken through some fear restraints, made tremendous progress on my business infrastructure and product development, found my voice within the online community (finally writing and interacting), and I have definitely made some new friends. Very cool. Oh yeah, and I’m getting used to Twitter – which I’m actually beginning to see the value of, and…even enjoy. OK. There. I said it. I hope you’re happy, Ariel. (In all seriousness, thank you!)

Now, I will continue learning and diligently practicing what I know (plan your work, work your plan). This feels good. Really good.

Also, if you’ve been reading these blogs, thank you for your support. I’ve appreciated the comments and personal notes of encouragement. Of course, I hope you’ll continue to drop by, and even interact.

OK – on to this week’s blog:


Funnel Cakes and the Spacetime Continuum

At band rehearsal the other night, our drummer said he and his family recently drove an hour and a half, one way, to eat Ribs and Chicken…

OK – 180 minutes of driving…for a meal? Ah, but it wasn’t for just any meal. It was for Ribs and Chicken from the Dutch Market in Hunt Valley, MD! A place apparently known for its delectable, Amish cuisine. Not sure I would do it, but then, it does sound interesting, and knowing they would value it enough to put forth that kind of effort makes it even more attractive. Also, since I heard of it via word of mouth – the most powerful form of advertising known to man – it makes me wonder whether it might even be worth a shot at some point… Yep, the wheels are turnin’.

Every business hopes to create that kind of draw. And developing products that people prioritize, talk about to their friends, and even go the extra mile for (in his case – about 180 extra miles) is what does it. Yes, it’s amazing what people will do to get something they really want.

On the manufacturing end of the equation, the question is, how do you create something that people want, nay, that they must have? (Music Success helps with that.) And, if you have that something, how do you get them to pause long enough to consider it?

As a musician and life builder, I desire to create quality content that 1) sounds like music to your ears, 2) puts a song in your heart and 3) leaves a smile on your face – as well as provides practical insight and hope for life, love, and the pursuit of well being! Yes, this is the goal. And, while I’ll be forever growing in my ability to more effectively communicate those things by improving my melodies, lyrics and creative ideas or products in general, I’ve seen my work connect that way in the past – and even on a consistent basis. So I know it can happen, again.

My immediate challenge then is how to find those people with whom I connect. Which means I must draw people’s attention and hold it long enough for them to check out and hopefully relate to my work. I’m seriously not interested in force-feeding anyone in order to make a buck (as Ariel teaches, people hate to be sold to, but they buy from people they like and trust), but I love the idea of a mutual relationship where what I have to offer meets a basic need or desire of someone. That’s a win-win! Yeah. That’s the ticket I’m looking for. Thus, the funnel cake. I like ribs and chicken, but, like my friend (and for the sake of where I'm tryin to go with this particular blog), there are certain scents, tastes and memories that move me even more deeply - like funnel cakes.

When I was a kid we attended the county fair each summer. The air was packed with the scent of cotton candy and...funnel cakes (out west they were also called Elephant Ears). The mention of funnel cakes would always accompany our talk of attending the fair. Man, are they good! What’s a funnel cake? Well, it’s this incredible smelling, mouth-watering, deep-fried (cholesterol-inducing) vanilla batter creation – like a stringy donut all bunched together with powdered sugar or some other sugar-high-enhancing substance on top. But, in this case, it’s also a metaphor to introduce a marketing concept called, The Funnel. So, while this blog isn’t exactly about how to make a funnel cake, it is about creating an attractive aroma that draws attention, and hopefully introduces a series of desirable substances that create such an exhilarating experience that people will keep coming back for more…and bring friends!

OK then, what’s the spactime continuum have to do with it? Well, uhhhh…honestly…, nothing. I don’t know squat about physics, or funnel cakes for that matter, but together they made a great title! Although, thinking about it logically, a continuum is anything that goes through a gradual transition from one condition, to a different condition, without any abrupt changes. Like a funnel – wide to narrow. So, how about, the goal being to gradually decrease the space between the time that people buy, and increase the amount until it becomes a continual flow? What do ya think? Is that reaching? Yes? No?

The Funnel

The funnel then is a system of products or services that range in price from free (what people find most attractive – largest opening) to more substantial (smaller opening), and that ultimately can grow from individual sales to customers buying from you or contributing support on a regular basis.

In MSI9W, Ariel gives some great ideas that can be tailored to fit your particular goals and marketing approach. As mentioned, the funnel is supposed to be a tiered type of income generator, positioned with the widest portion at the top. (NOTE to reader: It is really hard to pour anything into a funnel if the small end is pointing up.)

I currently have five CD’s and one t-shirt design, a few newly recorded titles (though they’re all new to someone who’s never heard of me), along with several new projects now under way. So our funnel will be as follows:

Tier 1: Items for FREEeeeeeee
  • Weekly Blog
  • Free Shipping on all physical products
  • Mp3 download with newsletter signup
  • Monthly Newsletter
  • New mp3 download monthly (members only)
  • Future incentives:
            -- Song: weekly YouTube video upload (acoustic/vocal version)
            -- Story behind the song: YouTube video (members only)

Tier 2: Product Configurations (5 previous CD’s plus new tracks): $0.69 - $25
  • Single song download – pay what you can, minimum $0.69
  • Album download – pay what you can, minimum $06.90
  • Any physical CD: $12
  • T-shirt: $19-$25 (2 designs ready for print)
Tier 3: Specialty Products $15-$47
  • Inseparable CD Wedding Package $15
            -- Inseparable demonstration track
            -- Accompaniment tracks with BG vocals
            -- Accompaniment tracks w/o BG vocals
            -- Sheet music: piano/guitar/vocal
            -- With 2 Inseparable T-shirts: $43
  • Inseparable DVD: $19
            -- Inseparable Video
            -- Making-of bonus footage
            -- 30-day Devotional download code – pdf
            -- With 2 Inseparable T-shirts: $47

Tier 4: Packages (Physical CD/T-shirt or DVD): $28-$49
  • Any two CD’s and a T-shirt: $28
  • Any two T-shirts and a CD: $35
  • Two T-shirts and Any Three CD’s: $49
Tier 5: Continuum
  • We established our ministry, Worship Is, under the umbrella of the not-for-profit, 501 (c) (3) organization, Without Walls, Inc, located in Greenville, SC., making donations to Worship Is tax deductible.
  • One time donation:__________
  • Annual contribution: ___________
  • Monthly partners: $10 / $25 / $50 / $100 / $250 / $500 / Other __________
Tier 6: Live Events: House Concerts $8-$13 (or donation: working this out with the 501 status)
  • Brett solo: Tickets $8-$10
  • Brett w/3-4 piece acoustic ensemble: Tickets $10-$13
  • Churches – offering + travel, average $250-$500
I’m also working on new product ideas. I have the songs ready to begin pre-production for a new record project, am writing the story board for a new video, have some designs in mind for inspirational coffee mugs that will include key lines from certain songs, and have some picture framed/matted lyric ideas for key songs – format to include the choice of printed, ornate fonts or hand-written copy.

Well, lots to do. I’m getting more and more organized – and this is getting more and more exciting! Wow, got a serious hankerin’ for some funnel cake. But, I’ll refrain for now. Savin’ up for the Christmas parties we’ll be attending over the next couple of weeks!

In Closing

If you’re an aspiring artist reading this, I’d be happy to help answer questions or chat with you about possibilities for your product line, record production or whatever – there are some great ideas out there. Shoot me an email through our contact page at brettbarry.com. I just received a call from a guy today asking about the best route to take when setting up a DAW system (Digital Audio Workstation). I’ve been a Pro Tools/Mac guy for years, but there are lots of great options on numerous platforms. He said it was a very helpful conversation. Anyway, I’m here to help however I can.

Oh, and by the way, he’s on PC. And, yes, we can be friends. Must have something to do with the spacetime continuum…

All the best to you this Christmas season and New Year. May they both be filled with blessed memories.


Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
www.brettbarry.com
www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic
]]> Tue, 14 Dec 2010 07:50:00 GMT D566393D3FBBEF06AF29DCB5BCCB34FC Networking: What Goes Around, Comes Around http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=632655 <a href="http://musicsuccessinnineweeks.com" target="_new">Music Success In Nine Weeks: (Week 8 &ndash; Networking: What Goes Around, Comes Around) Networking Don&rsquo;t be a house mouse. An expression I remember reading years ago while in Nashville, referencing the creative types who tend to cave-dwell. That would be me. Cave d-wel-ler. You&rsquo;ve got to get out and be with the people. It&rsquo;s so true&hellip;especially to co-write. It&rsquo;s really tough co-writing alone. I&rsquo;ve tried it. Week 8 of the Music Success challenge covers live networking and gives some great tips on etiquette when out and about as you represent your work to others. From what to say and not to say when introducing yourself, what to include on your business card (I redesigned a new one to fit the vibe of my new site at brettbarry.com), how to collect them from others and give yours out, to drumming up/discovering opportunity through interaction with non-related interest groups, MSI9W covers the basses. There&rsquo;s also solid advice on the follow-up process and what to do to better prepare for social interactions. There are even examples of how to best present what you sound like to others using a third party perspective VS you talking about yourself or sound. Suggestions like, &ldquo;My voice gets compared to Annie Lennox.&rdquo; I think that&rsquo;s a really good approach. The only problem is, every time I say that to people I get strange looks&hellip;Maybe it&rsquo;s my beard. I don&rsquo;t know&hellip; Anyway, noted networking expert, Larry Sharpe, suggests there are three reasons why we network: To find a direct target or customer &ndash; someone interested in what you offer To gain a sphere of influence, creating a source for referrals &ndash; by extending the reach of your product through people they know As a resource for you and your fans/customers From a business guideline perspective, that covers it pretty well. But Ariel also addresses some of the emotional aspects of networking, giving sound life advice on how to ensure your product branding efforts make a positive impact over a negative one. The number one goal being, to be memorable &ndash; in a positive light. Positive Memory Etch Have you ever had someone offer you their place in line? Or perhaps stop and ask if you need help when you&rsquo;re feeling lost in a crowd? On the flip side, have you ever had someone rudely cut you off in traffic for no reason, or flip you the bird because you were basically driving the speed limit? Thinking back on those encounters, what do they do for you emotionally? Which brings the most joy? The one that treated you with consideration and respect, I hope. In <a href="http://musicsuccessinnineweeks.com" target="_new">MSI9W, Arial advises that the best way to be positively memorable in networking engagements is to listen more than you talk. Actually, I think that&rsquo;s excellent advice in nearly every situation. (There&rsquo;s a proverb that says, &ldquo;Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent...&rdquo;) Hmmm&hellip;I definitely need to become a better listener. The point being, when we sincerely inquire and listen intently to what others have on their heart or mind, it validates them, respects their existence and builds them up. It&rsquo;s like giving someone the benefit of the doubt in traffic, or letting them merge ahead of you when the light turns green (hint, hint). People need to know they&rsquo;re valued and respected, that they&rsquo;ve been heard, not only endured or used. . I remember talking with one fairly established songwriter at a record company release party in Nashville &ndash; we were looking at doing some co-writing and had chatted a few minutes when he asked me outright, &ldquo;So, do you write hits or junk?&rdquo; His wife elbowed him, and he said, &ldquo;Well, I need to know!&rdquo; Yep. A nice enough guy, and just doing business. But, as good of a songwriter/guitar player as he was, the self-focus of that comment is one of the things I remember most about our encounter. It&rsquo;s always good to care beyond business, even when you&rsquo;re there for the purpose of doing business. People sense it. And they cherish sincerity and generosity like that, indefinitely. Memory Coin and the Why We Network Machine If being memorable were a coin we dropped into the why we network machine, making a positive impression by listening more and talking less would be Heads &ndash; side one. On side two, Tails, there are a couple additional reasons that I believe would be helpful if they were high on the list of why we network: inspiration and contribution. Inspiration With the right frame of mind, in addition to expanding the awareness of your art, it can be incredibly inspiring to engage with various people groups, regardless of the setting or how different their interests. Every person has a life story, and you never know when or how their story is going to impact your life, and, therefore, your pen. During our first few years in Nashville, there was a small community of people who lived under one of the main bridges that crossed the Cumberland river &ndash; sort of a homeless village. One brisk, sunny morning around Thanksgiving, I felt drawn to go and talk with them. Walking alone and unannounced that afternoon into their camp of tarp and miscellaneous scrap-centric dwellings seemed a bit risky, but I went bearing gifts (a huge ham) and was welcomed warmly by a number of individuals who introduced me to their leader: a large, burley man, whom they called, Bear &ndash; Mayor of the river. They immediately carved the ham, broke out some bread and offered me a sandwich. Warming ourselves by a fire, we chatted at length about general interests, likes, dislikes, their pilgrimage, and the challenges that type of freedom brings &ndash; namely, their perceived plight as second-class human beings. I was struck by the reality that many of them had chosen the life they were living (a different era economically), and I was equally moved by their shared bond of community. There was a deep sense of camaraderie and respect for their fellow freedom fighters, as well as a sincere caring for the weaker among them. Like my visits to third-world countries, their state of existence was far removed from our reality &ndash; we who live even the average, rather complex-through-abundance American life. Except their reality was only one step away from ours, under the city bridge. Hard to fully assess, but something to respectfully ponder &ndash; the challenges of life in America, and the variety of reasons why people make the decisions they do. I visited them several times that year. Then they moved on; or the city moved them on. Inspiration. My little glimpse into their life story made a lasting impression on how I view my own, and, hopefully, how I live it. Contribution Snuggled closely alongside inspiration on side two of the memory coin is, contribution. This one is more challenging because in addition to observing, it requires us to persevere in the practice of it in order to receive the benefit from it. Here&rsquo;s the challenge: to network with not only the intent of giving more than we receive, but without the hope of getting anything in return. Strange concept, I know. But in the long run, this type of interaction has incredible reach in every direction. This is because doing the right thing, by choice and with an impressionable heart, helps us learn to genuinely care. And at the point our caring catches up with our doing, we become changed individuals. And that change exponentially increases the impact of our very presence. Ever met someone like Mother Teresa? When you contribute like this, it definitely affects others; but even more importantly it impacts you and what you remember &ndash; not about how they treated you, but about how you treated them. This generates the maximum reward because it changes how you feel about yourself, which affects how you treat those you meet in the future. It&rsquo;s true that contributing at this level is more about the philosophy of becoming than the act of networking, but it counts for so much in the long run. A number of years ago I was driving through a near-by neighborhood early one morning on the way back from the gym and noticed a young guy moving a clothes dryer by himself into a medium sized moving van. I thought it strange and, as I drove on, I felt I should go back and see if he was actually alone, see if he needed help. As I pulled into the drive I could tell by the way he looked at me, he was guarded. It was an awkward conversation, my offering to help, as it took me literally ten minutes to convince him that I didn&rsquo;t want anything in return &ndash; only to help him with his problem. And, if I&rsquo;m completely honest, it felt a bit surreal listening to myself trying to talk him into something I didn&rsquo;t fully want to do. It&rsquo;s not like I was excited about helping; I just knew I was supposed to &ndash; that it was the right thing to do. He eventually relaxed and accepted my offer. Over the next couple of hours as we packed all the heavy items, I found out he was indeed packing the truck by himself, had a wife with a new-born baby (their first child), and that they had to be out of the house by midnight that night. I listened to his story and therein helped lift some of his pain. They had fallen on hard times, lost their rental agreement and were moving out of state to be near her family. They were grateful for some help. There was also another tenant in the basement that I met during our time together, a single mother with three children. She was also grateful on behalf of the couple and deeply moved that someone would stop and help. As it turns out, she was a free-lance music journalist who offered to review my next record. Go figure. (Unfortunately, at least for the review part, it was months before I could complete the record, at which point she had also moved and her contact info changed.) I&rsquo;ll likely never know how our time together ultimately affected them. But I&rsquo;ll never forget what it did for me: it provided a clear view into the Thoreau-esqe, quiet desperation of most people with whom we cross paths, revealing how much they need someone, anyone, to simply care a little &ndash; without any expectation of return. I think Plato said it well &ndash; &ldquo;Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.&rdquo; Yeah, the memory of this encounter has challenged me many times since. I realize that neither of these encounters were your basic networking scenario, but the principle is valuable for every kind of engagement. Overall, including inspiration and contribution in our motives for networking and general life interactions not only helps ensure the memory of us is a positive one, it affects who we are; which shows up in our creativity, work and life story to ultimately make a greater contribution to our fans. And, as you know &ndash; what goes around comes around. Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church <a href="http://brettbarry.com" target="_new">www.brettbarry.com <a href="http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic">www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic Music Success In Nine Weeks: (Week 8 – Networking: What Goes Around, Comes Around)


Networking

Don’t be a house mouse. An expression I remember reading years ago while in Nashville, referencing the creative types who tend to cave-dwell. That would be me. Cave d-wel-ler. You’ve got to get out and be with the people. It’s so true…especially to co-write. It’s really tough co-writing alone. I’ve tried it.

Week 8 of the Music Success challenge covers live networking and gives some great tips on etiquette when out and about as you represent your work to others. From what to say and not to say when introducing yourself, what to include on your business card (I redesigned a new one to fit the vibe of my new site at brettbarry.com), how to collect them from others and give yours out, to drumming up/discovering opportunity through interaction with non-related interest groups, MSI9W covers the basses. There’s also solid advice on the follow-up process and what to do to better prepare for social interactions.

There are even examples of how to best present what you sound like to others using a third party perspective VS you talking about yourself or sound. Suggestions like, “My voice gets compared to Annie Lennox.” I think that’s a really good approach. The only problem is, every time I say that to people I get strange looks…Maybe it’s my beard. I don’t know…

Anyway, noted networking expert, Larry Sharpe, suggests there are three reasons why we network:
  • To find a direct target or customer – someone interested in what you offer
  • To gain a sphere of influence, creating a source for referrals – by extending the reach of your product through people they know
  • As a resource for you and your fans/customers
From a business guideline perspective, that covers it pretty well. But Ariel also addresses some of the emotional aspects of networking, giving sound life advice on how to ensure your product branding efforts make a positive impact over a negative one. The number one goal being, to be memorable – in a positive light.


Positive Memory Etch

Have you ever had someone offer you their place in line? Or perhaps stop and ask if you need help when you’re feeling lost in a crowd? On the flip side, have you ever had someone rudely cut you off in traffic for no reason, or flip you the bird because you were basically driving the speed limit? Thinking back on those encounters, what do they do for you emotionally? Which brings the most joy? The one that treated you with consideration and respect, I hope.

In MSI9W, Arial advises that the best way to be positively memorable in networking engagements is to listen more than you talk. Actually, I think that’s excellent advice in nearly every situation. (There’s a proverb that says, “Even a fool is thought wise if he keeps silent...”) Hmmm…I definitely need to become a better listener.

The point being, when we sincerely inquire and listen intently to what others have on their heart or mind, it validates them, respects their existence and builds them up. It’s like giving someone the benefit of the doubt in traffic, or letting them merge ahead of you when the light turns green (hint, hint). People need to know they’re valued and respected, that they’ve been heard, not only endured or used. .

I remember talking with one fairly established songwriter at a record company release party in Nashville – we were looking at doing some co-writing and had chatted a few minutes when he asked me outright, “So, do you write hits or junk?” His wife elbowed him, and he said, “Well, I need to know!” Yep. A nice enough guy, and just doing business. But, as good of a songwriter/guitar player as he was, the self-focus of that comment is one of the things I remember most about our encounter.

It’s always good to care beyond business, even when you’re there for the purpose of doing business. People sense it. And they cherish sincerity and generosity like that, indefinitely.


Memory Coin and the Why We Network Machine

If being memorable were a coin we dropped into the why we network machine, making a positive impression by listening more and talking less would be Heads – side one. On side two, Tails, there are a couple additional reasons that I believe would be helpful if they were high on the list of why we network: inspiration and contribution.


Inspiration

With the right frame of mind, in addition to expanding the awareness of your art, it can be incredibly inspiring to engage with various people groups, regardless of the setting or how different their interests. Every person has a life story, and you never know when or how their story is going to impact your life, and, therefore, your pen.

During our first few years in Nashville, there was a small community of people who lived under one of the main bridges that crossed the Cumberland river – sort of a homeless village. One brisk, sunny morning around Thanksgiving, I felt drawn to go and talk with them. Walking alone and unannounced that afternoon into their camp of tarp and miscellaneous scrap-centric dwellings seemed a bit risky, but I went bearing gifts (a huge ham) and was welcomed warmly by a number of individuals who introduced me to their leader: a large, burley man, whom they called, Bear – Mayor of the river.

They immediately carved the ham, broke out some bread and offered me a sandwich. Warming ourselves by a fire, we chatted at length about general interests, likes, dislikes, their pilgrimage, and the challenges that type of freedom brings – namely, their perceived plight as second-class human beings.

I was struck by the reality that many of them had chosen the life they were living (a different era economically), and I was equally moved by their shared bond of community. There was a deep sense of camaraderie and respect for their fellow freedom fighters, as well as a sincere caring for the weaker among them. Like my visits to third-world countries, their state of existence was far removed from our reality – we who live even the average, rather complex-through-abundance American life. Except their reality was only one step away from ours, under the city bridge. Hard to fully assess, but something to respectfully ponder – the challenges of life in America, and the variety of reasons why people make the decisions they do.

I visited them several times that year. Then they moved on; or the city moved them on.

Inspiration. My little glimpse into their life story made a lasting impression on how I view my own, and, hopefully, how I live it.


Contribution

Snuggled closely alongside inspiration on side two of the memory coin is, contribution. This one is more challenging because in addition to observing, it requires us to persevere in the practice of it in order to receive the benefit from it.

Here’s the challenge: to network with not only the intent of giving more than we receive, but without the hope of getting anything in return. Strange concept, I know. But in the long run, this type of interaction has incredible reach in every direction. This is because doing the right thing, by choice and with an impressionable heart, helps us learn to genuinely care. And at the point our caring catches up with our doing, we become changed individuals. And that change exponentially increases the impact of our very presence. Ever met someone like Mother Teresa?

When you contribute like this, it definitely affects others; but even more importantly it impacts you and what you remember – not about how they treated you, but about how you treated them. This generates the maximum reward because it changes how you feel about yourself, which affects how you treat those you meet in the future. It’s true that contributing at this level is more about the philosophy of becoming than the act of networking, but it counts for so much in the long run.

A number of years ago I was driving through a near-by neighborhood early one morning on the way back from the gym and noticed a young guy moving a clothes dryer by himself into a medium sized moving van. I thought it strange and, as I drove on, I felt I should go back and see if he was actually alone, see if he needed help.

As I pulled into the drive I could tell by the way he looked at me, he was guarded. It was an awkward conversation, my offering to help, as it took me literally ten minutes to convince him that I didn’t want anything in return – only to help him with his problem. And, if I’m completely honest, it felt a bit surreal listening to myself trying to talk him into something I didn’t fully want to do. It’s not like I was excited about helping; I just knew I was supposed to – that it was the right thing to do. He eventually relaxed and accepted my offer.

Over the next couple of hours as we packed all the heavy items, I found out he was indeed packing the truck by himself, had a wife with a new-born baby (their first child), and that they had to be out of the house by midnight that night. I listened to his story and therein helped lift some of his pain. They had fallen on hard times, lost their rental agreement and were moving out of state to be near her family. They were grateful for some help.

There was also another tenant in the basement that I met during our time together, a single mother with three children. She was also grateful on behalf of the couple and deeply moved that someone would stop and help. As it turns out, she was a free-lance music journalist who offered to review my next record. Go figure. (Unfortunately, at least for the review part, it was months before I could complete the record, at which point she had also moved and her contact info changed.)

I’ll likely never know how our time together ultimately affected them. But I’ll never forget what it did for me: it provided a clear view into the Thoreau-esqe, quiet desperation of most people with whom we cross paths, revealing how much they need someone, anyone, to simply care a little – without any expectation of return. I think Plato said it well – “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle.” Yeah, the memory of this encounter has challenged me many times since.

I realize that neither of these encounters were your basic networking scenario, but the principle is valuable for every kind of engagement. Overall, including inspiration and contribution in our motives for networking and general life interactions not only helps ensure the memory of us is a positive one, it affects who we are; which shows up in our creativity, work and life story to ultimately make a greater contribution to our fans.

And, as you know – what goes around comes around.


Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
www.brettbarry.com
www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic
]]> Sat, 11 Dec 2010 20:50:00 GMT 02CB65056C1871ED622726A9B4D50DC3 Fruit Trees and Mailing Lists http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=618249 <a href="http://musicsuccessinnineweeks.com" target="_new">Music Success In Nine Weeks: (Week 7 &ndash; Fruit Trees and Mailing Lists) Whoo-hoo! I&rsquo;m on a date. Oh? With whom? Myself. O&hellip;K&hellip;Interesting. Well, actually, I&rsquo;m on a series of dates with myself, and my mailing list. &hellip;&hellip;&hellip;.? Yeah, I know. It&rsquo;s sad. So, according to <a target="_new" href="http://musicsuccessinnineweeks.com">Music Success In Nine Weeks, I&rsquo;m supposed to make a weekly date with my email list and spend at least 60-90 minutes focusing on cultivating its growth. Yep. Sounds boring, for sure. But, how&rsquo;s that Proverb go&hellip;&rdquo;whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.&rdquo; There&rsquo;s a principle here that you just can&rsquo;t ignore if you want to achieve something solid: diligence &ndash; taking one step at a time, in the same direction (key), over an extended period of time, takes you to your destination. If you&rsquo;re at all like me, you&rsquo;d rather drive than walk when traveling a significant distance. But, if you want to build something solid, walking is really the only option. Though there are ways to jumpstart a reach to the masses, it&rsquo;s clear that developing a meaningful relationship with any group of people still involves consistent, small steps, in the same direction, over an extended period of time. That reality aside, I&rsquo;m really enjoying this process of working on our database and finding out who is interested in what we offer at brettbarry.com. It&rsquo;s a slow go, since I&rsquo;m starting again from scratch&hellip;at times the whole mailing list building thing feels much like collecting stray pennies for your change jar &ndash; while you&rsquo;re walking across the country&hellip; blindfolded&hellip;against the wind&hellip;during tornado season &ndash; get the picture? Or, even worse, it&rsquo;s like the process of planting seeds (as you&rsquo;re walking across the country&hellip; blindfolded&hellip;against the wind&hellip;) because you don&rsquo;t see the results of your efforts right away. Pennies you can at least watch accumulate. Seeds, you put in the ground and cover up &ndash; then, nothing for quite some time. Yeah, this is more like planting seeds at many locations on my cross-country journey. As I think about the seed concept, I hear the question, When planting seeds, what does it take in order for your efforts to actually produce a return? Well, let&rsquo;s see&hellip; You put the seed in the ground. Cover it up. Water it. Watch. Wait. Go on about your business. Water it again. Watch. Wait. Business. Water. Watch. Wait. Business&hellip;not too rewarding just yet, for sure. But if you continue tending to it faithfully, one day it will sprout. And when it does, it gets really good because you then get to water it some more! Fertilize it. Make sure it gets plenty of light. And, after you&rsquo;ve done all that, more water, light, protection &ndash; you cover, uncover, prop up, stabilize...and on and on the cycle goes. Yep, bringing a seed to its full potential takes some serious time and energy. It&rsquo;s hard work! And all the while you&rsquo;re doing this by faith that one day something good will come from it. So you remain faithful and your seed grows up to become a tree. Then one day, during your tending you notice something on the branches: buds. Yes! You continue to tend. And not too much later, you notice the buds have changed even more. And, what&rsquo;s that? Fruit. Holy smoke! It worked! This thing is growing fruit! Whoo-hoo! And the beautiful thing is, the tree now only requires maintenance in order for it to keep producing the fruit you love so much. And, if well tended, your second year&rsquo;s crop is usually even greater in abundance and flavor than your first. I realize this is the order of the day regarding my database. It is going to take considerable time and a lot of work in order to produce a quality harvest. Diligence. But I&rsquo;ve been here before, and without the abundance of tools now at my disposal. I will tend it faithfully, putting to practice the suggestions in my trusty Music Success guidebook. Honestly though, I&rsquo;ve already been encouraged quite a bit. For, even though I&rsquo;m in the initial stages of building a rapport with those in our database, last week I sent out our first newsletter in over 10 years and achieved over a 65% read rate. And we saw increased activity from it at the site. Along with affirming my investment in the MSI9W program concepts, it felt good to see a process beginning to take shape and to get some good feedback from people with whom we respect and desire to build community. A little side note, I opened the new brettbarry.com site at the beginning of the 9 Week Challenge, and our hits were pretty consistent and growing slowly. But then a couple weeks ago all of a sudden our traffic more than tripled for about three days. I thought, Wow! All this MSI9W stuff is working really well! And though it is definitely helping, unfortunately, I later found out the hits were due to the fact that the names of my wife and myself are nearly identical to those of a basketball star and his wife who apparently was involved in an affair with one of his teammates. (I had all these search terms for pictures of Brett Barry&rsquo;s wife. Now, my wife&rsquo;s a babe, and she is pictured with me on the home page of my site, but it seemed strange it would be a search term since her name isn&rsquo;t mentioned much anywhere in my content yet.) Anyway, though all the hits were fun, it didn&rsquo;t help our email signups much. At any rate, these are some of the things I&rsquo;ve worked on this week: Culled my email inbox and outbox to gather emails for the suggested, forthcoming email form letter to inform them that we now have a free monthly newsletter and mp3 download for those on our mailing list, and to ask for permission to add them Created a folder for potential Newsletter mailing list candidates Added additional addresses we&rsquo;ve collected Reached out more regularly on Facebook and Twitter &ndash; which is beginning to make sense. Worked on the storyboard for the &ldquo;Making of Inseparable&rdquo; video Started looking into the possibility of an intern Learned about Last.fm and checked into it. Found that someone had posted nine of my earlier songs. Moved some of my goals up on the timeline: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ~&nbsp; Connect with three venues by end of week for singer/songwriter bookings &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ~&nbsp; Add new content to the site: back catalog &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ~&nbsp; Record one new acoustic/vocal songwriter video &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ~&nbsp; Work on story behind the song segment for taping following week All in all, it&rsquo;s going well. I continue to learn from the course materials and Mastermind forum. There&rsquo;s a lot of really helpful info there from both the MSI9W staff and community. There truly is a great deal of opportunity in the world of music to those who practice diligence in all we're learning. So, straight ahead it is, one step at a time! In conclusion, my first date with my email list went well enough that we're going to see each other again next week. I hope this doesn't sound overly presumptions, because, like, we've only had one date; but I can tell that this relationship has the potential to become really fruitful. Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church <a href="http://brettbarry.com" target="_new">www.brettbarry.com <a href="http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic Music Success In Nine Weeks: (Week 7 – Fruit Trees and Mailing Lists)



Whoo-hoo! I’m on a date.

Oh? With whom?

Myself.

O…K…Interesting.

Well, actually, I’m on a series of dates with myself, and my mailing list.

……….?

Yeah, I know. It’s sad.

So, according to Music Success In Nine Weeks, I’m supposed to make a weekly date with my email list and spend at least 60-90 minutes focusing on cultivating its growth. Yep. Sounds boring, for sure. But, how’s that Proverb go…”whoever gathers money little by little makes it grow.” There’s a principle here that you just can’t ignore if you want to achieve something solid: diligence – taking one step at a time, in the same direction (key), over an extended period of time, takes you to your destination.

If you’re at all like me, you’d rather drive than walk when traveling a significant distance. But, if you want to build something solid, walking is really the only option. Though there are ways to jumpstart a reach to the masses, it’s clear that developing a meaningful relationship with any group of people still involves consistent, small steps, in the same direction, over an extended period of time.

That reality aside, I’m really enjoying this process of working on our database and finding out who is interested in what we offer at brettbarry.com. It’s a slow go, since I’m starting again from scratch…at times the whole mailing list building thing feels much like collecting stray pennies for your change jar – while you’re walking across the country… blindfolded…against the wind…during tornado season – get the picture? Or, even worse, it’s like the process of planting seeds (as you’re walking across the country… blindfolded…against the wind…) because you don’t see the results of your efforts right away. Pennies you can at least watch accumulate. Seeds, you put in the ground and cover up – then, nothing for quite some time. Yeah, this is more like planting seeds at many locations on my cross-country journey.

As I think about the seed concept, I hear the question, When planting seeds, what does it take in order for your efforts to actually produce a return? Well, let’s see…

You put the seed in the ground. Cover it up. Water it. Watch. Wait. Go on about your business. Water it again. Watch. Wait. Business. Water. Watch. Wait. Business…not too rewarding just yet, for sure. But if you continue tending to it faithfully, one day it will sprout. And when it does, it gets really good because you then get to water it some more! Fertilize it. Make sure it gets plenty of light. And, after you’ve done all that, more water, light, protection – you cover, uncover, prop up, stabilize...and on and on the cycle goes. Yep, bringing a seed to its full potential takes some serious time and energy. It’s hard work! And all the while you’re doing this by faith that one day something good will come from it.

So you remain faithful and your seed grows up to become a tree. Then one day, during your tending you notice something on the branches: buds. Yes! You continue to tend. And not too much later, you notice the buds have changed even more. And, what’s that? Fruit. Holy smoke! It worked! This thing is growing fruit! Whoo-hoo! And the beautiful thing is, the tree now only requires maintenance in order for it to keep producing the fruit you love so much. And, if well tended, your second year’s crop is usually even greater in abundance and flavor than your first.

I realize this is the order of the day regarding my database. It is going to take considerable time and a lot of work in order to produce a quality harvest. Diligence. But I’ve been here before, and without the abundance of tools now at my disposal. I will tend it faithfully, putting to practice the suggestions in my trusty Music Success guidebook.

Honestly though, I’ve already been encouraged quite a bit. For, even though I’m in the initial stages of building a rapport with those in our database, last week I sent out our first newsletter in over 10 years and achieved over a 65% read rate. And we saw increased activity from it at the site. Along with affirming my investment in the MSI9W program concepts, it felt good to see a process beginning to take shape and to get some good feedback from people with whom we respect and desire to build community.

A little side note, I opened the new brettbarry.com site at the beginning of the 9 Week Challenge, and our hits were pretty consistent and growing slowly. But then a couple weeks ago all of a sudden our traffic more than tripled for about three days. I thought, Wow! All this MSI9W stuff is working really well! And though it is definitely helping, unfortunately, I later found out the hits were due to the fact that the names of my wife and myself are nearly identical to those of a basketball star and his wife who apparently was involved in an affair with one of his teammates. (I had all these search terms for pictures of Brett Barry’s wife. Now, my wife’s a babe, and she is pictured with me on the home page of my site, but it seemed strange it would be a search term since her name isn’t mentioned much anywhere in my content yet.) Anyway, though all the hits were fun, it didn’t help our email signups much.

At any rate, these are some of the things I’ve worked on this week:
  • Culled my email inbox and outbox to gather emails for the suggested, forthcoming email form letter to inform them that we now have a free monthly newsletter and mp3 download for those on our mailing list, and to ask for permission to add them
  • Created a folder for potential Newsletter mailing list candidates
  • Added additional addresses we’ve collected
  • Reached out more regularly on Facebook and Twitter – which is beginning to make sense.
  • Worked on the storyboard for the “Making of Inseparable” video
  • Started looking into the possibility of an intern
  • Learned about Last.fm and checked into it. Found that someone had posted nine of my earlier songs.
  • Moved some of my goals up on the timeline:
            ~  Connect with three venues by end of week for singer/songwriter bookings
            ~  Add new content to the site: back catalog
            ~  Record one new acoustic/vocal songwriter video
            ~  Work on story behind the song segment for taping following week

All in all, it’s going well. I continue to learn from the course materials and Mastermind forum. There’s a lot of really helpful info there from both the MSI9W staff and community. There truly is a great deal of opportunity in the world of music to those who practice diligence in all we're learning. So, straight ahead it is, one step at a time!

In conclusion, my first date with my email list went well enough that we're going to see each other again next week. I hope this doesn't sound overly presumptions, because, like, we've only had one date; but I can tell that this relationship has the potential to become really fruitful.

Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
www.brettbarry.com
www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic

]]> Sun, 05 Dec 2010 03:45:00 GMT 2C0961B4216ED35336F2C62077A5333F Dating Another Woman http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=603636 I don&rsquo;t know who wrote this, but it&rsquo;s worth the read - even if you&rsquo;re not married. Brett After 21 years of marriage, I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark of love. A little while ago I had started to go out with another woman. It was really my wife&rsquo;s idea. &ldquo;I know that you love her,&rdquo; she said one day, taking me by surprise. &ldquo;But I love YOU,&rdquo; I protested. &ldquo;I know, but you also love her.&rdquo; The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally. That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. &ldquo;What&rsquo;s wrong, are you well,&rdquo; she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. &ldquo;I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you,&rdquo; I responded. &ldquo;Just the two of us.&rdquo; She thought about it for a moment then said, &ldquo;I would like that very much.&rdquo; That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel&rsquo;s. &ldquo;I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,&rdquo; she said, as she got into the car. &ldquo;They can&rsquo;t wait to hear about our meeting&rdquo;. We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entree, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. &ldquo;It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,&rdquo; she said. &ldquo;Then it&rsquo;s time that you relax and let me return the favor,&rdquo; I respond. During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation nothing extraordinary - but catching up on recent events of each other&rsquo;s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you&rdquo;. I agreed. &ldquo;How was your dinner date?&rdquo; asked my wife when I got home. &ldquo;Very nice. Much more so than I could have imagined,&rdquo; I answered. A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn&rsquo;t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: &ldquo;I paid this bill in advance. I was almost sure that I couldn&rsquo;t be there but, never-the-less, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for you wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you.&rdquo; At that moment I understood the importance of saying, in time: &ldquo;I LOVE YOU&rdquo; and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve. Nothing in life is more important than God and your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off to &ldquo;some other time&rdquo;. I don’t know who wrote this, but it’s worth the read - even if you’re not married.

Brett

After 21 years of marriage, I discovered a new way of keeping alive the spark of love. A little while ago I had started to go out with another woman. It was really my wife’s idea. “I know that you love her,” she said one day, taking me by surprise. “But I love YOU,” I protested. “I know, but you also love her.”

The other woman that my wife wanted me to visit was my mother, who has been a widow for 19 years, but the demands of my work and my three children had made it possible to visit her only occasionally.

That night I called to invite her to go out for dinner and a movie. “What’s wrong, are you well,” she asked? My mother is the type of woman who suspects that a late night call or a surprise invitation is a sign of bad news. “I thought that it would be pleasant to pass some time with you,” I responded. “Just the two of us.” She thought about it for a moment then said, “I would like that very much.”

That Friday after work, as I drove over to pick her up I was a bit nervous. When I arrived at her house, I noticed that she, too, seemed to be nervous about our date. She waited in the door with her coat on. She had curled her hair and was wearing the dress that she had worn to celebrate her last wedding anniversary. She smiled from a face that was as radiant as an angel’s. “I told my friends that I was going to go out with my son, and they were impressed,” she said, as she got into the car. “They can’t wait to hear about our meeting”.

We went to a restaurant that, although not elegant, was very nice and cozy. My mother took my arm as if she were the First Lady. After we sat down, I had to read the menu. Her eyes could only read large print. Half way through the entree, I lifted my eyes and saw Mom sitting there staring at me. A nostalgic smile was on her lips. “It was I who used to have to read the menu when you were small,” she said. “Then it’s time that you relax and let me return the favor,” I respond. During the dinner we had an agreeable conversation nothing extraordinary - but catching up on recent events of each other’s life. We talked so much that we missed the movie. As we arrived at her house later, she said “I’ll go out with you again, but only if you let me invite you”. I agreed.

“How was your dinner date?” asked my wife when I got home. “Very nice.

Much more so than I could have imagined,” I answered.

A few days later my mother died of a massive heart attack. It happened so suddenly that I didn’t have a chance to do anything for her. Some time later I received an envelope with a copy of a restaurant receipt from the same place mother and I had dined. An attached note said: “I paid this bill in advance. I was almost sure that I couldn’t be there but, never-the-less, I paid for two plates - one for you and the other for you wife. You will never know what that night meant for me. I love you.”

At that moment I understood the importance of saying, in time: “I LOVE YOU” and to give our loved ones the time that they deserve.

Nothing in life is more important than God and your family. Give them the time they deserve, because these things cannot be put off to “some other time”.

]]> Sun, 28 Nov 2010 08:27:14 GMT 43C41DD893783F851BFB7DD87F597EDC Boaz http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=603635 April 10, 2005 Our youngest son, Pierz, though only seven, has an incredible fascination with words, and especially with the way they sound. We&rsquo;ll often hear him walking around the house repeating a new word he has discovered. We first noticed this when he was about three... Well, today was no exception. Our pastor was talking about Boaz and how God covers us and provides for us even beyond our needs. As he proceeded to detail, one of the single mothers in the congregation said out loud, &ldquo;That&rsquo;s the kind of man I want &ndash; a Boaz!&rdquo; So the pastor stopped and immediately prayed for her, proclaiming in agreement that God would release to her the desire of her heart! Though the intent was sincere, the environment was joyous and filled with laughter. In the midst of all the commotion, Pierz leaned over to the wife of my bass player and said, &ldquo;Ms. Lisa, what&rsquo;s a Bo-ass?&rdquo; Of course, when I heard this, I couldn&rsquo;t help laughing out loud. She said this may be a good time to go over that story with him! We laughed some more, and I said, &ldquo;Boass? Yeah, that&rsquo;s the husband in the eyes of most women after they&rsquo;ve been married a few years. He starts out as a beau, then the word and definition grows in depth of meaning as time goes on.&rdquo; April 10, 2005

Our youngest son, Pierz, though only seven, has an incredible fascination with words, and especially with the way they sound. We’ll often hear him walking around the house repeating a new word he has discovered. We first noticed this when he was about three...

Well, today was no exception. Our pastor was talking about Boaz and how God covers us and provides for us even beyond our needs. As he proceeded to detail, one of the single mothers in the congregation said out loud, “That’s the kind of man I want – a Boaz!” So the pastor stopped and immediately prayed for her, proclaiming in agreement that God would release to her the desire of her heart! Though the intent was sincere, the environment was joyous and filled with laughter.

In the midst of all the commotion, Pierz leaned over to the wife of my bass player and said, “Ms. Lisa, what’s a Bo-ass?”

Of course, when I heard this, I couldn’t help laughing out loud. She said this may be a good time to go over that story with him! We laughed some more, and I said, “Boass? Yeah, that’s the husband in the eyes of most women after they’ve been married a few years. He starts out as a beau, then the word and definition grows in depth of meaning as time goes on.”

]]> Sun, 28 Nov 2010 08:25:26 GMT D56EAEE314039D2B92B172E458CEC048 Touché http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=603634 Our daughter, Lauren, was just a few weeks shy of turning 13 and had been talking frequently about the value of getting a cell phone. While many children her age had them, we&rsquo;d been discouraging her on that particular move for various reasons. During this stretch we had also talked quite often about dating V.S. courting, and why it would be to her advantage to wait until she&rsquo;s older, should she choose to date at all, and why she should definitely wait should she go the courting route :). I would always joke with her that she could start driving and dating when she was 30 or 40. To our relief, she was not interested in either at that point. However, she was quite infatuated with the cell phone concept. So, though she fully understood and respected our decision to not get her a phone at that time, she would still talk about the idea quite enthusiastically. We had just left our oldest son&rsquo;s football game and were heading for Target, one of our children&rsquo;s favorite places to browse. It was a beautiful morning. A bright, sunny, over-the-top family day of hanging with my kids. My wife was away that morning, so Lauren was riding up front with me. As we&rsquo;re driving along, out of the blue she says, &ldquo;You know, when I get a little older, I&rsquo;d like to get a cell phone. I really think it&rsquo;s a good idea because when you have a car accident, they really come in handy.&rdquo; I paused, glanced over at her, smiled and said, &ldquo;So, you plan on having an accident?&rdquo; Giggles, &ldquo;Poppy, you&rsquo;re funny. You know what I mean, they just really come in handy if there is an accident.&ldquo; &ldquo;Oh, I see. So how old do you plan to be when you get one and have this accident, like 40 or so?&rdquo; More giggles and a roll of the eyes... &ldquo;Poppy! No.&rdquo; A slight pause, and then a revelatory smile, &ldquo;I just want to get one when I&rsquo;m like 30 and I start dating so I can call and tell you what time I&rsquo;ll be home.&rdquo; Oh, boy... I suddenly realize I&rsquo;ve met my match, and then some! I see her smile that smile of &quot;touch&eacute;&quot;, as she gives a cute roll of the eyes, and I&rsquo;m gone &ndash; and the craftiness of her strategy begins to sink in. I can&rsquo;t help smiling to myself, neither can I stop myself from admiring her development as a young woman. She has her mother&rsquo;s wit, charm and beauty, and she loves her dad more than anything. What can I say, I&rsquo;m hopelessly blessed and totally hers. She&rsquo;s Daddy&rsquo;s girl for sure, and I&rsquo;m definitely Girly&rsquo;s dad! We drive on. She gazes out the window, and I wander off in thought, further admiring the fine person she&rsquo;s becoming. It&rsquo;s certainly one of those &ldquo;please stop the clock here&rdquo; moments. I want to hold on to this day with everything I've got. I think I will. Our daughter, Lauren, was just a few weeks shy of turning 13 and had been talking frequently about the value of getting a cell phone. While many children her age had them, we’d been discouraging her on that particular move for various reasons.

During this stretch we had also talked quite often about dating V.S. courting, and why it would be to her advantage to wait until she’s older, should she choose to date at all, and why she should definitely wait should she go the courting route :). I would always joke with her that she could start driving and dating when she was 30 or 40. To our relief, she was not interested in either at that point. However, she was quite infatuated with the cell phone concept. So, though she fully understood and respected our decision to not get her a phone at that time, she would still talk about the idea quite enthusiastically.

We had just left our oldest son’s football game and were heading for Target, one of our children’s favorite places to browse. It was a beautiful morning. A bright, sunny, over-the-top family day of hanging with my kids. My wife was away that morning, so Lauren was riding up front with me.

As we’re driving along, out of the blue she says, “You know, when I get a little older, I’d like to get a cell phone. I really think it’s a good idea because when you have a car accident, they really come in handy.” I paused, glanced over at her, smiled and said, “So, you plan on having an accident?” Giggles, “Poppy, you’re funny. You know what I mean, they just really come in handy if there is an accident.“

“Oh, I see. So how old do you plan to be when you get one and have this accident, like 40 or so?” More giggles and a roll of the eyes... “Poppy! No.” A slight pause, and then a revelatory smile, “I just want to get one when I’m like 30 and I start dating so I can call and tell you what time I’ll be home.”

Oh, boy... I suddenly realize I’ve met my match, and then some! I see her smile that smile of "touché", as she gives a cute roll of the eyes, and I’m gone – and the craftiness of her strategy begins to sink in. I can’t help smiling to myself, neither can I stop myself from admiring her development as a young woman. She has her mother’s wit, charm and beauty, and she loves her dad more than anything. What can I say, I’m hopelessly blessed and totally hers. She’s Daddy’s girl for sure, and I’m definitely Girly’s dad!

We drive on. She gazes out the window, and I wander off in thought, further admiring the fine person she’s becoming. It’s certainly one of those “please stop the clock here” moments. I want to hold on to this day with everything I've got.

I think I will.

]]> Sun, 28 Nov 2010 08:20:00 GMT AF71ED1A12933AA15383EE5F08B6513B Worship Is Longing http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=603632 Father, God, what's at the depths of your heart today? I ask him this question often. Sometimes daily. Sometimes moment-by-moment, even though I know the answer &ndash; because it&rsquo;s always the same. Yes, I can hear it, &ldquo;If I already know what he&rsquo;s going to say, why ask?&rdquo; It&rsquo;s not that I suffer from short-term memory issues (although my wife would seriously argue that &ndash; OK, maybe I do), it&rsquo;s just that, like you perhaps, I tend to become easily distracted (often, sometimes daily, sometimes moment-by-moment) with the much doing of life &ndash; work, relationships, family duties, dreams and goals, with disappointment over things lost, or over the appearance of things lost &ndash; even with the new set of distractions that come with each blessing. In this place, we stand to lose a great deal &ndash; godly perspective, peace, joy, vision, well-being, hope, purpose and, ultimately, our identity. So what&rsquo;s his unchanging answer to my often-asked question? Inevitably, he responds, &ldquo;Your heart.&rdquo; My heart? &ldquo;Yes, your heart. Reconciliation! Part C! Humanity once again face to face with me in unhindered relationship &ndash; the way it was in the beginning! The only thing standing in the way of my heart&rsquo;s desire is your heart&rsquo;s desire. As the crown of my creation, my mission is for you to know the fullness of my intent for you. I want you to have life to the full, to know it the way it was before sin! I want you to be with me... and to want me the way I want you. So I am always about drawing the affection of your heart in order to advance my kingdom on earth.&rdquo; In Psalm 139, David proclaimed the vastness of God and his love for us by observing how he knows everything about us, our thoughts, desires, purpose in life &ndash; even the words we speak before we speak them. In essence, he was saying, &ldquo;Lord, you know me in every way. And, as far as I can tell, there&rsquo;s nothing between us &ndash; no intent or action hindering our relationship. But, since you know me better than I do, please, &lsquo;Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me, and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.&rsquo; God, deliver me from my enemies, and, even more so, deliver me from myself.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s God&rsquo;s deepest desire that we would nurture this same longing &ndash; to remain vulnerable before him and honest enough with ourselves to say, &ldquo;Search me, know me and lead me according to your way. I&rsquo;ve got to be with you at any cost!&rdquo; We have to remember our wayward tendencies, and that the reality is we are joining him in his mission and that we&rsquo;re the ones who get confused (even at our best, we only see in part). In light of this truth, I ask God what&rsquo;s on his heart to help align myself to his perspective, to his will and priority. Really, it&rsquo;s a strategy for protecting my heart and the deposit he has entrusted to me, because as I consider his answer it sets off a chain reaction that flushes to the surface any area in my heart that is not in agreement with him. It helps identify the hindrances in our relationship, which he then helps me remove. And my longing for him grows. So, I ask, he answers&hellip;and by His grace (power), I adjust &ndash; my thinking, actions, heart desire, goals, dreams, passion, motives, etc. &ndash; I move forward in Christ, his kingdom advances and his return is hastened. And, very soon, we&rsquo;ll meet face to face. And as I fall into his indescribable embrace, he'll say, &quot;Well done my good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of your Lord.&quot; Or, maybe he'll just close his eyes, breathe a heavy sigh, and smile. Father, God, what's at the depths of your heart today? I ask him this question often. Sometimes daily. Sometimes moment-by-moment, even though I know the answer – because it’s always the same. Yes, I can hear it, “If I already know what he’s going to say, why ask?”

It’s not that I suffer from short-term memory issues (although my wife would seriously argue that – OK, maybe I do), it’s just that, like you perhaps, I tend to become easily distracted (often, sometimes daily, sometimes moment-by-moment) with the much doing of life – work, relationships, family duties, dreams and goals, with disappointment over things lost, or over the appearance of things lost – even with the new set of distractions that come with each blessing. In this place, we stand to lose a great deal – godly perspective, peace, joy, vision, well-being, hope, purpose and, ultimately, our identity.

So what’s his unchanging answer to my often-asked question? Inevitably, he responds, “Your heart.”

My heart?

“Yes, your heart. Reconciliation! Part C! Humanity once again face to face with me in unhindered relationship – the way it was in the beginning! The only thing standing in the way of my heart’s desire is your heart’s desire. As the crown of my creation, my mission is for you to know the fullness of my intent for you. I want you to have life to the full, to know it the way it was before sin! I want you to be with me... and to want me the way I want you. So I am always about drawing the affection of your heart in order to advance my kingdom on earth.”

In Psalm 139, David proclaimed the vastness of God and his love for us by observing how he knows everything about us, our thoughts, desires, purpose in life – even the words we speak before we speak them. In essence, he was saying, “Lord, you know me in every way. And, as far as I can tell, there’s nothing between us – no intent or action hindering our relationship. But, since you know me better than I do, please, ‘Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me, and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.’ God, deliver me from my enemies, and, even more so, deliver me from myself.”

It’s God’s deepest desire that we would nurture this same longing – to remain vulnerable before him and honest enough with ourselves to say, “Search me, know me and lead me according to your way. I’ve got to be with you at any cost!” We have to remember our wayward tendencies, and that the reality is we are joining him in his mission and that we’re the ones who get confused (even at our best, we only see in part).

In light of this truth, I ask God what’s on his heart to help align myself to his perspective, to his will and priority. Really, it’s a strategy for protecting my heart and the deposit he has entrusted to me, because as I consider his answer it sets off a chain reaction that flushes to the surface any area in my heart that is not in agreement with him. It helps identify the hindrances in our relationship, which he then helps me remove. And my longing for him grows.

So, I ask, he answers…and by His grace (power), I adjust – my thinking, actions, heart desire, goals, dreams, passion, motives, etc. – I move forward in Christ, his kingdom advances and his return is hastened. And, very soon, we’ll meet face to face. And as I fall into his indescribable embrace, he'll say, "Well done my good and faithful servant... enter into the joy of your Lord." Or, maybe he'll just close his eyes, breathe a heavy sigh, and smile.

]]> Sun, 28 Nov 2010 08:15:00 GMT 2E0D16F36B2A6FE587C1C7795C179D5F Fans, Newsletters & Surveys http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=596070 <a href="http://www.musicsuccessinnineweeks.com" target="_new">Music Success In Nine Weeks (Week 6: Connecting With Fans Via Your Newsletter List &amp; Conducting Surveys) This was another tough week. Hmmm. What do I mean by tough? Well, I suppose there are basically a couple options: One, I didn't like it, couldn't find anything good in it and, therefore, it was frustrating and a total waste of my time. I got through it but never want to do that again. Or, two, that was tough, because it totally stretched me in an area I really want to grow, and, therefore, by pouring myself into it and going after it, I pushed past my previous limits and learned something truly invaluable that will benefit me and my business for years to come. As hard as the second tough is, it's truly gratifying when you've produced something tangible that will serve who you are and bring even greater credibility to your music. Gotta love that! So, last week was #2 tough. (At first I wrote that it was tough #2, but that was just too picturesque.) There is again a great deal of practical information in this chapter that I&rsquo;ll return to many times in the months to come as I write future newsletters and try to create more intentional processes for how we do things. (I&rsquo;m still working on sticking with a set schedule for each activity. That&rsquo;s a big challenge for me.) Anyway, I&rsquo;m finding that the more I utilize the tips given, the more creative I become in personalizing the principles according to my audience. For example, I love the idea of developing a sense of community around people&rsquo;s common interests, but I&rsquo;m not very good at it. Never have been. I love people, but have always been sort of a loner. On the flip side, I love writing, singing and performing, but the thing that has always made it worth putting all my energy into is delivering a message of encouragement and hope &ndash; giving something that lifts a person&rsquo;s perspective and enables them to see beyond their immediate hurt or obstacle. Playing music for the sake of music only has never been enough. So I&rsquo;ve lived with a bit of a paradox over the years, struggling between these two pulls. As you can imagine, learning how to build that much-needed bridge between who I am naturally and the community I desire to help develop has been a huge plus. I love it when large goals are broken down into manageable steps, as they are in MSI9W. Well, I could go on about specifics in the book, but, if you&rsquo;re in the Challenge, you&rsquo;re reading it, so no need. If you&rsquo;re not in the Challenge, it&rsquo;s still a good read if you want to get a framework for marketing via the social network. Many of the principles are cross-platform. Otherwise, I&rsquo;ll sign off. As an example of what I&rsquo;ve applied so far from Week 6, I&rsquo;ve included a snapshot of our first newsletter below. Next month we&rsquo;ll build on it as we further develop our site and get a better grip on how everything works together. Blessings to you all. Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church <a href="http://www.brettbarry.com/blog" target="_new">http://www.brettbarry.com/blog <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic Happy Thanksgiving / Brett Barry Newsletter / November 22, 2010 Music Success In Nine Weeks (Week 6: Connecting With Fans Via Your Newsletter List & Conducting Surveys)

This was another tough week. Hmmm. What do I mean by tough? Well, I suppose there are basically a couple options: One, I didn't like it, couldn't find anything good in it and, therefore, it was frustrating and a total waste of my time. I got through it but never want to do that again. Or, two, that was tough, because it totally stretched me in an area I really want to grow, and, therefore, by pouring myself into it and going after it, I pushed past my previous limits and learned something truly invaluable that will benefit me and my business for years to come. As hard as the second tough is, it's truly gratifying when you've produced something tangible that will serve who you are and bring even greater credibility to your music. Gotta love that! So, last week was #2 tough. (At first I wrote that it was tough #2, but that was just too picturesque.)

There is again a great deal of practical information in this chapter that I’ll return to many times in the months to come as I write future newsletters and try to create more intentional processes for how we do things. (I’m still working on sticking with a set schedule for each activity. That’s a big challenge for me.) Anyway, I’m finding that the more I utilize the tips given, the more creative I become in personalizing the principles according to my audience.

For example, I love the idea of developing a sense of community around people’s common interests, but I’m not very good at it. Never have been. I love people, but have always been sort of a loner. On the flip side, I love writing, singing and performing, but the thing that has always made it worth putting all my energy into is delivering a message of encouragement and hope – giving something that lifts a person’s perspective and enables them to see beyond their immediate hurt or obstacle. Playing music for the sake of music only has never been enough. So I’ve lived with a bit of a paradox over the years, struggling between these two pulls. As you can imagine, learning how to build that much-needed bridge between who I am naturally and the community I desire to help develop has been a huge plus. I love it when large goals are broken down into manageable steps, as they are in MSI9W.

Well, I could go on about specifics in the book, but, if you’re in the Challenge, you’re reading it, so no need. If you’re not in the Challenge, it’s still a good read if you want to get a framework for marketing via the social network. Many of the principles are cross-platform. Otherwise, I’ll sign off.

As an example of what I’ve applied so far from Week 6, I’ve included a snapshot of our first newsletter below. Next month we’ll build on it as we further develop our site and get a better grip on how everything works together. Blessings to you all.

Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
http://www.brettbarry.com/blog
http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic


Happy Thanksgiving / Brett Barry Newsletter / November 22, 2010






]]> Wed, 24 Nov 2010 04:45:00 GMT 444FE677702BA77CBBBB5A2D61605734 Blogging http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=578454 <a href="http://www.musicsuccessinnineweeks.com" target="_new">Music Success In Nine Weeks (Week 5: Blogging) I have another confession to make. Well, more of an observation to express. I&rsquo;m finding this blog about blogging to be the most challenging so far. Mainly because the reading of so many great works this past week has left me wondering about my contribution (at least at this point). I don&rsquo;t mean that in a self-depreciating way at all. Clearly, we each count as human beings and have something of value to contribute to the world. No, I think it has more to do with the awareness that my current abilities do not yet match what I hope to contribute. Most of the blogs so far that I&rsquo;ve felt were worth reading are filled with tips, step-by-step how to&rsquo;s, words of wisdom or helpful comparisons. They&rsquo;re creative, expressive, funny, sometimes personal, but nearly always quite informative in some way. You know, they usually zero in on a few points and present clear thoughts and action steps that challenge or enable others to grab an idea and run with it. Having nearly failed English in High School and College, the process of getting what I think and feel onto paper in a coherent and simple flow has always been a challenge for me. I&rsquo;ve worked hard at it over the years and have grown a great deal. But now I can see I&rsquo;m facing a new arena of challenge. In light of this, my reading so far has mostly charged the question, What do I have to say, and how can I say it in a way that&rsquo;s clear, engaging and beneficial to others in some way? I realize my blogs can be about anything and don&rsquo;t have to be everything to everyone, but I do hope to make a reasonable contribution at some point, rather than just taking up space. On the other hand, I suppose some can benefit from my processing out loud&hellip;it helps to know you&rsquo;re not alone when you don&rsquo;t have all the answers, aren&rsquo;t the expert at something, or are simply trying to figure out how to keep moving forward without feeling overwhelmed. I can definitely offer honesty as I work through things like that. You&rsquo;ve probably heard the adage: misery loves company. But so does hope (I believe even more so). And, since hope is the way out of misery (Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life), I&rsquo;m really big on spreading that around as much as possible. So, perhaps I can help lift hope a little higher for someone. Maybe that&rsquo;s what my blogs are to contribute in general. Maybe&hellip;still processing. So I don&rsquo;t have much to offer yet in the way of useful tips or how to&rsquo;s when it comes to marketing on the social network. I trust all I&rsquo;m learning will settle into experience and advice I can eventually pass along, but right now I&rsquo;m still feeling the inertia from the learning curve of this wild ride (must have pulled at least negative 4 G&rsquo;s last week!). Clearly, I&rsquo;m still on the receiving end &ndash; trying to absorb and process! SIDE NOTE: To be sure I was using proper terminology and accurately communicating what I&rsquo;ve been feeling, I looked up Negative G-Force and found this at coasterforce.com: Negative G-Force Tolerance The human body exhibits alarming symptoms at just -2 Gs. On a roller coaster, a level higher than -1 G would be considered dangerous. At -1 G, humans exhibit a sense of pressure in their head (Had that)&nbsp; At -2 Gs, there will be a severe headache, nosebleed and swelling of the eyelids (My eyes did itch at one point&hellip;) At -3 Gs, Eyes will bleed, vision will fade, eyes will feel as though they are popping out their sockets (Questionable) At -4 Gs, mental confusion and unconsciousness (Definitely had that) At -5 Gs, humans are at risk of losing their eyeballs and death Ok. I suppose claiming - 4 Gs might have been stretching it&hellip;but just a little. So, what am I absorbing and processing? Consistently, the <a target="_new" href="http://commoncraft.com/videos">Plain English videos are excellent &ndash; both the RSS &amp; Blogs in PE were very helpful. I set up my RSS reader using Google, spent considerable time looking for blogs of interest and identifying targets for my blogroll, as well as reading, subscribing and observing to get a sense for my contribution, commenting where I felt comfortable. Of course, my site construction is ongoing &ndash; was finally able to load some of my catalog. Also added a guestbook (drop by and say hey!), and have a couple forum ideas for the future. I&rsquo;m now planning the outline for our first newsletter, working on my email contact list and still working on the plan for expanding views of our relationship enrichment video, <a href="./video.cfm">Inseparable. Lots to do. If you&rsquo;re also in the Challenge, I&rsquo;m praying for you (if you&rsquo;re at all like me, you need it!). There&rsquo;s a lot here! Great stuff, eh? And if you&rsquo;ve just happened by and are reading, well, my prayer for you is that your day will somehow be filled with hope. Until next week, Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church <a href="http://www.brettbarry.com/blog" target="_new">http://www.brettbarry.com/blog <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.myspace.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://myspace.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic Music Success In Nine Weeks (Week 5: Blogging)

I have another confession to make. Well, more of an observation to express. I’m finding this blog about blogging to be the most challenging so far. Mainly because the reading of so many great works this past week has left me wondering about my contribution (at least at this point). I don’t mean that in a self-depreciating way at all. Clearly, we each count as human beings and have something of value to contribute to the world. No, I think it has more to do with the awareness that my current abilities do not yet match what I hope to contribute.

Most of the blogs so far that I’ve felt were worth reading are filled with tips, step-by-step how to’s, words of wisdom or helpful comparisons. They’re creative, expressive, funny, sometimes personal, but nearly always quite informative in some way. You know, they usually zero in on a few points and present clear thoughts and action steps that challenge or enable others to grab an idea and run with it. Having nearly failed English in High School and College, the process of getting what I think and feel onto paper in a coherent and simple flow has always been a challenge for me. I’ve worked hard at it over the years and have grown a great deal. But now I can see I’m facing a new arena of challenge.

In light of this, my reading so far has mostly charged the question, What do I have to say, and how can I say it in a way that’s clear, engaging and beneficial to others in some way? I realize my blogs can be about anything and don’t have to be everything to everyone, but I do hope to make a reasonable contribution at some point, rather than just taking up space.

On the other hand, I suppose some can benefit from my processing out loud…it helps to know you’re not alone when you don’t have all the answers, aren’t the expert at something, or are simply trying to figure out how to keep moving forward without feeling overwhelmed. I can definitely offer honesty as I work through things like that. You’ve probably heard the adage: misery loves company. But so does hope (I believe even more so). And, since hope is the way out of misery (Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life), I’m really big on spreading that around as much as possible. So, perhaps I can help lift hope a little higher for someone. Maybe that’s what my blogs are to contribute in general. Maybe…still processing.

So I don’t have much to offer yet in the way of useful tips or how to’s when it comes to marketing on the social network. I trust all I’m learning will settle into experience and advice I can eventually pass along, but right now I’m still feeling the inertia from the learning curve of this wild ride (must have pulled at least negative 4 G’s last week!). Clearly, I’m still on the receiving end – trying to absorb and process!

SIDE NOTE: To be sure I was using proper terminology and accurately communicating what I’ve been feeling, I looked up Negative G-Force and found this at coasterforce.com:

Negative G-Force Tolerance

The human body exhibits alarming symptoms at just -2 Gs. On a roller coaster, a level higher than -1 G would be considered dangerous.

  • At -1 G, humans exhibit a sense of pressure in their head (Had that) 
  • At -2 Gs, there will be a severe headache, nosebleed and swelling of the eyelids (My eyes did itch at one point…)
  • At -3 Gs, Eyes will bleed, vision will fade, eyes will feel as though they are popping out their sockets (Questionable)
  • At -4 Gs, mental confusion and unconsciousness (Definitely had that)
  • At -5 Gs, humans are at risk of losing their eyeballs and death

Ok. I suppose claiming - 4 Gs might have been stretching it…but just a little.

So, what am I absorbing and processing?

Consistently, the Plain English videos are excellent – both the RSS & Blogs in PE were very helpful. I set up my RSS reader using Google, spent considerable time looking for blogs of interest and identifying targets for my blogroll, as well as reading, subscribing and observing to get a sense for my contribution, commenting where I felt comfortable.

Of course, my site construction is ongoing – was finally able to load some of my catalog. Also added a guestbook (drop by and say hey!), and have a couple forum ideas for the future. I’m now planning the outline for our first newsletter, working on my email contact list and still working on the plan for expanding views of our relationship enrichment video, Inseparable.

Lots to do. If you’re also in the Challenge, I’m praying for you (if you’re at all like me, you need it!). There’s a lot here! Great stuff, eh? And if you’ve just happened by and are reading, well, my prayer for you is that your day will somehow be filled with hope.

Until next week,

Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
 http://www.brettbarry.com/blog
http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
http://myspace.com/brettbarrymusic
http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic]]> Tue, 16 Nov 2010 07:10:00 GMT 31243D171BF1F2A9BC6EA72A58619BF1 Social Media For Musicians http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=568001 <a target="_new" href="http://www.musicsuccessinnineweeks.com">Music Success In Nine Weeks (Week 4: Social Media for Musicians) If you're new to this blog, thanks for stopping by. I'm currently participating in a nine-week blogging challenge for the book, Music Success In Nine Weeks, by Arial Hyatt. It's a learn by doing course as you follow through the book/workbook. So, here we go. ............... Social Media for Musicians It&rsquo;s important to understand something &ndash; in tackling this whole social media thing I&rsquo;m not just attempting to change my cultural perspective or mindset, it&rsquo;s more like this is going after a total rewire of my central nervous system! The last thing in the world I want to do is tweet someone. Just being honest. I not only find it undesirable, the thought of it makes me want to SCREAM! Wow, I feel much better. Thanks for listening. That aside, I hear that little voice inside again, saying &ndash; You are committed to learning. You can do it, and you must do it. Only the foolish would discard it without first understanding and having used it enough to make that decision from experience. You are lear-ning. Remember,&hellip;you are addressing fears, stigmas, and bad habits. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense. But, Twitter? Come on! I mean, it&rsquo;s not that I&rsquo;m anti-social, I just don&rsquo;t like to talk! Especially about nothing! When I think of Twitter, I remember reading a James Taylor interview where he said, &ldquo;I write songs so I don&rsquo;t have to talk about them.&rdquo; Yeah, hiding behind the songs &ndash; that&rsquo;s the way of the artist. That was cool! Back then the mystery worked for the artist, made them somehow even more attractive. Now, people want to know what you had for lunch?! Me? What am I doing right now? Right now I&rsquo;m complaining about Twitter! Good grief! Or maybe people don&rsquo;t really want to know, but somehow we just think they do&hellip;? Or, worse yet, maybe they don&rsquo;t really want to know but somehow they just think they do. OK. I am exaggerating a bit for fun. (You Tweet, I&rsquo;ll write sarcastic things about it.) Honestly though, I do like people, and I realize that it&rsquo;s clearly up to me whether what I say is meaningful or not. No one is requiring me to speak triteness. They&rsquo;re just encouraging me to, and teaching me how to, be involved. Truth be known, I&rsquo;m probably mostly dealing with a learning curve here (or further uncovering my fears). Still, I prefer silence. Can you hear it &ndash; it&rsquo;s the sound&hellip;of silence. Catchy tune. That said, this week&rsquo;s chapter, Social Media for Musicians, has enough in it to keep me busy for a year. As you can tell, I&rsquo;m still wrestling with the concept, let alone the applications. Working on it though. I must say, I found the initial Web 2.0 <a target="_new" href="http://commoncraft.com/">Social Stuff in Plain English videos really informative &ndash; a brilliant job and they gave me a good picture of how it all fits together. Fifteen minutes there and I felt my defenses drop&hellip;ever so slightly. I had already set up the ReverbNation MyBand app for Facebook, and have been tweaking on the TuneWidget in preparation for sending out the video we did, <a href="http://www.brettbarry.com/fr_video" target="_new">Inseparable. Have also been assembling a team and am beginning to work out a plan with them. Then I came to the Must-Haves section of Week 4: Twitter, Facebook, Flicker, Podcasts&hellip;and I could feel the sting of the icy waters as they slipped over my head and the thunderous current whisked me away, pulling me deeper and deeper into the thick, dense, blackness of the social media abyss&hellip;. Well, not quite, but, there is truly a huge amount of info here &ndash; especially for a newbie like me. Lots of tweaking options. I keep reminding myself to take it a little at a time. Next, I managed to make myself watch the Twitter in Plain English videos. Hmmm&hellip;not too bad. I&rsquo;m OK&hellip;Really. Just a little short of breath. Useful information, and I can see the benefits. I&rsquo;ll keep digging. I&rsquo;ve also searched and signed up to a handful of Twitter friends &ndash; only 89 more to find (for starters). Even picked up a couple of Followers, though I have no idea what to say yet. I found the twitter keyword search page really helpful for finding Tweets to follow. Then, in a moment of weakness, or strength (I can&rsquo;t decide), I did the unthinkable: I downloaded Tweetdeck to my iPhone, set up the app and linked it to Facebook. Scary. As I scrolled through some of the friends I&rsquo;m following, I saw some very interesting posts and read up to become further enlightened. Hmmm&hellip;again. That was pretty cool. No, I&rsquo;m not a convert. Not yet. In the future I&rsquo;ll work on my Flicker account&hellip;love the ideas and integration tips on this. I really enjoy photography and have taken pictures from various trips throughout the world. Have some concert shots to post as well. Time is a challenge in this stretch, so I&rsquo;m needing to plan and prioritize carefully &ndash; back to Week One. I&rsquo;m also looking forward to becoming more involved in the Mastermind forum. I signed up for the challenge late and then got off track in week two by writing an extra blog (I had a short window of concentrated time so I started rebuilding my site and got so excited I just had to write about all I was learning and achieving, which put me behind &ndash; go figure). So, this week I&rsquo;ve pushed through two chapters and written two blogs to get back on track! Now I feel like I&rsquo;m finally on the same page, well, at least in the same chapter as everyone else. Podcasts. Wow. I&rsquo;ll stop here. So much info, my part time efforts were just outrun by the social media train. I&rsquo;m not discouraged, just approaching the reality wall. Again, this will take time. I know I&rsquo;m not expected to utilize everything at once &ndash; but it&rsquo;s quite engaging. I&rsquo;m finding it hard to pace myself because it&rsquo;s exciting to have so many options and directions for how to connect everything. I&rsquo;ve been waiting a long time for this &ndash; for my schedule and clear-cut directions to cross paths. The season is finally here. For now, I&rsquo;ll apply all I can while continuing to get a grip on Twitter and improving my site&rsquo;s interactive elements, and, of course, its product and copy content.&nbsp; Lots to do. Talk with you soon, Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church <a href="http://www.brettbarry.com/fr_blog" target="_new">http://www.brettbarry.com/blog <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic Music Success In Nine Weeks (Week 4: Social Media for Musicians)

If you're new to this blog, thanks for stopping by. I'm currently participating in a nine-week blogging challenge for the book, Music Success In Nine Weeks, by Arial Hyatt. It's a learn by doing course as you follow through the book/workbook. So, here we go.

...............

Social Media for Musicians

It’s important to understand something – in tackling this whole social media thing I’m not just attempting to change my cultural perspective or mindset, it’s more like this is going after a total rewire of my central nervous system! The last thing in the world I want to do is tweet someone. Just being honest. I not only find it undesirable, the thought of it makes me want to SCREAM!

Wow, I feel much better. Thanks for listening.

That aside, I hear that little voice inside again, saying – You are committed to learning. You can do it, and you must do it. Only the foolish would discard it without first understanding and having used it enough to make that decision from experience. You are lear-ning. Remember,…you are addressing fears, stigmas, and bad habits. Yeah, that makes a lot of sense.

But, Twitter? Come on! I mean, it’s not that I’m anti-social, I just don’t like to talk! Especially about nothing! When I think of Twitter, I remember reading a James Taylor interview where he said, “I write songs so I don’t have to talk about them.” Yeah, hiding behind the songs – that’s the way of the artist. That was cool! Back then the mystery worked for the artist, made them somehow even more attractive. Now, people want to know what you had for lunch?! Me? What am I doing right now? Right now I’m complaining about Twitter! Good grief! Or maybe people don’t really want to know, but somehow we just think they do…? Or, worse yet, maybe they don’t really want to know but somehow they just think they do.

OK. I am exaggerating a bit for fun. (You Tweet, I’ll write sarcastic things about it.) Honestly though, I do like people, and I realize that it’s clearly up to me whether what I say is meaningful or not. No one is requiring me to speak triteness. They’re just encouraging me to, and teaching me how to, be involved. Truth be known, I’m probably mostly dealing with a learning curve here (or further uncovering my fears). Still, I prefer silence. Can you hear it – it’s the sound…of silence. Catchy tune.

That said, this week’s chapter, Social Media for Musicians, has enough in it to keep me busy for a year. As you can tell, I’m still wrestling with the concept, let alone the applications. Working on it though.

I must say, I found the initial Web 2.0 Social Stuff in Plain English videos really informative – a brilliant job and they gave me a good picture of how it all fits together. Fifteen minutes there and I felt my defenses drop…ever so slightly.

I had already set up the ReverbNation MyBand app for Facebook, and have been tweaking on the TuneWidget in preparation for sending out the video we did, Inseparable. Have also been assembling a team and am beginning to work out a plan with them.

Then I came to the Must-Haves section of Week 4: Twitter, Facebook, Flicker, Podcasts…and I could feel the sting of the icy waters as they slipped over my head and the thunderous current whisked me away, pulling me deeper and deeper into the thick, dense, blackness of the social media abyss…. Well, not quite, but, there is truly a huge amount of info here – especially for a newbie like me. Lots of tweaking options. I keep reminding myself to take it a little at a time.

Next, I managed to make myself watch the Twitter in Plain English videos. Hmmm…not too bad. I’m OK…Really. Just a little short of breath. Useful information, and I can see the benefits. I’ll keep digging. I’ve also searched and signed up to a handful of Twitter friends – only 89 more to find (for starters). Even picked up a couple of Followers, though I have no idea what to say yet. I found the twitter keyword search page really helpful for finding Tweets to follow.

Then, in a moment of weakness, or strength (I can’t decide), I did the unthinkable: I downloaded Tweetdeck to my iPhone, set up the app and linked it to Facebook. Scary. As I scrolled through some of the friends I’m following, I saw some very interesting posts and read up to become further enlightened. Hmmm…again. That was pretty cool. No, I’m not a convert. Not yet.

In the future I’ll work on my Flicker account…love the ideas and integration tips on this. I really enjoy photography and have taken pictures from various trips throughout the world. Have some concert shots to post as well. Time is a challenge in this stretch, so I’m needing to plan and prioritize carefully – back to Week One.

I’m also looking forward to becoming more involved in the Mastermind forum. I signed up for the challenge late and then got off track in week two by writing an extra blog (I had a short window of concentrated time so I started rebuilding my site and got so excited I just had to write about all I was learning and achieving, which put me behind – go figure). So, this week I’ve pushed through two chapters and written two blogs to get back on track! Now I feel like I’m finally on the same page, well, at least in the same chapter as everyone else.

Podcasts. Wow. I’ll stop here. So much info, my part time efforts were just outrun by the social media train. I’m not discouraged, just approaching the reality wall. Again, this will take time. I know I’m not expected to utilize everything at once – but it’s quite engaging. I’m finding it hard to pace myself because it’s exciting to have so many options and directions for how to connect everything. I’ve been waiting a long time for this – for my schedule and clear-cut directions to cross paths. The season is finally here.

For now, I’ll apply all I can while continuing to get a grip on Twitter and improving my site’s interactive elements, and, of course, its product and copy content.  Lots to do.

Talk with you soon,

Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
http://www.brettbarry.com/blog
http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic

]]> Thu, 11 Nov 2010 04:35:00 GMT 6D2BECE535D4A1AAC3E01C52715C9D37 Optimize Your Website http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=567391 <a target="_new" href="http://www.musicsuccessinnineweeks.com">Music Success In Nine Weeks (Week 3: Optimize Your Website) - How to catch and hold your fanbase So, I&rsquo;ve captured all these fans. Now what? I mean, the noise has pretty much died down, though now and then there&rsquo;s still the focused outburst of kicking and screaming. There must be, like, hundreds of them in there! So what do I do now? Honestly, I&rsquo;m beginning to think this whole &ldquo;capturing&rdquo; thing is highly over-rated. Hmmm. Sick. I know. At least you don&rsquo;t have to live with me &ndash; pray for my wife&hellip;and especially our kids&hellip;please. I&rsquo;m noticing behavioral reflections &ndash; it&rsquo;s scary. Optimization Tweak this, change that, make it better &ndash; more efficient, desirable. I&rsquo;ve done that throughout my life regarding many things &ndash; from technique in sports, music and lyric writing, to production systems, health and my part in relationships. I love helping things work better, and I delight in flow &ndash; especially when it&rsquo;s the result of something you&rsquo;ve worked hard at, or made personal adjustments to achieve. I also believe strongly in growing (if you&rsquo;re not growing you&rsquo;re dying) and defining guidelines or infrastructure for growth so it has direction. Without discipline and structure your growth will likely have little focus and, therefore, little impact. You might be a great singer, but no one will ever hear you. Or you may get signed and your artist career goes nowhere. I&rsquo;ve seen that a number of times, first hand. Also, because I have the option to grow, I&rsquo;m committed to wrestling through the process of applying myself &ndash; regardless of what fears or weaknesses I have to overcome to do it. Even so, I still often struggle with the discipline of doing what&rsquo;s necessary to grow. Dreaming is easy. Doing is hard. Now I have the opportunity to optimize my website &ndash; and, though some of the more intricate concepts are a real stretch for me, I am truly grateful that I have some very clear instructions on how to get the most out of my efforts. Like a certified fitness and nutrition coach, the experience and structure of MSI9W is here. Now all I have to do is be disciplined enough to apply it. My Website With even a quick overview of the MSI9W tips, rather than trying to optimize what I had, I could see a complete rebuild was in order. My current site already had e-com and I&rsquo;d been sporadically selling product from it for quite some time, but I didn&rsquo;t have a cohesive way to manage email, a fan base, visitor/customer stats, promotions, etc., and updates were a hassle &ndash; which means, it seldom got updated. I wasn&rsquo;t interested in piecing together more additions or something new when there are solid management systems already built and ready to customize. Even so, the thought of starting over was a bit overwhelming. But with the available tools designated for artists from places like<a href="http://www.hostbaby.com" target="_new"> hostbaby.com, <a href="http://www.bandzoogle.com" target="_new">bandzoogle.com, <a href="http://www.bandcamp.com" target="_new">bandcamp.com, <a href="http://www.reverbnation.com" target="_new">reverbnation.com and <a href="http://www.nimbit.com" target="_new">nimbit.com, what took me much longer to build before I&rsquo;ve been able to pull together in three to four weeks in my spare time - and a complete redesign at that. My foundation is now in place and, because of the many pre-existing plug-in options that are available in the site&rsquo;s back office, the infrastructure is there to keep growing the administrative and interactive capabilities in significant blocks for a long time. Lovin&rsquo; that. So I&rsquo;ve integrated the initial optimization tips, like making sure my site pages load fast, posting my pitch in the top 3rd of the page, developing a familiar feeling site menu, adjusting/creating my other social network sites (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter to) and adding features like an artist Page on Facebook (utilizing the ReverbNation <a href="http://www.facebook.com/rn.mybandapp" target="_new">MyBand App), then adding their links on my home page. Also coordinated the look and feel of all my sites with my website&hellip;and posted a Free mp3 for an email address (was also thinking that if people don&rsquo;t go for my music in exchange for their email address, I could possibly offer my kids to do work&hellip;but that gets tricky). Anyway, there&rsquo;s so much, the Music Success info is really helpful. Hosting and Website Management At the onset of rebuilding my site, one of the big challenges for me was choosing a host. There are so many good options that I finally had to just figure out what was most important to me and go for it. Desiring a template-based artist management system, I looked the closest at HostBaby.com, ReverbNation.com, Bandzoogle.com and Nimbit.com, and, given the numerous artist tools and expense variations they each provide, I finally whittled my decision down to the following priorities: I wanted a template based system that was flexible enough to enable a custom site design that was uniquely different from any other (not simply a color/photo variation on a stock template) I wanted the shopping cart to enable a fan to set their own price while still triggering the song download(s) At this point, I wanted to be able to sell product from my site directly through PayPal without any additional overhead (host company taking a cut). As I mentioned in another blog (What I&rsquo;m Learning), Kelly Carpenter did a great job with a basic <a target="_new" href="http://thiskellycarpenter.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/optimize-this-music-success-in-nine-weeks-week-3/">comparison/overview of the various hosting/management services Overall, Bandzoogle best fit my priorities, and am also integrating some of the ReverbNation widgets. They offer an amazing array of stat tracking reports and info management capabilities via their artist dashboard. Unfortunately, their basic email management system for creating newsletters and fan updates, though very effective, is pretty bland looking and cannot be customized other than your photo and the basic color scheme (not a complaint, it&rsquo;s very nice for a free widget). It does, however, allow your email data to be exported via a CSV file so you can import them easily into another management system such as your host provider, in my case Bandzoogle, which should enable you to create a custom template in line with your site design. RN&rsquo;s Pro series widgets look better than the basic ones and some are still free as long as you keep the Reverb branding. PayPal Something else about Bandzoogle that was really attractive to me since I wanted my accounting run directly through PayPal is that their checkout system is set up to utilize a couple different PayPal fee structures: one through a Business or Premier account, and the other through a Micropayment account. The Micro account charges a lower fee to you when processing items $12 and under. For items over $12, the regular Bus/Prem account fee is a better deal. Entering your second email during Bandzoogle signup automatically switches your site sales between your two accounts to help you save. Very cool. Here&rsquo;s a link to the PayPal Micropayment account overview: <a target="_new" href="https://www.paypalobjects.com/IntegrationCenter/ic_micropayments.html">PayPal Micropayments If you end up using Bandzoogle and don&rsquo;t already have a PayPal Business or Premier account, here&rsquo;s a link to that signup page: <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_home" target="_new">PayPal Account Setup &gt; then select Sign Up at top of page Setting Up a Micropayment Account First set up a second (2nd) Business or Premier PayPal account (requires a different email address than your primary account). Convert the second (2nd) account to a Micropayment account via this link: <a target="_new" href="https://micropayments.paypal-labs.com/">Micropayment account conversion Select the Signup link and login using your new account info You will then be asked whether you want to convert the account: Ye Wow, I keep trying to shorten these posts, but...I trust experience will eventually help me say more with less. Anyway, there are a few things about Nimbit I wanted to cover, but will simply say, they have a great set up for plugging into your existing WordPress blog site, or they can provide a more sophisticated template management system that you also host at an outside provider. Their digital distribution options look strong, as does their fan management system. There are also some great tips in their video tutorials for down the road. Finally, an enjoyable find at Nimbit was the <a target="_new" href="http://www.nimbit.com/category/case-studies/">case studies that provided insightful examples of well-defined goals and action steps for a marketing strategy. A little far ahead in scope from where I&rsquo;m currently at, but it really helps to get a picture of an action plan. And it gets my wheels turning. OK. That does it. Hopefully there is some helpful info here, or at least some decent food for thought. O boy&hellip;speaking of food, I&rsquo;d better go take care of my captives. Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic Music Success In Nine Weeks (Week 3: Optimize Your Website) - How to catch and hold your fanbase


So, I’ve captured all these fans. Now what?

I mean, the noise has pretty much died down, though now and then there’s still the focused outburst of kicking and screaming. There must be, like, hundreds of them in there! So what do I do now? Honestly, I’m beginning to think this whole “capturing” thing is highly over-rated.

Hmmm. Sick. I know. At least you don’t have to live with me – pray for my wife…and especially our kids…please. I’m noticing behavioral reflections – it’s scary.


Optimization

Tweak this, change that, make it better – more efficient, desirable. I’ve done that throughout my life regarding many things – from technique in sports, music and lyric writing, to production systems, health and my part in relationships. I love helping things work better, and I delight in flow – especially when it’s the result of something you’ve worked hard at, or made personal adjustments to achieve.

I also believe strongly in growing (if you’re not growing you’re dying) and defining guidelines or infrastructure for growth so it has direction. Without discipline and structure your growth will likely have little focus and, therefore, little impact. You might be a great singer, but no one will ever hear you. Or you may get signed and your artist career goes nowhere. I’ve seen that a number of times, first hand.

Also, because I have the option to grow, I’m committed to wrestling through the process of applying myself – regardless of what fears or weaknesses I have to overcome to do it. Even so, I still often struggle with the discipline of doing what’s necessary to grow. Dreaming is easy. Doing is hard.

Now I have the opportunity to optimize my website – and, though some of the more intricate concepts are a real stretch for me, I am truly grateful that I have some very clear instructions on how to get the most out of my efforts. Like a certified fitness and nutrition coach, the experience and structure of MSI9W is here. Now all I have to do is be disciplined enough to apply it.


My Website

With even a quick overview of the MSI9W tips, rather than trying to optimize what I had, I could see a complete rebuild was in order. My current site already had e-com and I’d been sporadically selling product from it for quite some time, but I didn’t have a cohesive way to manage email, a fan base, visitor/customer stats, promotions, etc., and updates were a hassle – which means, it seldom got updated. I wasn’t interested in piecing together more additions or something new when there are solid management systems already built and ready to customize.

Even so, the thought of starting over was a bit overwhelming. But with the available tools designated for artists from places like hostbaby.com, bandzoogle.com, bandcamp.com, reverbnation.com and nimbit.com, what took me much longer to build before I’ve been able to pull together in three to four weeks in my spare time - and a complete redesign at that. My foundation is now in place and, because of the many pre-existing plug-in options that are available in the site’s back office, the infrastructure is there to keep growing the administrative and interactive capabilities in significant blocks for a long time. Lovin’ that.

So I’ve integrated the initial optimization tips, like making sure my site pages load fast, posting my pitch in the top 3rd of the page, developing a familiar feeling site menu, adjusting/creating my other social network sites (Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Twitter to) and adding features like an artist Page on Facebook (utilizing the ReverbNation MyBand App), then adding their links on my home page. Also coordinated the look and feel of all my sites with my website…and posted a Free mp3 for an email address (was also thinking that if people don’t go for my music in exchange for their email address, I could possibly offer my kids to do work…but that gets tricky). Anyway, there’s so much, the Music Success info is really helpful.


Hosting and Website Management

At the onset of rebuilding my site, one of the big challenges for me was choosing a host. There are so many good options that I finally had to just figure out what was most important to me and go for it. Desiring a template-based artist management system, I looked the closest at HostBaby.com, ReverbNation.com, Bandzoogle.com and Nimbit.com, and, given the numerous artist tools and expense variations they each provide, I finally whittled my decision down to the following priorities:
  • I wanted a template based system that was flexible enough to enable a custom site design that was uniquely different from any other (not simply a color/photo variation on a stock template)
  • I wanted the shopping cart to enable a fan to set their own price while still triggering the song download(s)
  • At this point, I wanted to be able to sell product from my site directly through PayPal without any additional overhead (host company taking a cut).
  • As I mentioned in another blog (What I’m Learning), Kelly Carpenter did a great job with a basic comparison/overview of the various hosting/management services

Overall, Bandzoogle best fit my priorities, and am also integrating some of the ReverbNation widgets. They offer an amazing array of stat tracking reports and info management capabilities via their artist dashboard. Unfortunately, their basic email management system for creating newsletters and fan updates, though very effective, is pretty bland looking and cannot be customized other than your photo and the basic color scheme (not a complaint, it’s very nice for a free widget). It does, however, allow your email data to be exported via a CSV file so you can import them easily into another management system such as your host provider, in my case Bandzoogle, which should enable you to create a custom template in line with your site design. RN’s Pro series widgets look better than the basic ones and some are still free as long as you keep the Reverb branding.


PayPal

Something else about Bandzoogle that was really attractive to me since I wanted my accounting run directly through PayPal is that their checkout system is set up to utilize a couple different PayPal fee structures: one through a Business or Premier account, and the other through a Micropayment account. The Micro account charges a lower fee to you when processing items $12 and under. For items over $12, the regular Bus/Prem account fee is a better deal. Entering your second email during Bandzoogle signup automatically switches your site sales between your two accounts to help you save. Very cool. Here’s a link to the PayPal Micropayment account overview: PayPal Micropayments

If you end up using Bandzoogle and don’t already have a PayPal Business or Premier account, here’s a link to that signup page: PayPal Account Setup > then select Sign Up at top of page

Setting Up a Micropayment Account
  • First set up a second (2nd) Business or Premier PayPal account (requires a different email address than your primary account).
  • Convert the second (2nd) account to a Micropayment account via this link: Micropayment account conversion
  • Select the Signup link and login using your new account info
  • You will then be asked whether you want to convert the account: Ye
Wow, I keep trying to shorten these posts, but...I trust experience will eventually help me say more with less. Anyway, there are a few things about Nimbit I wanted to cover, but will simply say, they have a great set up for plugging into your existing WordPress blog site, or they can provide a more sophisticated template management system that you also host at an outside provider. Their digital distribution options look strong, as does their fan management system. There are also some great tips in their video tutorials for down the road.

Finally, an enjoyable find at Nimbit was the case studies that provided insightful examples of well-defined goals and action steps for a marketing strategy. A little far ahead in scope from where I’m currently at, but it really helps to get a picture of an action plan. And it gets my wheels turning.

OK. That does it. Hopefully there is some helpful info here, or at least some decent food for thought. O boy…speaking of food, I’d better go take care of my captives.

Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
http://twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
http://facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
http://youtube.com/brettbarrymusic



]]> Thu, 11 Nov 2010 01:10:00 GMT 17FC72DF902CE7B2359FE6EE2EB257E9 Your Perfect Pitch http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=543472 <a href="http://www.musicsuccessinnineweeks.com" target="_new">Music Success in Nine Weeks (Chapt 2: Your Perfect Pitch - full version) Albert Einstein once said, &quot;The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results&quot;. I&rsquo;m sure you&rsquo;ve never done that (like, you&rsquo;d have to be&hellip;crazy). But I sure have. Ha! I&rsquo;ve done that whole over and over process over and over, while hoping things would change. So I must be crazy-insane! Point? In the past I&rsquo;ve worked hard to get my music heard, stay booked and touring, and even made a living at it for many years. But I&rsquo;ve never thought of myself as a brand. Looking back, I think that&rsquo;s part of why my career reached a point where I couldn&rsquo;t seem to gain enough momentum to get to the next phase. There were a number of missing variables I can now see, but, one key element is that I didn&rsquo;t understand how an artist&rsquo;s career is made up of many strategic, component parts, each serving a very important role in its development. I didn't really want to know about all that stuff, I just wanted to encourage people and play my music for those who liked it. Seemed reasonable enough. I also didn&rsquo;t like the idea of being labeled, or trying to work within a category. It&rsquo;s not that my writing was all over the place and I didn&rsquo;t want to be confined, rather, I think it had a little to do with my pride and even more with my lack of experience in business and understanding of how good business principles and practice can benefit good art &ndash; even average art for that matter. Looking back, I had a sense for the concept of marketing, but not for the intricacies of its component parts or how they fit together to build something substantial over time. A number of years ago, at a high school reunion, someone asked me, Are you like this household name in the Christian music industry? I jokingly said, You mean like Maytag or Kenmore? (We laughed.) No&hellip;in some places people know me and like what I do, but I can&rsquo;t say I&rsquo;ve reached refrigerator status. (I thought that was pretty good for a spontaneous response. Yeah, Kudos.) I knew exactly what he was talking about, because, clearly, I knew the names of several appliances! Yet, again, I had no idea what went into developing a household name. And I certainly wasn&rsquo;t able to break it all down into usable steps that would enable me to apply the principles to my career. And, honestly, what little I did know I didn&rsquo;t want to use. I had read some about how target markets were developed through the study of demographics and buying trends, which brands were then introduced to, but somehow I felt it was inherently wrong because people were being preyed upon and told what to like (they still are). That just really bugs me to this day. Man, the power of advertising&hellip;or, the weakness of our thinking. I had some great experiences living in Nashville, but also a number of distasteful ones, mostly from people operating at the surface level, trying to do that promotional thing. When we first moved to town, through some of my demo work, I was invited to meet with some labels. I recall walking into the office and the record exec. saying, You look like so and so, and we don&rsquo;t need another so and so. Wow. That was fun. Shortly thereafter, I signed a publishing/artist development deal with a major Christian label, that didn&rsquo;t really develop. Again, I had some great experiences, but I didn&rsquo;t understand the ropes, how it operated, or how to navigate such a system. To be fair, I was pretty impatient. But what little I did understand, I didn&rsquo;t like. At the root level, I noticed that a lot of people didn&rsquo;t do what they said they would. Over time, I developed a love-hate relationship with the superficiality of it all. For all the industry could do for a career, it rubbed me wrong on so many fronts. I know some great people working in it, but the business as a whole does a lot of harm to a lot of people. Remember the carrot dangling from the stick fastened ever so tightly to the back of that --- rabbit? (Facing Fear blog) Yeah, the industry feeds off of people&rsquo;s desire to be promoted. I remember sitting one day in a fancy, penthouse office of a management company in Nashville who said they were interested in working with me. The guy actually said these words: Brett, we&rsquo;re going to make you a star. I was flattered, well, almost. But, again, it just didn&rsquo;t sit right in my heart. He seemed sincere, but it felt&hellip;cheesy. There was something wrong with the principle of it. All the way home I could see his face and hear those words. So, I looked up Star in the dictionary, and my eyes fell on this definition: a self-luminous gaseous celestial body of great mass which produces energy by means of nuclear fusion reactions&hellip; I laughed and read it to my wife, and she said, Why honey, you&rsquo;re already a star! Hmmm&hellip; It was a strange struggle: I wanted the support of that system, but adamantly disagreed with certain aspects of how it worked &ndash; the way it used some artists. With what it did to people through their willingness to compromise. We (my wife and I) witnessed the destruction of many families in that environment. Even know of someone who committed suicide when he found out he was in debt to the record company for nearly a quarter of a million dollars &ndash; and they were calling the note. No, there was too much about the whole promotion thing that just felt wrong. So, fast forward to Chapter Two of Music Success In Nine Weeks: it&rsquo;s time to develop Your Perfect Pitch. Ok, you can imagine my reaction when I first read that. I bristled inside, and said out loud, No &ndash; way. I think I even said it twice. But then, I thought about it, and told myself this is not the same industry because it&rsquo;s up to me now. Ariel is just trying to help me identify and understand the interaction between those parts that have been missing for so long. So I submitted, gathered my strength and said to myself, This is an opportunity to learn; so learn. I pressed past my discomfort reminding myself that I am the student. I need to learn. I can learn, and learning involves stretching. And that comes through trying. In this case, trying reeeeeeally hard (with a high pitched squeal throughout). What&rsquo;s so wild to me is, utilizing the exercises in MSI9W, I came up with a draft pitch pretty fast. I was late discovering the Challenge, so I bought the e-book a couple days before signing up and skimmed the first couple chapters to see what I would be committing to. That whole &ldquo;pitch&rdquo; thing really stuck out, as I&rsquo;ve so elongated-ly described. And, beyond coming up with my initial draft fairly quickly, to my surprise, it was actually something I felt pretty good about. Imagine that. I went through the exercises, spent some time on iTunes and other sites, asked a few friends who know my music well, and then began crafting the concept, just like it was a song. In essence it is &ndash; and hopefully it will become a chorus with a hook that people won&rsquo;t easily get out of their heads. Have you ever seen the reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. with that whistled melody intro? That song has driven me nuts before &ndash; just couldn&rsquo;t get it out of my head! Yeah, that&rsquo;s a hook. So I put my draft pitch in the &ldquo;Pitch&rdquo; field when I signed up for the Challenge. It&rsquo;s amazing at times how things happen that affirm us and help remove our fears. Last week, as I was working on building my new website, an email came in from the form on my Contact page. I thought it strange since no one knew about the site&rsquo;s location. I hadn&rsquo;t told anyone or moved my .com domain over to the new host yet (<a href="http://www.bandzoogle.com" target="_new">Bandzoogle), and I had just posted my first blog a few days prior. Opening the email I discovered that it had come from someone who said they were drawn to my site because they liked my &ldquo;pitch&rdquo; on the Challenge entry page. What? I was amazed. The person went on to say they were glad they stopped by because they read my blog and were extremely encouraged. This blew me away! Talk about timely encouragement. Then, about 20 minutes later, I received another email from the same person saying how they had watched the video we just shot and were deeply moved by it. I was now totally jazzed! I thought, wow, I&rsquo;m witnessing the evolution of a career, my career, and it&rsquo;s happening because I put honest and strategic hard work into relating what I do for those who may otherwise never know about it. My perfect pitch: It seems to be a pretty good fit, and has actually become a lot of fun. As I try it out on people, I usually get a smile and a, Yeah, I like that. Sometimes even a giggle (OK, chuckle if you&rsquo;re a guy). This time around, I&rsquo;m trying something new. And all I can say is, how cool! It&rsquo;s working, and it feels incredibly good &ndash; at the marketing level, and at the heart level. I think my sanity is returning. Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church <a href="http://www.brettbarry.com" target="_new">www.brettbarry.com <a href="http://www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic Music Success in Nine Weeks (Chapt 2: Your Perfect Pitch - full version)

Albert Einstein once said, "The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results".

I’m sure you’ve never done that (like, you’d have to be…crazy). But I sure have. Ha! I’ve done that whole over and over process over and over, while hoping things would change. So I must be crazy-insane!

Point?

In the past I’ve worked hard to get my music heard, stay booked and touring, and even made a living at it for many years. But I’ve never thought of myself as a brand. Looking back, I think that’s part of why my career reached a point where I couldn’t seem to gain enough momentum to get to the next phase. There were a number of missing variables I can now see, but, one key element is that I didn’t understand how an artist’s career is made up of many strategic, component parts, each serving a very important role in its development. I didn't really want to know about all that stuff, I just wanted to encourage people and play my music for those who liked it. Seemed reasonable enough.

I also didn’t like the idea of being labeled, or trying to work within a category. It’s not that my writing was all over the place and I didn’t want to be confined, rather, I think it had a little to do with my pride and even more with my lack of experience in business and understanding of how good business principles and practice can benefit good art – even average art for that matter. Looking back, I had a sense for the concept of marketing, but not for the intricacies of its component parts or how they fit together to build something substantial over time.

A number of years ago, at a high school reunion, someone asked me, Are you like this household name in the Christian music industry? I jokingly said, You mean like Maytag or Kenmore? (We laughed.) No…in some places people know me and like what I do, but I can’t say I’ve reached refrigerator status. (I thought that was pretty good for a spontaneous response. Yeah, Kudos.)

I knew exactly what he was talking about, because, clearly, I knew the names of several appliances! Yet, again, I had no idea what went into developing a household name. And I certainly wasn’t able to break it all down into usable steps that would enable me to apply the principles to my career. And, honestly, what little I did know I didn’t want to use. I had read some about how target markets were developed through the study of demographics and buying trends, which brands were then introduced to, but somehow I felt it was inherently wrong because people were being preyed upon and told what to like (they still are). That just really bugs me to this day. Man, the power of advertising…or, the weakness of our thinking.

I had some great experiences living in Nashville, but also a number of distasteful ones, mostly from people operating at the surface level, trying to do that promotional thing. When we first moved to town, through some of my demo work, I was invited to meet with some labels. I recall walking into the office and the record exec. saying, You look like so and so, and we don’t need another so and so. Wow. That was fun.

Shortly thereafter, I signed a publishing/artist development deal with a major Christian label, that didn’t really develop. Again, I had some great experiences, but I didn’t understand the ropes, how it operated, or how to navigate such a system. To be fair, I was pretty impatient. But what little I did understand, I didn’t like. At the root level, I noticed that a lot of people didn’t do what they said they would.

Over time, I developed a love-hate relationship with the superficiality of it all. For all the industry could do for a career, it rubbed me wrong on so many fronts. I know some great people working in it, but the business as a whole does a lot of harm to a lot of people. Remember the carrot dangling from the stick fastened ever so tightly to the back of that --- rabbit? (Facing Fear blog) Yeah, the industry feeds off of people’s desire to be promoted.

I remember sitting one day in a fancy, penthouse office of a management company in Nashville who said they were interested in working with me. The guy actually said these words: Brett, we’re going to make you a star. I was flattered, well, almost. But, again, it just didn’t sit right in my heart. He seemed sincere, but it felt…cheesy. There was something wrong with the principle of it. All the way home I could see his face and hear those words. So, I looked up Star in the dictionary, and my eyes fell on this definition: a self-luminous gaseous celestial body of great mass which produces energy by means of nuclear fusion reactions… I laughed and read it to my wife, and she said, Why honey, you’re already a star! Hmmm…

It was a strange struggle: I wanted the support of that system, but adamantly disagreed with certain aspects of how it worked – the way it used some artists. With what it did to people through their willingness to compromise. We (my wife and I) witnessed the destruction of many families in that environment. Even know of someone who committed suicide when he found out he was in debt to the record company for nearly a quarter of a million dollars – and they were calling the note. No, there was too much about the whole promotion thing that just felt wrong.

So, fast forward to Chapter Two of Music Success In Nine Weeks: it’s time to develop Your Perfect Pitch. Ok, you can imagine my reaction when I first read that. I bristled inside, and said out loud, No – way. I think I even said it twice. But then, I thought about it, and told myself this is not the same industry because it’s up to me now. Ariel is just trying to help me identify and understand the interaction between those parts that have been missing for so long. So I submitted, gathered my strength and said to myself, This is an opportunity to learn; so learn. I pressed past my discomfort reminding myself that I am the student. I need to learn. I can learn, and learning involves stretching. And that comes through trying. In this case, trying reeeeeeally hard (with a high pitched squeal throughout).

What’s so wild to me is, utilizing the exercises in MSI9W, I came up with a draft pitch pretty fast. I was late discovering the Challenge, so I bought the e-book a couple days before signing up and skimmed the first couple chapters to see what I would be committing to. That whole “pitch” thing really stuck out, as I’ve so elongated-ly described. And, beyond coming up with my initial draft fairly quickly, to my surprise, it was actually something I felt pretty good about. Imagine that.

I went through the exercises, spent some time on iTunes and other sites, asked a few friends who know my music well, and then began crafting the concept, just like it was a song. In essence it is – and hopefully it will become a chorus with a hook that people won’t easily get out of their heads. Have you ever seen the reruns of The Andy Griffith Show and Mayberry R.F.D. with that whistled melody intro? That song has driven me nuts before – just couldn’t get it out of my head! Yeah, that’s a hook. So I put my draft pitch in the “Pitch” field when I signed up for the Challenge.

It’s amazing at times how things happen that affirm us and help remove our fears. Last week, as I was working on building my new website, an email came in from the form on my Contact page. I thought it strange since no one knew about the site’s location. I hadn’t told anyone or moved my .com domain over to the new host yet (Bandzoogle), and I had just posted my first blog a few days prior. Opening the email I discovered that it had come from someone who said they were drawn to my site because they liked my “pitch” on the Challenge entry page. What? I was amazed. The person went on to say they were glad they stopped by because they read my blog and were extremely encouraged. This blew me away! Talk about timely encouragement.

Then, about 20 minutes later, I received another email from the same person saying how they had watched the video we just shot and were deeply moved by it. I was now totally jazzed! I thought, wow, I’m witnessing the evolution of a career, my career, and it’s happening because I put honest and strategic hard work into relating what I do for those who may otherwise never know about it.

My perfect pitch: It seems to be a pretty good fit, and has actually become a lot of fun. As I try it out on people, I usually get a smile and a, Yeah, I like that. Sometimes even a giggle (OK, chuckle if you’re a guy). This time around, I’m trying something new. And all I can say is, how cool! It’s working, and it feels incredibly good – at the marketing level, and at the heart level.

I think my sanity is returning.

Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
www.brettbarry.com
www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic


]]> Mon, 01 Nov 2010 02:50:00 GMT 9014CE80967A2A761F16C83EC01BF6C5 What I'm Learning http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=525547 <a target="_new" href="http://www.musicsuccessinnineweeks.com/">Music Success In Nine Weeks (Chapt 2: Your Perfect Pitch) Question: If your perfect pitch is different than my perfect pitch, can we still make beautiful music together? Answer: Oh yeah! Wow &ndash; we're only at the end of Week Two, and am already experiencing music success! Yeah, right. No, really. Remember &ndash; success is not a destination, it&rsquo;s a journey. And I&rsquo;m already feeling the benefit of preparation (of learning how to prepare), enough to sense this is going to be an eventful adventure. At this point, I think I should be writing specifically about the process of developing Your Perfect Pitch, the challenge of branding your product (yourself) online and off. But I'll touch more on that in my next post. I was a bit late to the party - joining at the end of Week One, so I'm still pretty jazzed about the perspective aspects I'm learning (things I'm discovering about my mindset) and about the practical steps outlined that are helping me accomplish so much. It's amazing what you can get done when you know what to do. So I'm going to instead treat this post more like a progress update and pour out a bit more about the psychology of it all and what system infrastructure adjustments I've been able manage so far. Let's see...as much as I wrestle against it naturally, I'm seeing that I do best when I&rsquo;ve committed publicly to something because there&rsquo;s accountability (if I remain true to my word). I, for one, believe in saying what you&rsquo;ll do and then doing what you say, so that&rsquo;s enough to keep me in the game. But, even more so, I can already see that this process is leading somewhere that&rsquo;s much closer to where I&rsquo;ve always wanted to be. I love musical spontaneity, but it only remains enjoyable when you&rsquo;re working from a well-established foundation through preparation &ndash; when there&rsquo;s a place of order to return to as you reach and stretch (the absolute guiding the chaos). The same holds true for business &ndash; you can only shoot from the hip for so long, and then it&rsquo;s curtains &ndash; regardless of how pure your intentions may be. So&hellip;I&rsquo;ve read Chapter One and am continuing the implementation process. I&rsquo;ve discovered and wrestled to the ground a few of my fears (more to go), and I feel a growing sense of confidence &ndash; partly because I&rsquo;m not alone (I&rsquo;ve found that Ariel&rsquo;s team really is here to help me learn this stuff &ndash; they&rsquo;re on the ball), and, as I keep reiterating, because I&rsquo;m getting clear, step-by-step and customizable instructions on what to do and how to do it. Fabulous. I&rsquo;ve also been working on the Chapter 2 exercise, creating Your Perfect Pitch. I&rsquo;ve been trying out on friends what I've come up with so far and it seems to be resonating quite well with them (I'll next submit it to the Mastermind Group). Here&rsquo;s my current version: Brett Barry: acoustic folk/pop rock ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church. Thoughts? (Perhaps I could drop the genre intro so it reads: Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church.) That's much tighter...anyway, working on it. All in all, I&rsquo;m feeling like MSI9W is a web 2.0 marketing guide for artist dummies! And, if you&rsquo;re not a dummy (good luck on that one), then it&rsquo;s a great resource for upping your game. I&rsquo;m sure there&rsquo;s something in here to benefit everyone. I&rsquo;m still trying to get my head around some of the mechanics regarding the services and tools out there for managing everything, but these are the goals I&rsquo;ve managed so far over the past 10 days: Researched the Challenge Committed publicly to the Challenge: a very important step for me: Facing Fear blog Read and am working the exercises in Chapt 1. (Contemplating and setting specific goals and building a marketing plan for the coming year &ndash; feeling the streeeeeetch&hellip;) Read Chapt 2 and started working on my &ldquo;sounds like&rdquo; artist pitch. Researched multiple artist-focused web hosts such as <a target="_new" href="http://bandcamp.com/">BandCamp, <a target="_new" href="http://hostbaby.com/">HostBaby, <a target="_new" href="http://bandzoogle.com/">Bandzoogle, <a target="_new" href="http://www.reverbnation.com/">ReverbNation and <a target="_new" href="http://www.nimbit.com/">Nimbit, sites designed specifically for nurturing a 2.0 environment (still digging deeper into these - more on this later): This blog by Kelly Carpenter was very helpful in my initial observations of available solutions: <a target="_new" href="http://thiskellycarpenter.wordpress.com/2010/07/30/optimize-this-music-success-in-nine-weeks-week-3/">Optimize This Set up my first blog page: Wrote and posted my first blog: Facing Fear Created a Twitter account: <a target="_new" href="http://www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic">www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic<a target="_new" href="http://www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic"> (At this point it all feels more like Twister to me. I&rsquo;m on overload.) Tweaked my Twitter layout to look like my .com site (I just linked the address for my Twitter account and noticed a note that says, You haven't tweeted yet. I thought, Hmmm, I only do that in private). Researched different marketing widgets to determine whether it would be best to host everything in one location, such as with ReverbNation, or host somewhere else and utilize RN's tools &ndash; and, if the latter, how those tools would interact with one another (more on this later). Began a redesign of my website &ndash; a complete rebuild from scratch. There are some decent and customizable templates at the host I&rsquo;ve selected for now, Bandzoogle.com, or they allow you to design/build your own (not raw html, but still a reasonable amount of flexibility design-wise, which I ended up doing since I was after a specific look/feel. Their design tools and admin layout are very user friendly.) Opened a second PayPal account to handle Micropayments - Bandzoogle, processes your download/product sales directly through PayPal &ndash; a couple savings here: &gt; Bandzoogle doesn&rsquo;t take a cut of your sales and allows you to let the fan name their own price (above a threshold price you set, I believe) &gt; PayPal Micropayments offers considerable savings on items below $12, while higher priced items are automatically processed through your Business/Premium PayPal account (more on this later) &gt; One drawback, however, is that you still need a 3rd Party Distributor to get your tunes to the major outlets like iTunes, Amazon&hellip;(Other hosts like CD Baby and ReverbNation will charge you extra for this service, but it&rsquo;s offered in-house so everything is integrated account wise. Nimbet is different in that they do not charge extra for 3rd Party Distribution &ndash; more on this later.) Created a Facebook Page w/Band Profile: <a target="_new" href="http://www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic">www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic Set up a ReverbNation account so I could access their Free Download widget for collecting/managing fan email addresses Uploaded a new song to give away Set up a ReverbNation widget called, My Band, for fan/stat integration (generates the Facebook Page/Band Profile) Did a ton of header photo editing for the main pages of my brettbarry.com site (currently addressed under brettbarry.bandzoogle.com - guess if you're reading this you're already here :) Set up a couple of customized email templates so they&rsquo;re consistent with the look/feel of my website Integrated as much as possible the look/feel of my website site into Facebook - very limited Invited all my friends from Facebook to my blog and mentioned a forthcoming campaign to market the new video Wrote a second blog and am well into my third. So, it&rsquo;s been a full 10 days trying to do this as I can. It's been intense, but I've been extremely focused, and I&rsquo;m loving it! As mentioned, I&rsquo;m really feeling the stretch, but even more so I&rsquo;m feeling more energy than ever because I can see where this is heading &ndash; to a well-established web presence and a well-informed me. (Although, I did get a &ldquo;You&rsquo;re in BIG trouble, buddy&rdquo; scolding from my wife yesterday morning for not getting to bed until 3 am &ndash; I was on a roll :). She&rsquo;s fun about it though, is my biggest fan, always has been...she&rsquo;s awesome&hellip;and beautiful...and funny...do you hear birds singing? Anyway, she knows it won&rsquo;t be my norm. (Gotta be sure discipline is working both ways &ndash; saying Yes and saying No. Work hard, Yes. Work always, No.) I&rsquo;m finding this process quite exhilarating though. The exercises of the Challenge have already helped me identify different things I have to offer, and I&rsquo;m now working to create short, mid and long-term goals around them. I am setting my goals high enough that I have to adjust my mindset and actions in order to achieve them (by defining and working at smaller, daily projects that, added up, naturally achieve the larger ones). My overarching goal is to grow something substantial, both in my business and in my person. I&rsquo;m on track. It feels good. Really good. Now it&rsquo;s time to learn more about that &ldquo;Twister &ldquo; app thingy. Brett Brett Barry ~ Reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church ~ <a target="_new" href="http://brettbarry.bandzoogle.com">Website ~ <a target="_new" href="http://www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic">Facebook Music Success In Nine Weeks (Chapt 2: Your Perfect Pitch)

Question: If your perfect pitch is different than my perfect pitch, can we still make beautiful music together?

Answer: Oh yeah!

Wow – we're only at the end of Week Two, and am already experiencing music success! Yeah, right. No, really. Remember – success is not a destination, it’s a journey. And I’m already feeling the benefit of preparation (of learning how to prepare), enough to sense this is going to be an eventful adventure.

At this point, I think I should be writing specifically about the process of developing Your Perfect Pitch, the challenge of branding your product (yourself) online and off. But I'll touch more on that in my next post. I was a bit late to the party - joining at the end of Week One, so I'm still pretty jazzed about the perspective aspects I'm learning (things I'm discovering about my mindset) and about the practical steps outlined that are helping me accomplish so much. It's amazing what you can get done when you know what to do. So I'm going to instead treat this post more like a progress update and pour out a bit more about the psychology of it all and what system infrastructure adjustments I've been able manage so far.

Let's see...as much as I wrestle against it naturally, I'm seeing that I do best when I’ve committed publicly to something because there’s accountability (if I remain true to my word). I, for one, believe in saying what you’ll do and then doing what you say, so that’s enough to keep me in the game. But, even more so, I can already see that this process is leading somewhere that’s much closer to where I’ve always wanted to be. I love musical spontaneity, but it only remains enjoyable when you’re working from a well-established foundation through preparation – when there’s a place of order to return to as you reach and stretch (the absolute guiding the chaos). The same holds true for business – you can only shoot from the hip for so long, and then it’s curtains – regardless of how pure your intentions may be.

So…I’ve read Chapter One and am continuing the implementation process. I’ve discovered and wrestled to the ground a few of my fears (more to go), and I feel a growing sense of confidence – partly because I’m not alone (I’ve found that Ariel’s team really is here to help me learn this stuff – they’re on the ball), and, as I keep reiterating, because I’m getting clear, step-by-step and customizable instructions on what to do and how to do it. Fabulous.

I’ve also been working on the Chapter 2 exercise, creating Your Perfect Pitch. I’ve been trying out on friends what I've come up with so far and it seems to be resonating quite well with them (I'll next submit it to the Mastermind Group). Here’s my current version: Brett Barry: acoustic folk/pop rock ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church. Thoughts? (Perhaps I could drop the genre intro so it reads: Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church.) That's much tighter...anyway, working on it.

All in all, I’m feeling like MSI9W is a web 2.0 marketing guide for artist dummies! And, if you’re not a dummy (good luck on that one), then it’s a great resource for upping your game. I’m sure there’s something in here to benefit everyone.

I’m still trying to get my head around some of the mechanics regarding the services and tools out there for managing everything, but these are the goals I’ve managed so far over the past 10 days:
  • Researched the Challenge
  • Committed publicly to the Challenge: a very important step for me: Facing Fear blog
  • Read and am working the exercises in Chapt 1. (Contemplating and setting specific goals and building a marketing plan for the coming year – feeling the streeeeeetch…)
  • Read Chapt 2 and started working on my “sounds like” artist pitch.
  • Researched multiple artist-focused web hosts such as BandCamp, HostBaby, Bandzoogle, ReverbNation and Nimbit, sites designed specifically for nurturing a 2.0 environment (still digging deeper into these - more on this later): This blog by Kelly Carpenter was very helpful in my initial observations of available solutions: Optimize This
  • Set up my first blog page:
  • Wrote and posted my first blog: Facing Fear
  • Created a Twitter account: www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic (At this point it all feels more like Twister to me. I’m on overload.)
  • Tweaked my Twitter layout to look like my .com site (I just linked the address for my Twitter account and noticed a note that says, You haven't tweeted yet. I thought, Hmmm, I only do that in private).
  • Researched different marketing widgets to determine whether it would be best to host everything in one location, such as with ReverbNation, or host somewhere else and utilize RN's tools – and, if the latter, how those tools would interact with one another (more on this later).
  • Began a redesign of my website – a complete rebuild from scratch. There are some decent and customizable templates at the host I’ve selected for now, Bandzoogle.com, or they allow you to design/build your own (not raw html, but still a reasonable amount of flexibility design-wise, which I ended up doing since I was after a specific look/feel. Their design tools and admin layout are very user friendly.)
  • Opened a second PayPal account to handle Micropayments - Bandzoogle, processes your download/product sales directly through PayPal – a couple savings here:
  • > Bandzoogle doesn’t take a cut of your sales and allows you to let the fan name their own price (above a threshold price you set, I believe)
  • > PayPal Micropayments offers considerable savings on items below $12, while higher priced items are automatically processed through your Business/Premium PayPal account (more on this later)
  • > One drawback, however, is that you still need a 3rd Party Distributor to get your tunes to the major outlets like iTunes, Amazon…(Other hosts like CD Baby and ReverbNation will charge you extra for this service, but it’s offered in-house so everything is integrated account wise. Nimbet is different in that they do not charge extra for 3rd Party Distribution – more on this later.)
  • Created a Facebook Page w/Band Profile: www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
  • Set up a ReverbNation account so I could access their Free Download widget for collecting/managing fan email addresses
  • Uploaded a new song to give away
  • Set up a ReverbNation widget called, My Band, for fan/stat integration (generates the Facebook Page/Band Profile)
  • Did a ton of header photo editing for the main pages of my brettbarry.com site (currently addressed under brettbarry.bandzoogle.com - guess if you're reading this you're already here :)
  • Set up a couple of customized email templates so they’re consistent with the look/feel of my website
  • Integrated as much as possible the look/feel of my website site into Facebook - very limited
  • Invited all my friends from Facebook to my blog and mentioned a forthcoming campaign to market the new video
  • Wrote a second blog and am well into my third.
So, it’s been a full 10 days trying to do this as I can. It's been intense, but I've been extremely focused, and I’m loving it! As mentioned, I’m really feeling the stretch, but even more so I’m feeling more energy than ever because I can see where this is heading – to a well-established web presence and a well-informed me. (Although, I did get a “You’re in BIG trouble, buddy” scolding from my wife yesterday morning for not getting to bed until 3 am – I was on a roll :). She’s fun about it though, is my biggest fan, always has been...she’s awesome…and beautiful...and funny...do you hear birds singing? Anyway, she knows it won’t be my norm. (Gotta be sure discipline is working both ways – saying Yes and saying No. Work hard, Yes. Work always, No.)

I’m finding this process quite exhilarating though. The exercises of the Challenge have already helped me identify different things I have to offer, and I’m now working to create short, mid and long-term goals around them. I am setting my goals high enough that I have to adjust my mindset and actions in order to achieve them (by defining and working at smaller, daily projects that, added up, naturally achieve the larger ones). My overarching goal is to grow something substantial, both in my business and in my person.

I’m on track.

It feels good.

Really good.

Now it’s time to learn more about that “Twister “ app thingy.

Brett

Brett Barry ~ Reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Chris Tomlin on the way to church
~ Website
~ Facebook

]]> Sun, 24 Oct 2010 04:50:00 GMT 5E2F71146BCC63ADC5AA86066CA81F70 Facing Fear http://brettbarry.com/blog.cfm?feature=1810180&postid=510604 <a href="http://musicsuccessinnineweeks.blogspot.com/" target="_new" name="facing_fear">Music Success In Nine Weeks (Chapt 1: Getting Mentally Prepared) Yeah, I know&hellip; for anyone who&rsquo;s worked around music or business at all, Music Success In Nine Weeks sounds a lot like one of those, Lose 50 lbs in 3 Days ads. But that&rsquo;s the name of the book I&rsquo;m reading and the blog/build-your-career challenge I&rsquo;ve just signed up to participate in. Though it sounds like a stretch, the title is actually right on. How can that be true? Because success is not a destination, it&rsquo;s a journey &ndash; one that&rsquo;s filled with potential adventure, or disaster, depending on how well you prepare before launching and your state of mind while trecking. I&rsquo;ve read the first couple chapters and am working through the exercises for Week One: Getting Mentally Prepared &ndash; invaluable stuff already. Here&rsquo;s why: the nine-week course/workbook teaches you foundational principles for effective online business management, equips you with a working plan of action specific to who you are, and helps you be accountable to actually practice what you&rsquo;re learning. In short, this tool will help you logically and strategically prepare and navigate your journey. Part of the challenge involves posting blog entries about what I&rsquo;m learning, so I&rsquo;ll be doing that over the next nine weeks. I can hear your excitement. Please, please, the cheering is distracting. Seriously though, I believe strongly in transparency, well, I&rsquo;m working on it, so I&rsquo;ll begin with a confession: I am afraid. Afraid? Of what? Great question, thanks for asking! First of all, I&rsquo;m afraid of admitting to you (and possibly even to myself) that I&rsquo;m afraid. It sounds&hellip;well, wimpy &ndash; especially for a guy who has had so many years of quality life experiences and has overcome many obstacles. Regardless, even though the course will help me become more effective at what I enjoy most (communicating through the writing, recording and playing of music), I still quake at the thought of what it will take to accomplish some of this stuff. I must be more socially challenged than I realize. It&rsquo;s strange. I don&rsquo;t usually feel fear at the thought of most things &ndash; the economy, the opinion of belligerent people who tear others down more than they build them up, flying/dying (not that those have to go together)&hellip;. But there are two things that come to mind specifically over which I sense considerable apprehension: 1) I fear that the music I create will somehow fail to communicate and impart to others the same degree of encouragement it has brought me over the years &ndash; as well as to many others (there was a long stretch where I made my living writing/recording and touring). 2) I also fear, and this even more than the first, what people might think of my thinking/processing out loud; thus, my hesitancy to jump into conversations on the social networks. Ever been there? (Based on certain posts I&rsquo;ve read, I think some people should give serious consideration to actually embracing this particular fear!) Oh&hellip;just thought of a few more things I fear: I&rsquo;m afraid I won&rsquo;t be able to break through my natural tendency to withdraw. I enjoy people and intelligent, meaningful conversation, and in concert I have no trouble bantering with an audience. But entering live conversations online, and believing I have something to contribute, yikes&hellip;that&rsquo;s a challenge. I suppose my greatest fear there is being misunderstood. I fear that what I think and say (or how I say it) will somehow be dismissed as irrelevant or unimportant because so many others are so much more fluid in their thinking and communication. Yeah, I know. Practice. I also fear that I&rsquo;m too old to focus much on my writer/singer based musical interests again (just passed 50), even though for 13 years I made my living through writing/recording and touring &ndash; and that was before the plethora of technology that is now so readily available. I fear that by opening that door again, I might somehow be perceived as thinking of myself as better than I really am, or more unrealistic than I really am (or like to admit), and that I might be disappointed again by hope differed or desire unfulfilled. That somehow I might just be once again chasing the evasive carrot dangling from the stick fastened ever so tightly to the back of that damn rabbit that you can never seem to catch no matter how hard you try! And I don&rsquo;t even particularly like carrots. Did I say damn? I don&rsquo;t think so&hellip;Ohop, yes, I guess I did. Ok, it was intentional. Somehow that word just seems to best connect the dots of that ironic pursuit. Really though, do I also fear that certain readers might somehow think less of me for a word choice when there are so many others that could communicate the same thing even more effectively? Hmmm&hellip;are there more effective words? Can&rsquo;t think of any at this moment&hellip;. Guess I&rsquo;m not afraid of that one. (Truthfully, the rabbit isn&rsquo;t the problem; the curse is in pursuing it &ndash; without a strategy!) So, I&rsquo;ve got a few fears. And yet&hellip; On the flip side, throughout these past 10 or so years off the road I&rsquo;ve developed other strengths. I&rsquo;ve learned to write copy, handle business matters, organize and better administrate time and energy. I&rsquo;ve continued to hone my writing and have been blessed to remain involved in music professionally, having made my living working in copyright management and as a worship/music director. Today, I&rsquo;m employed as a worship pastor, but I&rsquo;m also sensing it&rsquo;s time to 1) begin focusing again on my songwriting/recording and especially, 2) to face my greatest fear by engaging socially with the unseen world. Funny, even saying that brings a rush of adrenalin. Weird. (Some of you just can&rsquo;t relate, I know. Bless you anyway.) All said though, I think that which I fear most is regret. Not over circumstances or events in which I have no control, but over opportunities I didn'&rsquo;t take because I was afraid. So where does this leave me today? Having been given this opportunity to face my fears, and having thought through this quite a bit, I&rsquo;ve come to this resolve: &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; ~ I love the idea of overcoming unhealthy fear in my life more than I fear the experience of having tried and failed. Besides, this exercise is a no-lose situation. Every effort I make toward learning more about communicating in this day and age will help expand my potential for connecting with those who were meant to hear and receive my contribution in the first place. And while they would likely get along just fine without me, it&rsquo;s hard to say whether I might be the one to bring that word of encouragement they need at just the right time. They&rsquo;ll never know unless I try. And neither will I. I&rsquo;ve had far more failure than success, for sure. But I&rsquo;ve also overcome enough stuff in my life to have some very meaningful moments to connect together &ndash; like threads woven into a beautiful tapestry or a well worn, flannel shirt &ndash; enough to know that fear can be overcome, and to know that working hard to achieve something that&rsquo;s meaningful to you feels great. Really great. So here we go. Facing Fear (not a bad name for a band, eh?). Knowing what to do is a great starting point, thank you Ariel and team. Knowing how to do it is golden, thank you even more. I&rsquo;m committed to embracing both. My heart is racing. Brett Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Christ Tomlin on the way to church <a target="_new" href="http://www.brettbarry.com">www.brettbarry.com<a target="_new" href="http://www.brettbarry.com"> <a href="http://www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic <a href="http://www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic" target="_new">www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic Music Success In Nine Weeks (Chapt 1: Getting Mentally Prepared)

Yeah, I know… for anyone who’s worked around music or business at all, Music Success In Nine Weeks sounds a lot like one of those, Lose 50 lbs in 3 Days ads. But that’s the name of the book I’m reading and the blog/build-your-career challenge I’ve just signed up to participate in.

Though it sounds like a stretch, the title is actually right on. How can that be true? Because success is not a destination, it’s a journey – one that’s filled with potential adventure, or disaster, depending on how well you prepare before launching and your state of mind while trecking.

I’ve read the first couple chapters and am working through the exercises for Week One: Getting Mentally Prepared – invaluable stuff already. Here’s why: the nine-week course/workbook teaches you foundational principles for effective online business management, equips you with a working plan of action specific to who you are, and helps you be accountable to actually practice what you’re learning. In short, this tool will help you logically and strategically prepare and navigate your journey.

Part of the challenge involves posting blog entries about what I’m learning, so I’ll be doing that over the next nine weeks. I can hear your excitement. Please, please, the cheering is distracting. Seriously though, I believe strongly in transparency, well, I’m working on it, so I’ll begin with a confession: I am afraid.

Afraid? Of what? Great question, thanks for asking!

First of all, I’m afraid of admitting to you (and possibly even to myself) that I’m afraid. It sounds…well, wimpy – especially for a guy who has had so many years of quality life experiences and has overcome many obstacles. Regardless, even though the course will help me become more effective at what I enjoy most (communicating through the writing, recording and playing of music), I still quake at the thought of what it will take to accomplish some of this stuff. I must be more socially challenged than I realize.

It’s strange. I don’t usually feel fear at the thought of most things – the economy, the opinion of belligerent people who tear others down more than they build them up, flying/dying (not that those have to go together)…. But there are two things that come to mind specifically over which I sense considerable apprehension:

1) I fear that the music I create will somehow fail to communicate and impart to others the same degree of encouragement it has brought me over the years – as well as to many others (there was a long stretch where I made my living writing/recording and touring).

2) I also fear, and this even more than the first, what people might think of my thinking/processing out loud; thus, my hesitancy to jump into conversations on the social networks. Ever been there? (Based on certain posts I’ve read, I think some people should give serious consideration to actually embracing this particular fear!)

Oh…just thought of a few more things I fear:

I’m afraid I won’t be able to break through my natural tendency to withdraw. I enjoy people and intelligent, meaningful conversation, and in concert I have no trouble bantering with an audience. But entering live conversations online, and believing I have something to contribute, yikes…that’s a challenge. I suppose my greatest fear there is being misunderstood.

I fear that what I think and say (or how I say it) will somehow be dismissed as irrelevant or unimportant because so many others are so much more fluid in their thinking and communication. Yeah, I know. Practice.

I also fear that I’m too old to focus much on my writer/singer based musical interests again (just passed 50), even though for 13 years I made my living through writing/recording and touring – and that was before the plethora of technology that is now so readily available.

I fear that by opening that door again, I might somehow be perceived as thinking of myself as better than I really am, or more unrealistic than I really am (or like to admit), and that I might be disappointed again by hope differed or desire unfulfilled. That somehow I might just be once again chasing the evasive carrot dangling from the stick fastened ever so tightly to the back of that damn rabbit that you can never seem to catch no matter how hard you try! And I don’t even particularly like carrots.

Did I say damn? I don’t think so…Ohop, yes, I guess I did. Ok, it was intentional. Somehow that word just seems to best connect the dots of that ironic pursuit. Really though, do I also fear that certain readers might somehow think less of me for a word choice when there are so many others that could communicate the same thing even more effectively? Hmmm…are there more effective words? Can’t think of any at this moment…. Guess I’m not afraid of that one. (Truthfully, the rabbit isn’t the problem; the curse is in pursuing it – without a strategy!)

So, I’ve got a few fears. And yet…

On the flip side, throughout these past 10 or so years off the road I’ve developed other strengths. I’ve learned to write copy, handle business matters, organize and better administrate time and energy. I’ve continued to hone my writing and have been blessed to remain involved in music professionally, having made my living working in copyright management and as a worship/music director. Today, I’m employed as a worship pastor, but I’m also sensing it’s time to 1) begin focusing again on my songwriting/recording and especially, 2) to face my greatest fear by engaging socially with the unseen world. Funny, even saying that brings a rush of adrenalin. Weird. (Some of you just can’t relate, I know. Bless you anyway.)

All said though, I think that which I fear most is regret. Not over circumstances or events in which I have no control, but over opportunities I didn'’t take because I was afraid.

So where does this leave me today? Having been given this opportunity to face my fears, and having thought through this quite a bit, I’ve come to this resolve:

     ~ I love the idea of overcoming unhealthy fear in my life more than I fear the experience of having tried and failed.

Besides, this exercise is a no-lose situation. Every effort I make toward learning more about communicating in this day and age will help expand my potential for connecting with those who were meant to hear and receive my contribution in the first place. And while they would likely get along just fine without me, it’s hard to say whether I might be the one to bring that word of encouragement they need at just the right time. They’ll never know unless I try. And neither will I.

I’ve had far more failure than success, for sure. But I’ve also overcome enough stuff in my life to have some very meaningful moments to connect together – like threads woven into a beautiful tapestry or a well worn, flannel shirt – enough to know that fear can be overcome, and to know that working hard to achieve something that’s meaningful to you feels great. Really great.

So here we go. Facing Fear (not a bad name for a band, eh?). Knowing what to do is a great starting point, thank you Ariel and team. Knowing how to do it is golden, thank you even more. I’m committed to embracing both. My heart is racing.

Brett

Brett Barry ~ reminiscent of Dave Matthews and Mat Kearney carpooling with Christ Tomlin on the way to church
www.brettbarry.com
www.facebook.com/brettbarrymusic
www.twitter.com/brettbarrymusic
www.youtube.com/brettbarrymusic



]]> Mon, 18 Oct 2010 03:25:00 GMT A23DE4CBC386C8C2C40B126AB3BADC67