Attitude

I just got back from a really inspiring songwriting retreat in Mammoth Lakes, California. It was organized by a singer/songwriter friend here in the LA scene. Five of us left the whirlwind of the city and escaped to the mountains. Each morning we went on a hike. Inspiration Quest...

“From the point of view of the person doing the hiring, it is far better to contract with a competent player who has a great and professional attitude than with a brilliant but irresponsible and egotistical musician who will likely require reigning in and micromanaging. No matt...

I love podcasts. More specifically, educational podcasts. Even more specifically, educational podcasts about music, business and thinking differently. Oftentimes, though, I'm at a loss when I'm caught up on a podcast I love or just in the mood for something different. I don't lis...

Photo by Abbyshoot PhotographyVery often, people like to try to bring me down and diminish my standing based on their metrics of success. Today I popped over to Amazon because a friend told me my book was still the #1 Best Seller in the Performing Arts Industry category (!!) - 6...

Last night I performed at what's now become ground zero for the LA singer/songwriter scene: Monday Monday.The Monday Monday series at The Hotel Cafe was originally started by singer/songwriter/FOH mixing extraordinaire Joel Eckels at Room 5 in January of 2013 (after filling the p...

Vanessa Wheeler at El Cid | Photo by Hannah Verbeuren Last Monday I judged an open mic contest at El Cid in Silverlake. There were 22 acts who signed up in advance of the night (many curated by El Cid's booker Michael McCarthy). I'd never been to El Cid before and was pleasantly...

I just finished playing mediator between two of my good friends. To protect the innocent, let's call them Jeremy and Jamie. Jeremy had shot a video for me and Jamie a couple years back. On shoot day there were about 10 people on set. We all had a long, albeit fun, day and the vid...

I'm sitting at home listening to bands I love who broke up before the world realized their brilliance. I knew it. The local scene knew it. Some even had major record deals. Some got their album out to the world. And some were 'shelved' until they broke up. See, signing to a major...

1) Wait To Be DiscoveredIf you want a career in music you have to MAKE your career in music. You can't wait for 'the powers that be' to come swoop you up and turn you into a star. You must put in the work. No one wants to work with someone with a great recording but absolutely no...

Every scene has them. The bloggers, the radio DJs, the music editors, the local Twitter stars, the club and festival bookers. Gatekeepers are an elusive group of somebodies who once were nobodies.What they all have in common is they love the culture of music. They're typically no...