Big Brother

Does anyone else have a problem with this commercial and the fact that they are using the invasion of our privacy to market their network?

-They can read our emails, text messages and hear our conversations.
-GPS allows them to keep tabs on where we are at any given moment
-They eves drop on our break up conversations...

I don't know about you, but this "now network" doesn't seem like something as promising as they are making it out to be. They are real slick about it too...they ease into the idea of invasion of privacy with telling us how many people are on the network...they are able to handle a enormous number of emails and then slap you with the most common topic in emails....that's a little suspect.

I don't know whats worse...the fact that we have lost all ability to maintain privacy or the fact that Sprint puts it out there so openly and willingly to admit that they are watching our every move...


can someone say 1984?

Consistency

Is it too much to ask for?

I don't mean consistent with the type of music you bring or the sound you create...because then you become predictable...and sometimes even boring

I am in search for consistency in work ethic. People talk about how bad they want to break into the industry, they talk about how much they want music to be their career....but they don't lay down the ground work to get themselves there.

I know people living in glass houses shouldn't cast he first stone, and I admit i haven't touched my guitar in a couple days nor have i really written anything other than personal statements...but on the flip side of that I do run a business and part of taking that on is sacrificing my career as an artist at times to work on other peoples projects.

What I want is for artists to understand that talent alone don't entitle you to success musically. Good job you can sing in tune, but i need more. I need you ready to go when you show up to work. I need sacrifice a little bit of your personal time to get work done. I really need you to understand that talent doesn't draw in a record contract on a silver platter.

"The artist is nothing without the talent, but the talent is nothing without the work."

Balance

The older I get the more I realize that the key to success is balance....at least I find this to be true in my life. As Notes constantly reminds me, "you can't forget to treat yourself."

I guess I could be considered a work-a-holic of sorts, but I just find it hard drop what I'm doing and walk away when there is so much that needs to get done. When I first started AG One, I was going hard every minute of everyday that I wasn't at work, and even then I still managed to find time to accomplish AG One tasks while at work. I handled all the business matters, I met with lawyers and talked to state representatives about getting my business recognized by the state. On top of that I had a heavy hand in the creative side of the label. I was doing recruiting, producing, and performing. I don't need to get into the logistics of it all, but the point I am trying to make is that I let it take over my life. Everything else was put on the shelf: My family, my friends, my own music project, sleep, my health...

It was my first year trying to really go full-time in the industry not just as an artist, but as a business man as well. I was struggling to find that balance between my life and my career. I think the worst part of it all is that I didn't even realize that it had consumed that much of me, it literally took me over. My patience and tolerance was running low, I was stressing so much that I was treating the people I care about the most in my life the worst.

Cliff had to sit me down one day and say, "today, we're NOT working on music. We're NOT working on AG One. We are going to enjoy the day." He told that he let me do it my way...and obviously it wasn't working out as well as I had hoped. So it was time to listen to someone who was 5 years ahead of me and had already been through the same/similar experience I had found myself in. I needed someone to tell me I was fucking up, and the sacrifices I was making weren't exactly leading to the possibility of a better outcome.

Now it is Early April and this is what I'm doing to create balance for myself:

-I am learning to treat myself...when you work hard and accomplish goals you have to take time to reward yourself. If I claim to be working hard for 6 days, and still have work to do on the 7th...then clearly i am not working hard enough in those 6 days.

-set up schedule...with my current workload, and complications with everyone else's schedule as well, it is real crucial to have our sessions organized in order to maximize our time as well as leave enough time to unwind at the end of the week.

-appreciate life and those in it...determining whats truly important and make time for it.