The Moment is the Great Equalizer

There have been so many feelings rising up and passing through me the past several days that it's easy to lose track of time, and a stable sense of reality. I'm fine, don't worry, I'm pretty grounded right now, but I wonder if I'll be able to deal with these emotions the same way when I need to be out and about.

What I mean is, will I be able to calmly process them the way I do in solitude? And that's what brings me to the million dollar point: The Moment is the Great Equalizer.

I've been so much more in tune with my body lately, understanding how it is the master of the moment. The body always gives you clues as to your disposition, and multiple levels--physical of course, as well as emotional, psychological, and spiritual. The moment, this present moment, is the great equalizer because it is all we as human beings really have. The past, the future--these are fairy tales, a distraction of imagination.

When I have the courage to be completely immersed in the moment, regardless of the experience of pleasure or pain, I can see how I am perfect in it. There is nothing for me to improve or work on. If working on ourselves until we were perfect was the case, we'd be working forever because that thought process will always find something 'wrong'! The moment is when you give up thought, and only look for the cues from body and feelings, if you've learned what to look for.

It can be daunting to see what blockages in ourselves we need to remove in order to see the perfection that we already are, but simultaneously, the fact that love waits immediately beneath every perceived flaw is the unfaltering truth that destroys all illusions of 'perfection' according to the intellect. This truth also allows us to be fully human, and operate from the unifying power of the heart, which creates harmony no matter how incoherent things may look to the mind. It is always in the greatest interest for all creation to live from the heart, and the heart lives in the moment. The beautiful, fully alive moment, shining, unabashedly naked, embracing you AS YOU.

Did I just go on a poetic ramble? Love you all.

Gabriel

Heart of Learning: Goalsetting tips for 2012

Here's a simple yet powerful article on how to set goals for the new year, 2012, from a friend of mine:

Heart of Learning: Goalsetting tips for 2012: I am excited to share with you a simple method I discovered for creating New Year’s goals. I have found that using this method, my goals ...

Heart of Learning: Goalsetting tips for 2012

Heart of Learning: Goalsetting tips for 2012: I am excited to share with you a simple method I discovered for creating New Year’s goals. I have found that using this method, my goals ...

Follow Your Heart, it is Smarter Than You Think

Follow Your Heart, it is Smarter Than You Think

What is Meditation without Dancing?

I live in a meditating community. That is, a community in which most people know about and accept the existence of, and engage in the practice of, meditation. However, in my stark opinion, there is a consciousness that is quite rigid on the form of spirituality that should be expressed by those that meditate. It is so rigid, in fact, that most people in the community refuse to meditate altogether, or, they find that it is best for their life that they not meditate. I am not expressing this to diminish the divinity of anyone--quite contrary. I am expressing this to remark upon the fact that life must be lived in fullness. What is meditation without dancing? What's the point of experiencing wholeness within if you live a sterile life without? What's the point of Father Sky (what I see as meditation, in this case) without Mother Earth (living in the world, in the flow of life)?

What I am saying is, meditation is all well and good if you choose to do it, but remember to move your body; shake your hips and pucker your lips. Walk tall or not at all. Love, sex, and love some more. The wisdom is in the living, once you open your eyes, after all.

Peace,

Gabriel

Stop Resisting

Today I cam across an old email thread between a friend and I in which we weren't seeing eye to eye, and I remembered when I last read it, I was embarrassed to read it. Now I read it and realize how I have grown. My heart is open, and, though I am now just beginning to realize how important that is (in my visceral experience), I am keeping it open, no matter how painful something is. Granted, I have been doing some longer meditations lately, so my sense of peace, well-being, and centeredness in Love is much more apparent. However I want to make a point starkly vivid right now:

Many times I resist the call of my heart for fear of embarrassment. In other words, I make the 'other' person's opinion of me more important than the call of unity within. At the time the thread between me and my friend was written, I could not understand that my friend loved (and loves) me, I only saw that I was vulnerable in my friend's presence and wanted to protect myself from embarrassment. But this was impossible as I could feel my friend could see me inside and out, so I made this person superior to myself in my mind. Now I'm beginning to understand that the Love in my own heart is the ruler of my life, not other people, and every relationship must bow before the King in order to be truly successful.

Again in reading the thread today, my friend wrote something that tingled in my soul: 'Stop resisting and acknowledge the Beauty.' I didn't really know what that meant back then, but I think now I'm starting to get it.

I used to make understanding a race, until I realized my life flows at its own pace. I honor my experience wholeheartedly and forever, and I want that to be reflected in my relationships in exactly the same fashion. I love you all.

Gabriel Goldiamond

Phony People

Okay, so I have been thinking a little bit about the people in one's life--who they surround themselves with. I have been thinking about the people in my life that have come and gone, whether by their choice or mine, and, given the spiritual knowledge I have learned, I cannot honestly say that any one of my former friends is phony; they simply don't match a more authentic energy and purpose I have for myself now.

I realize there is no need to hate or hold bitterness. Does it come up? Yes. Do I hold on to it? No. Do I still love the people that I no longer hang with? Absolutely yes. It is simply a matter of vibration. If you see the people around you as phony, think about whether you are being real with yourself. If you were, you wouldn't choose to surround yourself with people that don't match your inner authenticity, would you? Something to think about.

Gabriel Goldiamond

FEAR IS NOT THE ENEMY!

You know, I hear a lot of people talking about Love. Talking about fear. Talking about every experience is a choice between these two states of being. Before I make my argument, I'd like to go into the connotational definition of these two terms with regards to those of a particular spiritual awareness:

Love: The State of Being in which you see that everything in existence is One and connected. There is no such thing as separation in this awareness. Everyone and everything is seen as intimately You and intimately a part of You. From this state spring the positive qualities all the sages, gurus, mystics, and spiritual leaders have talked about over the thousands of years of spiritual history such as--compassion, kindness, patience, well-being, generosity, selflessness, empathy, acceptance, happiness and well-wishing for all beings, etc.

Fear: The State of Being in which you see everything in existence as separate and not connected to you. Everyone and everything is seen as an 'other' or 'foreign' to you. There is no thought of connection in this awareness, except to possibly more fear. From this state some of the negative qualities can be expressed in human beings such as hate, anger, contempt, sadness, resentment, insecurity, pride, greed, envy, sloth, lust, gluttony, wrath (anger), etc.

Okay. Those are the working definitions. You can agree with them or not, but these are what I am basing my argument on, so please bear with me...

Every experience that we have provides an opportunity to make a choice on how we perceive and respond to it. Love sees inherent connection and well-being; Fear sees separation and conflict. The Universe, in reality in intimately connected, and fundamentally, One. (Check out the research in quantum mechanics or quantum physics if you don't believe me.) Due to this fact, Fear sees what is not real, but if the choice of Fear is made, then this yields yet another experience that is perceived as even more contracted, more separated than the last.

Fear sounds really bad, right? "I don't want that experience!" I feel you. Being afraid is not fun. But to look at Fear as something to avoid or prevent is still being in the state of Fear!

If we see Fear as the enemy, we will be afraid to experience it--but oops, there is Fear!

The only way to deal with Fear--if you want to have an experience without it--is to LOVE Fear. Yes, LOVE Fear. Love sees connection, remember? That means that Fear is also part of existence, part of the Universe! It is not the enemy! It is just another experience!

When Fear comes up in your life, it is simply a signal of something in which you don't see the inherent connection of the entire Cosmos, y'know, the one that you're a part of?

When it hits, STOP. Stop everything you are doing and watch this experience come into your awareness. Accept it completely. Look into it. Know that it does not define you. Look deeper. Deeper. Allow it to settle in your mind. If you commit to this process, you will find that it dissolves every time or at the very least diminishes. But it always works.

Sometimes there are fears within our selves that keep popping up, that keep wanting our attention. Give it to them in stillness. Embrace the experience of the fear completely. Watch it dissolve. It may come up again--Do the same thing. If you do this enough you will find your life change dramatically over a period of time. This is one reason why many people find meditation extremely helpful for their lives.

Once again, LOVE Fear! It is the only way to get 'past it'! Then from there, you can make more empowered choices about your life instead of reacting to an experience that is not the truth of connection in the Universe! LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT! And go beyond!

Much Love (lol)

Gabriel Goldiamond

Why do you persist?!? A Youtube Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C5D9OJNlLo4

Should it be Cathartic to be yourself?

Check out my new vid:

http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif

Income Inequality in the Music Biz by Bob Lefsetz

I'm a smart guy. I was educated at one of America's finest colleges. I'm a member of the California Bar. But even if I struck it rich as a writer, I could never garner the millions a banker or corporate CEO does. It's impossible. It's like asking a sandlot player to bat .400 in the big leagues. It's like paying a street ball player twenty million a year. Never gonna happen.

Twenty million a year. There are bankers and CEOs who make this much each and every year. This is not U2, going on the road, raping and pillaging in stadiums for years. If U2 went out again, they'd have trouble selling tickets. Hell, they had trouble moving tickets for the last leg of their tour. They played it out, they mined the depths, they've got to let it lie fallow. Costs for the U2 360 tour were prohibitive. How much did each member of U2 end up with at the end? I'd say no way a hundred million, but let's just start there, let's go with that number. There are bankers and CEOs pulling down nearly a hundred million dollars a year. It took U2 years to achieve this goal, to make this amount. They're spent, but the bankers and CEOs are still rolling in dough. And the U2 360 tour was the biggest in history!

So you're graduating from college, playing in a band all the time you were in school, and you ask yourself, should I give music a go or get an MBA, go to work for Goldman Sachs?

Now it's no longer the seventies. Take a year or two off and you miss the bus. You've got to start now. There's only one band making mucho coin, but thousands of bankers and CEOs getting rich. Odds are better if you become a CEO.

Or you could go into tech. Mark Zuckerberg is not the only young techie worth millions. There's that guy running Groupon and the guy running Zynga, and so many of the worker bees end up making millions too, that's what all the employees at Facebook are counting on. Do you think you can make millions as an A&R guy?

1. The Labels

Used to be running a label paid well, but it was mostly about the music, the lifestyle. Then, with the advent of MTV and the CD, suddenly Tommy Mottola was far richer than the acts. And Tommy and his ilk started hanging with other rich people in the Hamptons, they felt entitled to their wealth. Such that when Napster blew a hole in the paradigm, everybody was sacrificed but the top guy. The people running the labels are still as well paid as they were before Napster, before the recession. They're keeping up with the joneses, they're in charge, everybody's expendable but them. As for those people still working at the label...they're thrilled to have a job. Glad to be slaves on the plantation.

And everything is driven by the bottom line. Hell, Warner is privately held, Sony and Universal are parts of giant corporations. Theoretically, they could invest in the future, they could leave money on the table, but they won't. The execs want that money in their pockets. And they don't really care about the label anyway, they don't own it. As long as they get paid for their multi-year contracts, they're cool.

Music is not the focus, money is. It's a change in our entire culture, why should the label heads be any different. They've fought their way to the top, the top are handsomely rewarded, usually with double digit million incomes. If the guy running some industrial firm makes this much money, shouldn't they, providing entertainment for the masses?

2. The Acts

The best and the brightest don't go into music. It just doesn't pay. The only people pursuing music as a career are the lower classes, who are struggling to get on top. As a result, they'll do whatever it takes to make it, they'll whore themselves out when they get there, it's all about the bucks.

Ergo the crazy endorsement and product deals. The acts feel they're entitled to the money. Look at all the other half as famous people, they're loaded, so the acts feel they should be loaded too. And the corporations are willing to lay cash on the acts, because the corporations have money to burn, their taxes have been lowered, check the statistics, they're sitting on huge cash reserves. The CEOs can use this cash to hang with stars. This is how the Gaddafi family got household name talent to play their shindigs. This is how that guy who made bad body armor got the biggest stars in the world to play his son's bar mitzvah. Used to be no CEO could afford it. But now, they can. And the acts see no reason not to take it. Hell, they don't want to fly commercial, they too want to vacation in St. Barth's. Music has become about the money. But the odds are low and so is the money, so you get the desperate, willing to do anything to make it, kind of like the athletes. Those NBA players are not model citizens, but they're essentially one-dimensional, it's comes down to their playing ability, their performance on the court. But we believe musicians are their music, that they're three-dimensional, that we can believe in them, but we can't.

a. Artist Development

Few of the classic acts did their best work on their first records. But labels allowed them to marinate and mature, to develop. Now the label says no, because the executive wants his money up front. There is no long term. And that's why there's no "Hotel California". Nobody peaks on their fifth album, there usually isn't even a fifth album.

b. Writing Your Own Material

This is what blew up the rock acts. This is what made us believe in them. Now, material is written by committee. If the label's gonna take a risk, it wants insurance. It doesn't want the act blowing half a million dollars on something that won't sell. So inherently, we've got less believable stuff. Sure, there will always be music, but the heyday of the music business was when the rock star was responsible for everything and was beholden to no one. Ain't that a laugh.

3. Concerts

Sure, there was scalping decades back, but tickets were not the equivalent of a thousand bucks. Because no one had a thousand bucks to blow on a ticket. But the bankers and CEOs do. So the hoi polloi can't get a good ticket. And since the acts need to make as much money as they can, and recorded music revenue is down, the price for all tickets is heavily inflated. Therefore, people go less, they just can't afford it. And they take no risks on new acts, not at these prices. And what are the odds the new acts are good? They're just moneygrubbers like the rest of them.

Conclusion

Meanwhile, everybody fighting his way up the food chain is spreading disinformation, saying his hands are tied. And when finally nailed down, they utter some b.s. about just trying to feed their family. But with the money they've already made, they can feed their children's children's children.

The incentive to be an artist, to make great, lasting music, has been blown away. Used to be, a working act could have a middle class lifestyle and maybe some future performing rights income and other royalties. Now, you're either starving or fighting to hold on to what you've got so the bankers will hire you for a private. It's desperation all the time.

Back when we were all in it together, when the gap between rich and poor was smaller, it was reasonable to be a musical artist. One took a chance expressing himself. You could always give up and go to law school, find a place for yourself on the middle class spectrum. But now if you're not on your way to riches immediately, you're boxed out. Which is why parents push their kids to get into the Ivies, why teenagers are creating websites and apps. They want to get in on the ground floor. Used to be people picked up guitars. Now they flock to their computers.

But what if a label exec couldn't make millions, whether it be as a result of taxes or the demands of employees and acts. What if CEOs and bankers made this same amount. Hell, what if forty acts could make the same amount of money as a CEO or banker, and there were another hundred who were solidly middle class, and being so meant you could live comfortably and pay the bills?

Then you'd have the sixties and seventies all over again. Because this is the way it was.

Conclusion 2

The cost of our diverging economic rewards system doesn't only affect lifestyle, it affects art. There's been no great protest music in this decade, despite there being so much to protest against, because the acts don't align themselves with the oppressed proletariat, but the rich bankers and CEOs. And if you take too big a stand, there goes your endorsement deal, there goes your invitation to the party.

But if you could make enough money without the endorsements, because you just didn't need as much to survive, then the acts could play by their own rules.

Conclusion 3

Blame time and again is being put on the public, on the poor. As if the people stealing the music could afford a grand a ticket. This is just the fat cats turning the argument around. Rather than investigate why the public is fed up, they just label the public thieves and say they're doing nothing different than the bankers and CEOs. Which is paying off Congress to make things go their way. That's what SOPA's all about. If people lose a few rights along the way, what difference does it make? We've got to make our money, we've got to get our check!


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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

Two Lesbians Raised A Baby And This Is What They Got

Check out this video. A powerful speech appealing for the support of same sex marriage. Two Lesbians Raised A Baby And This Is What They Got

Celebrity interviews, Publicity, and Context

From BobLefsetz.com

http://wtfpod.libsyn.com/episode-145-gallagher

Have you got an hour?

Nobody has an hour, not even prepubescents scheduled to the max by parents who believe if they don't get into an Ivy League school their lives will be ruined.

But we've all got time for greatness.

I want you to listen to this podcast. Not because you care about Gallagher, not because I want to burnish Marc Maron's image, but because it's so damn riveting you won't be able to turn it off and you won't stop thinking about it when it's done.

In case you were unborn in the eighties, during that era Gallagher was the biggest comic out there, he did fourteen specials on TV, famous for smashing watermelons, no one seemed to like him but he kept on getting bigger and bigger.

And who do we attribute this to?

Ken Kragen.

Ken seems to have been forgotten, but not only was he one of the biggest managers of the twentieth century, one has to ask whether his acts would have made it without him, because each and every one of them hit the skids when the relationship ended.

Yup, Ken built not only Kenny Rogers, but Trisha Yearwood, Travis Tritt and Gallagher. And each and every one of them fired him. Ah, maybe the ending was more complicated than that, but I've always believed they got sick of listening to Ken, they wanted to do it for themselves. But Ken had the vision, Ken smoothed the rough edges, without Ken, they were nothing. Well, barely more than nothing.

Ken found Gallagher and had him open for Kenny. That's where Gallagher started, at least that's what he says in this podcast. And I tend to believe most of what he says here, because he seems to have no idea how he comes across, that's the mark of someone so enamored of his shtick that there's no need to lie.

And the intro is almost interminable, with Maron apologizing for his behavior.

And then you start listening and want to cut Gallagher a break, he's past his peak and he knows it. But then Gallagher becomes so self-satisfied, so obnoxious, that you turn on him.

It's not that Gallagher's stupid. He says how he used to be a chemist and he demonstrates more knowledge of science than I'm familiar with.

But he just can't understand context.

And Gallagher didn't want to do this podcast.

And neither did Maron.

It was Gallagher's manager's idea. You see managers don't understand context either, they believe that all publicity is good publicity. Richard Lewis played Carnegie Hall and then his manager booked him at the Concord. Richard refused, said it wasn't his audience. But after being convinced to do the gig, he bombed.

Artists know best.

And artists don't appeal to everybody. That's a fiction of the eighties, of the MTV era. You've got your own specialized audience, be proud of it.

Anyway, after you turn on Gallagher, Maron starts asking him questions and Gallagher becomes more and more standoffish. Rather than examine what Maron has to say, he just dismisses it, waves off most of comedy with one hand, saying he knows the way since he's been in the game for thirty years. Reminds me of nothing so much as the major label infrastructure putting down the Internet upstarts.

But you've really got to give credit to Marc here. Unlike bending over backward in the introduction, cutting Gallagher a break, he does not do this during the interview. He stands his ground. He goes deeper. Instead of letting Gallagher off the hook, he keeps exploring.

This is so different from today's celebrity journalism it's eye-popping. It's an unspoken rule...I provide access to my act and you play nice. You can't ask about this and you can't ask about that. And if you stumble upon a problem, if my artist looks bad, you've got to back off, you've got to make it right.

I don't care if you know nothing about comedy, if you don't give a whit about Gallagher. This podcast is dangerous theatre that just cannot be denied. Listen.

P.S. Although Maron tells a fascinating story about approaching an icon to do his podcast who refuses, based on prior bad treatment of him by Marc, you can start right in with the Gallagher interview by fast-forwarding to 13:30.


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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

Don't you ever ever ever ever ever ever...give up.

From Bob Lefsetz:


"It ain't how hard you hit, it's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward."

Rocky Balboa

Marc Maron's podcast was referenced in today's "New York Times". He's a comic. I knew his name but was clueless as to what he did until a month or two ago, when I got clued into his podcast WTF and ultimately started listening.

He's done over 200.

200+ podcasts and I wasn't listening. Most people still aren't listening. But suddenly, Maron's got traction.

That's the kind of dedication you need.

Maron was about to give up, he'd hit a nadir. I'm not sure what motivated him to do the podcast, wherein he interviews comedians, but anybody can have an idea, but not everybody has the perseverance to execute. Usually success comes long after you expect it, when you're running on fumes, when there are just enough crumbs to keep you going, but everybody else laughs and tells you to give up.

You've got to have a vision, you've got to believe you can make it.

And this vision and the concomitant desire is more important than talent. Come on, how talented is Madonna? You've gotta want it.

Not that you can suck. The highway is littered with delusional people who believe they're entitled to success, who are still waiting for it.

But some do make it, and they're rarely overnight successes. Or else they make it and lose it and it's hard coming back.

I saw Dice at the Pollstar Awards. To say he killed would be an understatement. He went on and on, he was just supposed to intro a winner. But just as he'd get ready to rip open the envelope, he'd keep his routine going, and it was so blue but so right I've never forgotten it, I was rooting for his comeback on "Entourage". I'm a believer. And I never got Dice before this.

In this WTF podcast, Dice talks about becoming a target. That's what happens when you make it, that's what you've got to swallow, that's what goes with the territory, that's what I don't understand about Taylor Swift. You're playing the victim? You won! Have a sense of humor, the barbs come with the territory!

And we don't know if Taylor will crash, but Dice did. And how do you march forward?

By applying Rocky Balboa's philosophy. Everyone thinks it's about being a winner, taking control of your life, all that self-help b.s. Like if you visualize success, you'll get it.

What a crock.

Life is about getting knocked around. Being able to separate the bullies from the trustworthy people. Being able to bond with enough people to carry you forward.

It is all about friends.

But your enemies never give up. Because you've got what they don't. And they want to teach you a lesson.

I'm not sure if Dice will come back. Sometimes the public doesn't let you. The media ignores you. You're yesterday's news.

But you can't give up.

Rocky never gave up.

Episode 197 - Andrew Dice Clay / Max Silverstein: http://bit.ly/pSPULg


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Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

There is no Right or Wrong Choice!

It's Got to be about the music...

From Boblefsetz.com

1. You've got to know people. Word of mouth can spread only if you know other mouths.

2. The agent had a friend who knew the band, he checked them out, he signed them.

Then what...

3. It was about the agent's relationships. Used to be the start was a record deal, now you begin on the road. But it's almost impossible to get a gig. Unless you've got an agent. And an agent won't sign you unless he thinks you're good. Because for a good long while, the agent's going to be working for free.

4. The first Dawes tour netted the grand sum of fifty dollars a gig. The agent's commission was five bucks. Unless you can see the grand scheme, unless the band's gonna break through, forget it.

5. The band survived by sleeping on couches. Maybe rock and roll's a young man's game. If you're looking for tour support, keep your day job. This is Dawes's first bus tour.

6. Then Dawes graduated to $250 a night. At this point, they're still trading on the reputation of the agent, he's using his contacts, convincing other agents and bands that Dawes is good, that they should let them open their show.

7. Not only does the band kill it on stage, they kill it at the merch booth. They stay there forever. It's less about making money than making contacts. It's these early believers who will spread the word.

8. There was a Chevy commercial, featuring "When My Time Comes", but they got it because the track had already gone viral, kind of like "A Little Bit Of Everything" tonight. When I saw the band over the summer, everybody sang along with "When My Time Comes", vociferously. Now they're singing "A Little Bit Of Everything" too. It was passed from person to person, on a grass roots level, there was no top down campaign, no cementing radio play. Unless you're a Top Forty act, this is the way you do it.

9. When you catch fire, your price goes up immediately. Suddenly, the band was making a grand a night, then five, then ten. You're nobody, then you're somebody.

10. Taylor Goldsmith not only sings and writes, he plays. Kind of like Springsteen, Taylor can execute the leads and still sing. There's no hit yet, but it doesn't matter. There wasn't a hit off the first two Springsteen albums either. You build it on the road, the definitive track will come. Then again, Springsteen and the E Street Band were more charismatic than Dawes. The Dawes crew is more everyman, hey, maybe that's why they back up Jackson Browne!

11. Jody Stephens came out to play drums. Greatness attracts greatness. Musicians are not jealous, they're looking for the next big thing. Sure, they like money, but they like music more.

12. Benmont Tench came out and played on the two encores, tracks he performed on on the record. And when he placed his hands on the organ keys, it sounded so right.

13. They played "Million Dollar Bill". And "So Well". And, as stated above, "A Little Bit Of Everything". That's what I want, a little bit of everything, I want to partake at the smorgasbord of life. Visit every country, eat it all up.

14. I met the dad after, Lenny Goldsmith, who played with Sweathog and Tower Of Power. He said it was before in-ear monitors, he could barely hear himself sing over the horns. He gave up the dream when his second wife got pregnant. She told him he was too old to rock and roll, thirty seven, he sells real estate now.

15. I asked the drummer and bass player why they broke through, what made it happen. In unison, they both said the songs.

16. The agent got them started, but management counts too. They testified about Tony DiCioccio, he told the band what t-shirts to make, what would sell.

17. It's a whole team, not only agent and manager, but label too. You're all in it together. And it's got to be about music more than money because it's such a long hard slog.

What is Maya?

Here's an explanation of what Maya is, based upon question asked about my song, 'Sou's Caliber'.

Groundedness for the Spacey Spiritual Folk

New Song! Soul's Caliber

Just finished recording a new joint called Soul's Caliber! Please check it out on youtube! The link is here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qY05MG3USBw

The song is about feeling less than worthy to go after your dreams but then realizing the truth of your being! Please comment and rate my vid!

PznLuv,

GG

Nobody Likes to Argue...

Another excellent article from Bob Lefsetz:


That's what Steve Jobs did best. Wrestle with concepts, do his best to tease out excellence. It's what's absent from our me-too society.

There's a culture of business books that teach you how to get along. As if life is a game with set rules and you only have to learn them to win. But what's great about life is there are no rules, it's changing every day, and he who is on top of the world today might be a shithead tomorrow, it happens just that fast. You've got to keep your eyes open, you've got to be ever-changing, resting on laurels is for pussies.

But we've created a culture where he who is rich is king. You don't challenge society's winners. That's what the media and the wealthy have against Occupy Wall Street. They won, the game is over, shut up and go home. But if it's not reasonable to ask why someone is paid double digit millions to do a piss-poor job, then it makes no sense to ask questions at all.

And the reason the music business has become a second class citizen is because it has embraced these same concepts. The executives are kings. You do it their way. Do you hear anybody standing up to Jimmy Iovine?

That would be like standing up to David Geffen. And if you don't know what I mean, you've never met the man.

And isn't it funny that art is supposed to challenge preconceived notions.

Everything's up for grabs. That's what's wrong with assembly line Top Forty, it's not. You've got usual suspect writers and producers doing it the same way as more and more people tune out. Sure, Top Forty might have the most critical mass, but its share is shrinking.

Then there are the wannabes who just can't handle the truth. That they can't sing and can't play. Steve Jobs tolerated no bozos, he believed in A players, that these top-notch people inspired each other.

If you're not willing to look at yourself, evaluate the criticism, you're never going to win. Steve Jobs rarely responded, but he read all his e-mail. He was taking the temperature, he didn't want to lose touch.

We've got a whole industry that's lost touch. With overpriced tickets you can't even get. If you owe your career to your fans, shouldn't you treat them best?

I'm always questioning, always probing, and I always get the same response. THE MONEY! That's the answer to everything these days, you can't argue with monetary success. But I will. Because it doesn't last forever.

Who are the leaders in our industry? It's devolved into a zillion fiefdoms. No one with any power is leading for the sake of the industry. And that's just sad.

Stop kissing butt. Be brutally honest. No amount of ass-kissing can turn a second-rate track into a classic.

Everybody's so busy protecting their own turf they can't see that the landscape is being pulled from beneath them. Whether it be the tone deaf classic artists bitching they're being ripped off by the public or the newbies lamenting there's no one with a deep pocket, no label to make and save them. That's like being angry you can't find someone to buy you an IBM Selectric after the introduction of the Apple II.

Jobs wanted to revolutionize textbooks. Sure, he was gonna sell a lot of iPads, but kids would have less to slog around, but more important, he knew that the creation of textbooks had become politicized, that they were written by committee and took years to write. But if he got experts to create them and gave them away for free... He could do an end run around the establishment.

That's what Steve Jobs considered himself. A rebel.

There are no rebels in music anymore. Everybody wants to sell out to the corporation, whether it be Jay-Z or the wannabe or Live Nation trumpeting its marketing deals with the Fortune 500.

What in the hell happened to us? We didn't used to need anybody else. The music was enough. And we had to get it as right as Steve Jobs did with Apple products.

Me-too never delivers greatness. May temporarily deliver money, but not quality.

That's what made Steve angry. Companies run by marketers. He didn't put money first, Apple led with its products. Microsoft is now run by a marketer and look where it's taken them, straight to the dumper.

I guess you could say you bought their stock and dumped it before stagnation, but I'd say you're just a profiteer. Everything Microsoft has ever made is imperfect, has rough edges, just like the Word processor I'm using to write this screed. But rather than delineate its faults, let me just say when I encounter greatness, perfection, I'm thrilled, I tell everybody about it. That person, that team would settle for no less, it whittled ideas into seamless quality. That's what sells. But even more important, that's what we're looking for. Everybody.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/
--
http://www.twitter.com/lefsetz

See you when you get there

Takin it back to the ol' school: Coolio with his famous hit.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OZ_AZBHZ_LE

Acoustic Enlightenment

I've been practicing my guitar these days, and here's a site with some pretty cool how-to's:

http://www.acousticenlightenment.com/blog/

You KNOW...

I want you to do me a favor. Sit back. Relax. Say nothing. Do nothing. Just sit there and be with this. Sit with this for at least ten minutes. Do this while just observing, not reacting to, you thoughts and feelings. (But obviously if you need to use the bathroom, go for it.) When you're done, take a deep breath. Take a few deep breaths. Be with the silence you feel.

I'm only asking you to do this once, but, if you've done it for some time, you will feel something within you is ever watchful, ever patient, ever peaceful. If you've done it even longer you will find that it is You. You will see that no matter where you go, or what you do, this silent You within remains the same. No matter what you know, or don't know, this You always knows. It's not something you can communicate to another person. The knowledge is beyond what you can intellectually share. But you can live it. How? The life you live will naturally emerge from you.

I know I'm getting all old sage on you, but the fact of the matter is this experience is real, and I want you to feel it. Feel that ever-knowing presence that is you and me. Feel that timeless, incommunicable wisdom. It cannot be taught or bought. It can only be experienced, by YOU. Once you experience this wisdom enough, you will realize, that You, KNOW, everything.

But could you first do that little favor for me?

Love and Light,

Gabriel Goldiamond

Here's a great article from Bob Lefsetz.com

"They spent the rest of the time talking about where Apple should focus in the future. Jobs's ambition was to build a company that would endure, and he asked Markkula what the formula for that would be. MARKKULA REPLIED THAT LASTING COMPANIES KNOW HOW TO REINVENT THEMSELVES. Hewlett-Packard had done that repeatedly; it started as an instrument company, then became a calculator company, then a computer company. 'Apple has been sidelined by Microsoft in the PC business,' Markkula said. 'You've got to reinvent the company to do some other thing, like other consumer products or devices. You've got to be like a butterfly and have a metamorphosis.' Jobs didn't say much, but he agreed."



I wish I could tell you to read the Steve Jobs book. But by trying to include everything, Walter Isaacson missed the target. We don't feel like we know Steve Jobs, we feel like we've heard from everyone who was slighted or superseded by him.

People don't like it when you climb higher on the ladder than they do. Check the resumes of the original Mac team. They were brilliant engineers, but there have been no second acts, certainly none as significant as the original Mac. Jobs drove his charges to superiority. He believed in having A players only and getting the job done. But without their coach, the players were lost.



Anybody can find one hit act, but can you find two? That's what fascinates us about Steve Jobs, that he kept on connecting, kept on hitting, kept on getting better as the game wore on. That's the opposite of the arc in the creative field. Where people start off strong and then fade out. The execs remain, but the talent comes and goes. And the execs believe they know everything.



Failure hurts. Most acts don't succeed and then give up. Or keep doing the same thing and expect a different result. One can argue, as Isaacson does, that the failure of NeXT made Steve Jobs great. It's when you die trying that you learn so much. Anybody can get divorced, but can you stay together? Steve Jobs didn't project Pixar would make feature films when he bought the company, he thought it was a hardware/software play. You've got to change on the fly, you've got to be open to opportunities. And it's not luck... Steve kept paring Pixar down, but he kept finding money for John Lasseter to do his shorts. Those shorts evolved into "Toy Story".

I wish Steve Jobs were alive to rebut Isaacson's portrait of him. He'd say he got it all wrong, that it was shit, that Isaacson is a bozo. The same way he was enamored of Sculley and then realized he'd made a mistake. Isaacson is not a builder, he's an observer, taking down notes, trying to paint a balanced picture. Geniuses don't believe in balance. It's fascinating to see them at work. It's all work, all the time. They can make judgments on the fly or ponder small decisions for weeks. Because they can see that the little things count.



Somehow the little things were left out of Isaacson's book. You get no idea what it was like to live in Steve Jobs's body, what he was truly thinking. He emerges in two dimensions, more enigma than fully-realized, and that's a shame, but the products remain.

And it was all about the products. Sculley was a marketing guy, that's why Apple faltered. If you've got nothing to sell, nothing new and different and better than the competition, you're going to struggle, things are going to go downhill.

Record production is all about the new thing. Unfortunately, today the new thing too often looks like the old thing. Jobs couldn't compete with Gates when it came to PCs, he had to define an entirely new category to triumph, which he did three times, with the iPod, iPhone and iPad. Doug Morris will find hits for Sony, but he will not lead the company out of the wilderness. Because recorded music sales are not the future, nor is radio, and Doug Morris is completely blank when it comes to new paradigms.

At least give Warner credit, they're trying. It's the old company in name only. They may be taking too much in 360 deals, but sharing in all avenues of income is the future.

But you've got to be fair.

Jobs was fair. When he came back to Apple, the employees were demoralized, their stock options were underwater, they were not close to being worth anything. So Jobs repriced them. At first the board said no, then said it needed months to debate the issue, Jobs insisted the change be made instantly or he would walk. Jobs got his way.

You've got to stand up for yourself. Too many people at labels are looking to save their jobs. If you're not willing to put your job on the line, you're worthless.

The acts are employees. I'm an attorney, I know the difference, but that's true, especially in a 360 deal. But the labels treat the acts like shit. This will be their downfall.

The music business is being reinvented. Ironically, not by those in it, but outsiders. The insiders are raping and pillaging, piling up money before the edifice collapses. They're doomed. They refuse to reinvent themselves.



And the acts, in many cases, are just as bad. They want a deal, they want someone else to pay, they want to bitch. But the only solution is to stop bitching and use the new tools to profit, to realize it's a brand new game. The Internet is not going away, we are not going back to three networks and no cable. There will only be more entertainment options. You can reach everybody, but it's almost impossible to get them to pay attention. How do you get them to pay attention?

By not doing it the same way everybody else does. By reinventing yourself.


P.S. Speaking of reinvention, please read this e-mail from Mike Dreese of Newbury Comics that arrived in my inbox this afternoon:

http://bit.ly/upZRkb

Innovate or die, that's what they say. Instead of complaining that people are stealing music and you just can't sell a CD, Newbury Comics has been making changes and altering its product mix and surviving. If you've never heard Mike Dreese speak, you're in for a treat. He goes to Japan and buys containers full of tchotchkes to sell. He's just not doing it the same old way, listening to record salesmen, stocking returnable discs and seeing what happens. The future of Newbury Comics might not even be music. Retail is evolving. While other indie record stores have died, Newbury Comics has lived on. By not lamenting that it's no longer the way it used to be, but realizing that the world changes and to survive, you've got to think different.


--
Visit the archive: http://lefsetz.com/wordpress/

Rapper Lil’ B Stirs Controversy with New Album Entitled “I’m Gay”

Interview with Dan savage on the matter:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqJVR0GITpA&feature=player_embedded

OCCUPY THE HEARTSPACE SONG IS HERE!

CHECK OUT THE NEW VID...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apC6brnqg0I


DOWNLOAD THE SONG HERE...

http://kiwi6.com/file/80nz3gy62v


'LIKE' MY FACEBOOK PAGE...

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Gabriel-Goldiamond/146780552075777?sk=wall

MUCH LOVE Y'ALL! OCCUPY YA HEART!

Lemme Share a poem I wrote, note for note...

I have no belief system system labeled "Belief System"
I come with no knowledge of my identity
I just came
Aching to be loved
But sometimes afraid I may take more
Than I need.

I people watch
Like a seeking hawk
Screeching calls
Upon the subtle psychic currents

Watching the lives on the surafce of the planet
Rise like vapor
And fall like raindrops.

I know I am the Ancient One;
My bones are antiquated.
But my marrow is soaked
With the blood of a new body--
Hence the illusion of my youth.

I forget I am a participant;
For I used to watch beings
As ubiquitous invisibility
My Angel Wings spanning
The breadth of a formless
Universe while on Earth
Dark Cabals demand my breath
Only fill the tops of my lungs
So I never feel my depth
And yet
Think I am only worthy of the lowest rung--
NO!

I know who I am,
I know what I'm doing.

My human life appears to be full of fuck-ups,
But trust--
I'm creating a masterpiece here!

That is why
When we link eyes
We will start no conversation;
There is nothing to be said.

It is the silence that erupts
From my being and conducts
My vocal cords to move

So I choose
Love
The green light of all intersections
The glue of all dissections
I do not think of life
In com part men tal ized
Sections!

I have no wisdom collection
I threw it all in a landfill
And lit aflame the selection

But still
I am in a foreign land
Swimming in the tides of human minds
Who have things to define them.

I am alone
Melting in the spotlight
Of anonymity.

In the security of my abode
I am secure in my disinterest
Of deciphering codes

But how can I receive the touch of another
The pwer of connection
If no one has the ears
To hear my silence?

Message from a deep sister :)

http://www.youtube.com/user/LeijaTurunen#p/u/1/bEptAeA-uY0

A question...

When was the first time you ever felt safe giving or receiving Love?

Post your answers in the comments section.

Much Love,

GG

Expanding and changing...

Absolute Directness!

Absolute Directness is a Self-Improvement technique that you can use to create a new you. It starts with the premise that everything you experience belongs to you, and you alone. Nothing that you think or feel is created or caused by anything else. These "outside things" are merely triggers to what is occurring within you. Check out this video and tell me what you think!

Check out a clip of me in the studio working on this new song! It's a tribute to occupy wall street movement, so I'll be releasing it soon!

PznLuv,

GG

Check out this music

I've been needing some relaxation lately , so I wanted to share this with you: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hbb4b1CmgmQ

Work in the Studio...

Here's a vid of me working with my talented friend, Omar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiM_z1_8FnY

Too long between posts...

Sorry it's been 3 days between posts, I've just been a little busy, and under the weather. I've been recording a new song, and I plan to shoot a video myself on Saturday. The song is an acknowledgement and tribute to Occupy Wall Street, and all parties involved. It's called "Occupy The HeartSpace" and it's coming along nice. I know I said I'd have a video for you before, and didn't deliver, but this time I promise I will have a lil video for you by this time next week. I'll keep you guys posted on how things develop.

Much Love y'all,

GG

Reflecting...

Hey y'all. I'm in a really reflective mood. It feels so much better to isolate myself when I'm doing music. For me it can be a little disturbing to be out and about when the creative process is flowing. The exception, of course, is that I do go out sometimes to get food, or a new experience that I can write about. I just started a new song today, and it's really sick. It's one of those devotional pieces, but with a party tempo. Big beats, big bass, crazy guitar, bangin lyrics. I can't wait to start putting these songs out for y'all to hear. I know I can't keep y'all busy with these blogs forever lol.

PZnmuchLUV,

GG

OCCUPY WALL STREET

Yes, I am keepin my ear to the street on this one. Here's some vids of what has happened out there. They're a few days old, so I hope you guys won't criticize too much...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9LaAEnB9owY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5rbXfelyIoM&feature=related

and a report on it by Keith Olbermann:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s4QUePfHFQY&feature=related

Much Love,

GG

Just had to write this...

Keep doing what you feel is right. People will say things to you to keep you off track. Persevere.
Know that it is your path, and your path alone to live.
No matter how bad you feel, understand that you are blessed to have this experience, and to be on this journey.
Get very personal.
Get spiritually selfish.
Work on you, and learn the way YOU learn.
Don't succumb to the way others want you to behave based upon their insecurities.
If you really want to see the truth of yourself, know that you're the one that has to see it, and then, see it!
You will be much happier that you left behind a possession, situation, or relationship to see who you really are.

Much Love,

GG

A powerful quote...

All blame is a waste of time. No matter how much fault you find with
another, and regardless of how much you blame him, it will not change
you. The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you
are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness or
frustration. You may succeed in making another feel guilty about
something by blaming him, but you won't succeed in changing whatever it
is about you that is making you unhappy. - Dr. Wayne Dyer

Live one day...

I just had a thought; can a person live one day, accepting everything as it is, without trying to change anything? Without trying to make it better? To improve? Can you live one day like that? Try it. Try to let everything happen without attempting to change it. Then when you go to sleep, review your day. Review your feelings. Review the things that really made you uncomfortable. Review the things that made you happy. Can you really do this? I am going to attempt it tomorrow. It's too late in the day to do it today.

I'm not talking about passivity; I'm talking about anti-anxiety. Most of the things we humans try to change are things that make us feel anxious inside, on some level. we may not consciously register it, but anything that we find to be unacceptable to our experience we 'correct', whether it be in our behavior, our thoughts, or even our emotions. Let everything happen in your awareness as if watching a movie. Don't anxiously react to things. Let them pass; they always do.

I am going to hold myself to this. So tomorrow is Acceptance Day. Boom.

Peace and Love,

GG

New Light

New ideas exploding within my brain each day. New internal experiences leading me to greater music. Greater peace within. Just Love is going on. Giving up the old. Letting in the new. Ascending from the ground to the True Blue. Okay enough with these sentence fragments, I just felt like sharing the best I could right now. A more coherent entry is coming soon.

Peace and Love,

GG

Just got this in my email today...

...and it was very uplifting for me. But read this as if the letter is for YOU!


Dear G,

You are amazing. Many don't get your Wayseer nature;
but rest assured ...

The Wayseer experience is no more than this:
A heroic soul born inhumanely open
desperately yearning to express their truth.

To you ... a touch is a blow, a slight is a persecution,
a connection is an ecstasy, a friend is a devotion, a daydream is a
premonition, strictness is suffocation, and completion is death.

Add to your brutally sensitive soul the overwhelming need to
create, express, heal and transform -- so that without the outpouring
of honest truth, the creating of music or poetry or something of
meaning your very breath is cut off ...

You must create or disrupt - you must pour out your entire being
in each and every encounter. By some strange, unknown, inward urgency
you never feel truly alive unless you are risking everything to
express a dangerous truth you know inside.

Thank you for having the courage to create...
to transform...
to be yourself unapologetically.

For without your courage the world darkens
and suffers the absence of your light
and the rest of us Wayseers who are like you
would not have your courageous acts to lift us
and inspire our own.

Rise up,
Garret John LoPorto
from the Wayseer Manifesto

Where the music is going.

Not going to lie to you guys, some things have been postponed due to certain circumstances (I know, really vague), but I have begun to see a new direction that my music is beginning to take.

Initially, I had decided that my goal in doing music was to send a more conscious message to the audience that had such pop appeal that people would gain understanding as to how to live their own lives in line with Nature. It's still a goal, but I realize now that what is more important is...to have fun!

Music had become so dutiful, so business-like, that I could barely make it! So I am deciding now to scrap everything from the past (in my mind). I am going to be honest about me. Because spirituality is so intimate to me, that element will not disappear, I'm just making more person records now, too. I need to allow music to help me through the things I deal with in life, and still be able to send a powerful message.

I'm making things a lot more simple. Everything is going to be stripped down to the essentials, so I can make songs quicker.

These are the two things I have learned and I am beginning to implement for teh creation of the next project. Peace y'all.

Much Love,

GG

Short Post Today...

Not a lot to tell today. Why post? Because I'm stayin up, that's why!

Much love,

GG

Learnin'

Hey y'all, I'm about to tell you about my day today.

I am seeing myself increasingly in a new light; I'm just suddenly seeing things differently. I know that it's right because I feel more open. I feel great by seeing myself in this way; I feel freer. I have truly been humbled. Sometimes you see things about yourself that you're not too proud of. Sometimes you are made to see good things about yourself. Today has been that day when I've seen both. I am truly grateful that I have experienced this day--but it's not really over yet, is it? More to come for me I guess, in the next 5 hours.

Much love,

GG

Some inspiration from a friend

I got this from a friend's status on facebook:

'don't apologize for living life like you mean it. Remember that no matter what you do, there're people who will love and accept you for who you are, others that won't, and still others who won't form an opinion either way. So drink life in, love freely, and pay no attention to the haters.'

Beautiful.

Much Love,

GG

A Year of Self-Worth

2011 is by far the most powerful year of my life. The transformations I have experienced have been at such a fundamental level, meaning that the things that have held me back from greatness have been and are being torn away.

2011 is a year of Self-Worth. I have begun to see that I deserve more than I ever thought. Though there have still been ups and downs this year, I feel myself moving forward.

Every human being deserves the best of life. The only reason why every person doesn't experience the best of life for themselves is simply because they don't believe they deserve it, and therefore do not choose it. Some people may not agree with that, but think about some of the most successful people in the world that came from nothing; they were no different from you or me as far as deserve-abliity. They simply believed they deserved success, chose that success, and didn't stop until they got it.

You and I can do the same thing. No matter what it is you want to do, it is there for you. The desire is in you to do it because it is you destiny! The only person you'd be letting down is yourself if you don't do it--and you are the most important person. It's your life, your experience, what quality do you want to have? I deserve and choose all the goodness of life!!! Let's make that our mantra!

Love to you

GG

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Being yourself is not what you do, it's what you radiate

Hey all. Good to share with you again. I was thinking about the phrase 'be yourself' and how many people respond to it by buying a particular t-shirt they like, or following a group of people with similar ideas, or even listening to a particular kind of music.

However I have to bust your bubble--this is not being yourself! These things are to make a statement to the world who you are, and this is inherently faulty for two reasons--one, what do you need the approval of the world for to be you, and--two, there's nothing new under the sun; the clothes you wear, the music you listen to, the groups you hang with, are not entirely unique. Someone has done something like these things before; if you really look at human history, you'll discover that society now is essentially the same as it was back then in terms of the top telling the bottom what to do, and the bottom eating it up.

Being yourself is something that you know yourself to be. Sounds redundant, but it really isn't. The outside world doesn't determine who you are; it has influence over how you express who you are, but it never determines who you actually are. Who you are is something that radiates from within, regardless of what clothing you wear, group you hang with, music you listen to, etc. It is that thing that thing about you that you could never intellectualize or articulate, but you KNOW it.

I believe the world wouldn't be much different--in terms of how things look on the outside--if everyone had this awareness. The only difference is, it would be run much more efficiently and with much more empathy. If everyone knew who they were from within, they could do probably the same thing they're doing right now, but it would have a much more profound impact on the personal experience, and they wouldn't be fazed by soulless authority.

Therefore, make it a point to study yourself. Are you subscribing to something because you feel it defines you? Nothing truly defines you, because human beings are dynamic, ever-changing creatures. Behavior can't determine who you are. Trends don't reveal any clues. You just have to KNOW, and if you feel you don't, then take a breath, and begin to study what makes you feel the most alive and fulfilled in your life.* Not 'cool', not 'acceptable to others', I said 'alive and fulfilled'. The more you study that, the more you can understand who you are, and begin to radiate from within.

Peace,

GG

*I would say this is the only clue from your behavior that leads you toward revealing who you really are. But behavior without this focus is useless.

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Learning Humility through following your calling

In my journey through not only creating a new work, but a business, I have learned so much humility. Following a calling I have had for years but never followed through on helps to put my life into perspective. It helps me see where I really stand with the things I want (and don't want) in life.

I completely open up to whatever is going to help me establish this business and this new album--to anchor these powerful ideas into reality, so I can spread the message of spiritual consciousness to all people, and empower them to live awakened lives, as opposed to brain-dead consumption. My awakening to my true place in this world will only be a conduit to others' awakenings through the imperceptible power of music. Word up.

Music Marketing [dot] com: Your Mother's Music Business

Music Marketing [dot] com: Your Mother's Music Business

Marketing: The Image

Today I want to talk about Marketing in terms of image. When you like a musical artist, you're not only liking the music. There is something about what they are conveying to you, unspoken, that appeals to you.

A great example is Kanye West. If he emerged on the music scene wearing a durag, a fitted baseball cap, and low sagging jeans, he probably wouldn't be as popular as he is today.Why? What would that image have conveyed to fans? What does his actual image convey to his fans?

Whether we like it or not, our world is inundated with images for us as consumers to buy into. These images communicate unspoken messages to the consciousness of the consumer to get them to pay attention to whatever it is that is being 'sold'. 'Selling' doesn't have to be through a product to get money. Selling can happen through an idea to get support. Take the 'Green' movement--an environmentally conscious approach to various aspects of life. If an institution, say, a corporation, wants to promote recycling to the nation, they begin a marketing campaign, filled with images to appeal to the 'consumer' so the corporation can gain support for the idea.

As an emerging musical artist, i am thinking about these things because I want to communicate an honest message with you, both in my music and through the images. I am doing a lot of self-research so I know exactly what I want to say. So keep ya ear to the streets and your eyes on the blog; you'll see how this vision develops.

Much Love,

GG

A great Music Biz Site

Great tips to get into the music bizz;

http://www.musicbiztips.info/

Lenny Kravitz talks about Positivity and Optimism

Here's an article from NPR.org called Lenny Kravitz: Choosing Optimism.


For more than 20 years, Lenny Kravitz has defied the expectations of radio programmers with his mix of psychedelic rock and soul. His newest album, Black and White America, continues in that tradition, hopping between genres and featuring guest spots from Jay-Z, Drake and Trombone Shorty.

In spite of its diverse sonic palette, the album does adhere to a central theme of race in the U.S. Speaking with Weekend Edition Sunday host Audie Cornish, Kravitz says he wrote the title track in response to a TV documentary about negative reactions to President Obama's election.

"It was addressing the fact that these people, these Americans, did not like what America had become — they wanted America to be back the way it was 100 years ago," Kravitz says. "It was quite intense. They even spoke about assassination plots.

"We all know that racism exists, and it's out there, and we're going to bump into it from time to time," he adds. "But to hear people speaking about it with such rage and anger and ignorance ... I was like, 'Really? To that extent?' The song just naturally came out of me."

Taking a socially conscious approach in his lyrics has sometimes gotten Kravitz in trouble with critics who've accused him of putting the message before the music. He says he has never taken that criticism to heart.

"It's funny how, when you put out a positive message, people question it or don't like it, or think that it's old-school," Kravitz says. "I mean, look at the world we're living in — we need all of these things. I choose to be positive and optimistic."

So lenny Kravitz Has a new Album

I love Lenny Kravitz. I've been listening to him for years. Such a powerhouse of incredible talent. He finally has a new album out after some time. Here's an article from The Daily Collegian talking about "Black and White America":




It appears that 2011 is the year that all of the funky people in the music biz come back from seemingly indomitable half-decade hiatuses. First there was Incubus, then the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and finally, Lenny Kravitz’ long-awaited ninth studio album, the double LP “Black and White America.”

For the fans who have been hanging onto LK’s every word, “Black and White America” is Kravitz’ highly anticipated “funk album” that’s been in the works since before the impromptu songwriting sessions for 2004’s “Baptism.” The result is a hearty helping of a rocking cocktail mixed with funk, old-school soul and classic rock n’ roll.

As per usual, Kravitz is wearing his influences on his sleeve – in turn he once again proves he’s got some of the best taste in mainstream rock. Painting with a palette that includes flavors of James Brown, the Rolling Stones, Prince and everyone in between, “Black and White America” finds sublimity in celebrating the best things about mid-20th century popular music all in one big, groovy package.

While the album incorporates a multitude of genres, Lenny is at his best when he brings the funk – after all, this is the funk album, as he so claims. The album-opening title track sets the tone perfectly for the entire album. Lyrically, it’s an assessment of the progress of social and racial issues through personal spirituality and love. Musically, it’s a straight ahead funk-rock romp, complete with a pop-slap bassline and Kravitz’ trademark stellar rhythm guitar work.

As the album continues, Kravitz consistently proves he can’t miss with the funk, no matter how diverse the approach. In “Superlove,” he deftly melds the R&B funk of The Brothers Johnson with the sensual approach of Barry White, and essentially defines what sexy sounds like by gently laying 12-string acoustic guitar work over a gyrating slap bassline. Later, he faithfully channels The Meters in the New Orleans style funk of “Life Ain’t Ever Been Better Than it is Now,” punched up a notch with a jazzy horn solo by Kravitz’ friend Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews.

While the album is clearly dominated by Kravitz’ strong grasp on the compelling power of funk, he flies his rocker flag plenty as well. This is aided greatly by his longtime collaborator/songwriting partner Craig Ross, who lays down excellent lead guitar work across the board. Hard-rocking lead single “Come On, Get It” is not only enough to make you bang your head, but also a worthy tribute to the legends of the virtuoso riffing and string-shredding solos, evoking the influence of guitar gods such as Paige and Hendrix. “Rock Star City Life” and “Everything” are just a couple more examples of riffing hard first and asking questions later.

While Kravitz mostly sticks to his funk-rock guns, he goes outside the box here and there as well on “Black and White America.” The bluesy desperation of “Looking Back On Love” not only sufficiently changes up the pace of the album, it also features an eyebrow-raising minute-long keyboard solo that sounds plucked right out of Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon sessions. “In The Black” features a synth-textured, almost New-Wave-meets-modern-soul drive, slightly reminiscent of Kravitz’ late 90’s/early 2000’s work. While the quirky “Liquid Jesus” may not be the strongest number, it is perhaps better that Kravitz errs on the side of quirkiness than stagnancy.

Lenny’s softer side shows up as well, and in strong form, on the second half of the album. As he shifts the focus from gritty, guitar-based tunes to piano-based ballads, he notably varies up the influences he’s sporting. The heart wrenchingly melodic strains of “Dream” and the gospel-infused “The Faith of a Child” show his obvious affinity for John Lennon by combining delicate melody with optimistic conviction and a hope for change. The power ballad, “I Can’t Be Without You” almost sports a Muse-like tone, merging rock solid rhythm with a desperate but soaring vocal line punctuated by twinkled piano counterpoint.

The one upsetting thing about “Black and White America” is it momentarily goes wrong where Kravitz has done exceedingly well in the past. While past guest artist collaborations range from rock legend Slash’s blistering guitar work on 1991’s “Mama Said” to Jay-Z’s rapid-fire contribution to the track “Storm” on 2004’s “Baptism,” the two tracks featuring guest musicians on “Black and White America” unfortunately fall flat on their face. “Sunflower,” featuring Drake, feels like a hollow pop song, without the added benefit of having a substantial hook. And “Boongie Drop,” featuring a return visit from Jay-Z, comes off as an uninspired attempt at modern R&B/hip-hop. It’s not that pop and modern R&B are outside of Lenny’s arsenal – it’s simply a swing and a miss here, perhaps breaking a tad too much with the otherwise throwback feel of this album.

Overall, “Black and White America” more than lives up to the expectations that have been building for this album since nearly a decade ago, and that is not an easy task. Lyrically, the album both challenges and reposes within a modern society’s ability to rectify social issues through the spiritual redemption of love. Thus, it is conceptually able to match the lushness and expressiveness found in the accompanying music’s amalgamation of rock n’ roll, soul, classic R&B and of course, funk.

Dave Coffey can be reached at dscoffey@student.umass.edu.

DJ Mehdi, French DJ/Producer, Dead At 34--MTV News

Hip-hop/dance producer/DJ reportedly died from fatal injuries on Tuesday after roof of his Paris home collapsed.
By Adam Murphy

French hip-hop/dance producer DJ Mehdi, who began his career on the underground Parisian hip-hop scene, died on Tuesday (September 13). According to several reports, the DJ/producer (born Mehdi Favéris-Essadi) was fatally injured when the roof of his Paris home collapsed. He was 34 years old.

A source told MTV News that Mehdi was celebrating his 34th birthday with friends on his rooftop when the tragic accident occurred.

Click for photos from the life and career of DJ Mehdi.

After working his way up to premier producer status, Mehdi linked up with French electro-house DJ/producer Pedro Winter (a.k.a. Busy P), whose label, Ed Banger Records, rose to international prominence with acts like Mr. Oizo, and SebastiAn and Justice. Mehdi's 2007 single "I Am Somebody," featuring Chromeo, enjoyed Stateside success, including placement in a commercial for XM Radio.

But Mehdi was equally well-known for his remixes, memorably reworking tracks by Architecture in Helsinki, New Young Pony Club and Miike Snow, among many others.

On Tuesday morning, his fans, friends and collaborators took to Twitter to express their condolences. The Bloody Beetroots' Bob Cornelius Rifo tweeted, "R.I.P. Dj MEHDI. The void he has left behind is unbearable. Love you, Sir Bob Cornelius Rifo."

Just Blaze was in shock, writing, "I'm literally shaking right now. We just played together last week. Heart goes out to his family and loved ones. RIP mehdi."

Steve Aoki tweeted that he was "devastated," before following that up with a simple message: "Rest in peace to my brother forever here and in the after life djmehdi. i love u and miss u."

A rep for DJ Mehdi had not returned requests for comment at press time. MTV News will continue to cover this developing story.

Just a word on something....

...Not relating to music. I wanted to share this idea with you, and I might be throwing some unfamiliar terms at you, but I believe that the majority of human beings have a calling that helps them find their place in the world, and they have degenerative habits. The first is called Dharma; the latter is called karma. With that said, I'll proceed on an insight I had into relationships:

Many people confuse love with codependency--person 1 needing someone to feed their insecurities because person 2 in turn needs them to feed their insecurities. It's draining on both people's energy, and actually suppresses each person's light to evolve, resulting in the slowing down of each person's growth (negative karma). The only way to create a truly free relationship is to cultivate strength within yourself to allow another person that you share yourself with to be just as free as you are to evolve in their own way. If they stubbornly resist, and refuse to be on their own path, and are adamant about draining you, get 'em off you! It may seem you are being mean, but you are actually freeing yourself and the other person from the tyranny of co-dependency. Straight up.

Hey y'all

I've been off the map for a few days, workin, and not really having adequate access to a computer to make new posts. I've been grindin, but took a rest this weekend. I'm also in class, so will take a day or two to blend into that. More to come, much love.

Peace.

GG

Bad News and good news

Hey y'all...no I haven't fallen off the face of the earth, just a few personal things I'm dealin with at the moment that have slowed up the music making process. Plus my Ipad got water damage so my internet mobility will be gone for a while...and my $200 glasses broke. Good news, I ain't stoppin. I ain't quittin. There's nothing but this, so look forward to plenty more posts!

Love and peace,

gabriel

Done with the first day of shooting!

Check it out here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY1XxhJgyEs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

FILMIN MY FIRST MUSIC VIDEO!

Hey y'all, super souped! I am filming a music video for my song called 'SPECTRUM', from my first solo album, 'The Gabriel Goldiamond LP' tomorrow and Friday afternoon. When it is finished, I will be releasing it on my YouTube, GOLDIAMONDMUSIC. Of course I will be lettin y'all know when it gets up there, so no worries on that front.

Much love and peace,

G. Goldiamond

Hey y'all. Back on the scene keeping you posted on the ablum's progress. I'm really taking an intuitive approach to this, so the next song to work on will be determined by the needs of the moment. Switching up my energy from only being deep to creating some fun party hits. I'll drop a video tomorrow, love and peace.

G. Goldiamond

Ons song complete!

Just finished the bulk of one of my songs! Really happy! It turned out well. Got the energy right and everything. It's times like this that keep me motivated in recording this album. I'm shooting for the end of october to finish recording, by then I should be ready to get it mixed mastered, and have a more solid idea of a release date, and live performance tour.

Love y'all,

Ya boy Gol-Dee

Just was checkin out some beautiful miso from the lovely Jill Scott. She dropped her new album earlier this summer. Don't know if this songis part of the album but I heard it and liked it. Check It out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LRxf69oGyE&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Steady working...

Check out my new vid of me working on a harmony for a song off my new album project! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8v2u2EE-WA&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Some of my goals

I am finding and feeling a newfound passion for music that I haven't before...I feel a deeper relationship with the art form than I have had in years. I have the innocence I had when I started this thing, but also more of the expertise I've developed over the years. I'm combining contrasting elements in a more seamless way, and my singing, rapping, and instrumentation skills are increasing with each song. I'vebeen producing for over 10 years, but I feel like a baby again. I'm learning a lot more about vocals. I hope that when this project is finished I can look back nit and be satisfied. I hope that you will hear it and LOVE IT! Peace to y'all.

Gabriel Goldiamond

Welcome to the Gabriel Goldiamond blog! I'll be using this site to follow my progression new solo projectI'm workin on. Also, I'm working on my new website, GOLDIAMONDMUSIC.com, which will give you a taste of some of my current and past work. One more thing before I go...you can check out GOLDIAMONDMUSIC.BANDCAMP.COM to hear my first album, the Gabriel Goldiamond LP! Much love, and I'll be seeing you soon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rrN8H40GAws&feature=youtube_gdata_player