| | Perception
is Reality
by Jana Reid
Once
upon a time, many years ago, while fine tuning some details on a tour we were
producing I had a conversation with the manager of one of the artists in the tour.
The tour was a simple concept, 3 singer-songwriters, 3 guitars, 1 stage, a couch,
some chairs, an oriental rug and other items to create an intimate living room
setting for these wonderful songwriters to share their songs and stories with
an audience. We had a good number of dates in soft seat theaters in Western Canada.
The manager wanted to know who would be on the road with them as tour manager.
I told him, for the tour to be profitable, one of the artists has volunteered
to act as tour manager and we, the producers, would literally have a "to the minute"
itinerary for each of them, mapping out their every move from departure to return.
I assured him, each venue was providing the set to our specifications, as well
as sound and lighting tech.
The Manager said in so many words that he
would prefer a tour manager as he didn't want his artist to have to walk into
a hotel and check herself in because PERCEPTION IS REALITY.
If she is
perceived as a star then she would be a star.
(Currently she is one of Canada's
brightest)
That concept came back to me recently in a conversation I had
this morning about people's realities. I truly believe that your life will be
wonderful/successful/joyful/rewarding when you perceive it as that. If you think
you are successful you will be. This philosophy also works in the negative. If
you think your life is going nowhere, then nowhere it will go. I remember seeing
a biography on Liberace and one of the interviewees was Phyllis Diller (some of
you must be scratching your heads in wonder?). She said that what changed Liberace's
life was a book. He had the same talent, the same voice as before reading the
book, but he lacked confidence, and that book changed his life. It was called
"The Magic of Believing".
I went out and bought the book and read it.
The book encourages you to picture your success, conjure up the feelings and emotions
you would expect if it were reality, live it as though it has already happened
( perception is reality). I began seeing myself as someone who is recognized favorably,
by my peers for both my songs and my voice. That's all I wanted at the time. A
few weeks later I entered a contest at a local bar, the contest was for singer
songwriters. I got there the place was packed. I listened to a few of the contestants
and said to myself "I'm going to win this AND when I do, they will pay me my 100
dollar prize in twenties". That's exactly what happened. Afterward the club owners
invited me to host a weekly songwriter night, which I did for the next 8 months.
Within 3 months of picturing myself begin recognized by my peers, I found out
I was nominated for CD of the Year and vocalist of the year at the now defunct
OCMA's ( Ontario country music association). I didn't even know about the voting
until I was nominated.
Well…I won CD of the year!
Anyway let's
get back to reality here at Songbridge. The reason I am telling you all this is
because I decided to wander through some of the other articles we had put aside
for you to read and the one that jumped out at me is similar to what I had been
discussing earlier in the day, so I felt compelled to share it with you.
To
help you shake off those unproductive vibes you might carry...so read on!
The
Ultimate Music Business Conspiracy Theory.
by Bob Baker
Whether
it's the second gunman on the grassy knoll, the alien mystery at Roswell or what
really is hidden within the high-security confines of Area 51... conspiracy theories
abound. Many of us are amused by the speculation, while hardcore buffs examine
every nuance looking for clues to support their version of the story.
If
you'll notice, all of these conspiracy theories involve some type of dastardly
deed or cover-up. Someone is out to brainwash us or hide the facts from the public.
After all, "the truth is out there," according to X-Files scripture. I never seem
to hear people suspecting, for instance, a conspiracy by furniture salesman to
stuff money into the nooks and crannies of the couches they sell. Yet I always
find change under the cushions when I clean. Hmm... maybe they're secretly...
Oh, never mind.
There's another kind of conspiracy conjurer. You know
the type. The artist, musician or writer who believes the deck has been stacked
against him or that nobody will ever give her a break. "This town is just not
artist-friendly," he/she proclaims. "This sucks. Why bother?"
To listen
to these people, you'd think the radio stations, theatre groups, art galleries
(or whatever venue applies) were all part of a sick joke, trying to obliterate
creative growth. And just like the bigger conspiracy nuts, they find clues and
plenty of ammo to support their claims.
"See, that guy never returned
my call," they announce. "I can't buy a job in this town." Anything even remotely
inconvenient that happens to them lends credence to the devious master plot.
Here's
a fun little game that I challenge you to play. It's called the Inverse Conspiracy
Game. For one entire day, I encourage you to go through the day believing wholeheartedly
that there is a conspiracy involving you. Only with this Inverse Conspiracy, the
whole world and everyone in it are involved in a conspiracy to help you succeed.
If you're familiar with the recent Jim Carey movie "The Truman Show,"
you know what I mean. In the film, everything that happens to the main character
is a preplanned scene -- only he has no idea it's fabricated.
So for one
day, imagine that everyone is pitching in on a secret mission to help you. There's
a positive reason behind everything that happens to you. Even seemingly negative
events are put into action in order to propel you toward a reward that's just
around the corner. And it's your job to break the code and figure out exactly
how the world intends for you to use what happens to your advantage.
True,
this isn't your father's conspiracy theory. It will take some brain work to reorient
your mental perspective -- especially to keep it up for an entire day. But just
think how this shift in attitude might alter your progress. You'll be forced to
view everything in a far more constructive light. And when bad things do happen,
it will be your mission to find the hidden opportunity (instead of more reasons
to stop trying to reach your creative goals).
Give this inverse conspiracy
theory a try. You can always go back to looking for evil schemes and cover-ups.
In the meantime, you just might discover an alien on a grassy knoll waiting to
help you succeed Bob
Baker is the author of "Guerrilla Music Marketing Handbook," "Unleash the Artist
Within" and "Branding Yourself Online."
He also publishes TheBuzzFactor.com,
a web site and e-zine that deliver marketing tips, self-promotion ideas and other
empowering messages to music people of all kinds.
Get your FREE subscription
to Bob's e-zine by visiting http://TheBuzzFactor.com today.
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