Morals low and high
Splashed with city water
On my mouth side
Competition wanes complicates
Waning on in many days
Lungs
Feet
Hands
Sore
We made our way on the eastern shore
We wake up every morning and ask for more
Pedals pushing hearts bumping
We ask simple question
Answers looming
Under the winter storm
Warmness yearning
We wake
We rise
We take
Opportunities blooming
So unsophisticated
Unassuming
We wake up
We rise
We take
I hope this post finds you well
Full of heart and eyes that swell
We make our way to city heights
On this blustery winter night
We find a new home
Among many and hoping
For luck to come our way
We will find out with rest
And another day
–
Gazing Ball Responsiblity
–
Freedom outlined with responsibility
Sounds so trivial
So silly
But the concepts upon which
Failure and success
Of our free country
Hinge
Are within
The two words mentioned
Herein
With freedom comes responsibility
Not political commitment
Or rigid views
Simple daily responsibility
Of citizens
Me
And you
No questions raised
About money, religion, or race
Equality to all
Under the human race
Let us be responsible for what we do
What we say
How we act
How we pay
For creations made responsibly
Temptations and challenge
Run rampant at our fingertips
Accessing the world
In just a few clicks
But with this gazing ball of wonder
You cannot underestimate
Your responsibility
To the greater mankind
So please be kind
Be helpful
A great nation
Flawed indeed
But if there is one call we can heed
Whether a conservative or a liberal
Is mutual respect for each other
And our responsibility
To make the world better
So that from sea to shining sea
We can create something beautifully
With true responsibility
From me to you
And you to me
Trash dumps filled with leftover garbage
Garbage bags filled with pieces and puddles
These puddles draw out into spaces
Spaces filled with black remains
Stains upon white napkins
Akin to other refuse piled in lumps
The waste collects from experience and form
From all the toxic air and electricity
Running from head to toe
Upon this I know that I have a polluted mind
Taken away from the productive line
Filled with worries of which I have no control
Over the flow of my life and the rhythm in which I live
Overflowing with fears of a new life lived
Why is the mess a strong figure in my eye
It takes away from the blue in the sky
Filling it with murky uncertainty
Certainly I can change this inhabited space
With the greener liking
A space where life can grow
Leaves fold into the soil and build life anew
I must push forward and never look back
Pack all that I have and journey to greater lands
This is my challenge to set free
The chaining’s of the must terrible kind
And let the trees and flowers bloom
Replacing my contaminated mind
Oh no it looks like the corporate giants are at it again
Taking money from the thick and thin
They don’t believe in things like sins
If it’s one more dollar in their pocket they win
Deceit and betrayal are their corporate focus
Taking every little dollar from every little person with a little hocus-pocus
Don’t worry about calling them they already know what’s going on
They don’t much care that what they do is wrong
There is a little hope and redemption from a small voice like mine
I guess it just must be at sign of the time
Before too long I’ll be back at it again
Because corporate profits are the same now
As they were back then
A dollar earned is a dollar saved but a dollar stolen is a dollar played
Corporations love their games and love their dollars
The best I can hope to do is just scream and holler
Greed will continue on regardless of its ambition
It will write a new book the third edition
So don’t forget when somebody takes your money one day
It’s the one and only
Corporate way
Sorry it took me a bit to get back with you. We have had a crazy couple of weeks and currently have a couple days of down time so I wanted to make sure I took some time and really responded to your questions. I think the first thing you have to do is create a youtube video that generates dislikes (thumbs down). This may seem counter intuitive, but here is why. First, it teaches you the most important rule in the music industry – don’t give a shit about what people say/think about what you are creating. The moment you care more about what people think than the art that you are creating – you can not continue on creating great art. Also, if you are getting negative reviews it means that you are actually reaching people AKA you are being heard. Just because someone likes or does not like your work does not really matter – you just want to be heard right? You should not care whether or not people enjoy or do not enjoy your music – it is art everyone is titled to an opinion. This does not mean that you should not have mentors – but I will talk about that later. If you can get over this first major hurdle then you are on your way. Exposure in the music business can be a very difficult thing for artist to stomach. So right away, this is giving you a great lesson – to simply let go and start creating. A quote by Steven Pressfield illustrates this ”Creative work is not a selfish act or a bid for attention on the part of the actor. It’s a gift to the world and every being in it. Don’t cheat us of your contribution. Give us what you’ve got.” So focus on giving to the world and forget about what others think – just do your best.
So obviously youtube is a huge way of gaining free exposure.
From a logistics standpoint of building a fanbase – start building a core group of followers in your class/hometown/school. It might just be a couple of friends that you are going to give your first recordings to. Start small and focus on developing meaningful relationships with people who genuinely have an interest in both your music and you as a person.
Play open mics. Learn from other performers and ask questions. Develop relationships with people at these gatherings. Get feedback on your original music from people you look up to and trust. This will help you in deciding what works and what does not. Always try to get lessons for guitar/voice especially when you are young. Great website openmics.org
Nate
A Cup of Songwriting 