I was recently asked this question: “Why do you listen to the music that you do?”

I thought, wow, what a great question, I never tried to explain it to anyone before. My first answer was,”Well, I have always loved music, it was a way to escape and drift away.”

As I continued thinking about it, this was the best answer I could come up with at that moment, “I love listening to new music and discovering new bands/artists (especially being a songwriter, singer, and performer myself), but I find I always go back to my favorite music that I discovered in my high school (The Beatles my all time favorites and the Doors) and college years (The Verve, Radiohead, The Chemical Brothers, Primal Scream, Smashing Pumpkins, Spiritualized, Underworld, Sigur Ros etc…)

With the music that I listen to, there is this connection. I would say that its definitely a spiritual connection. Everthing in the songs, from the lyrics, guitars, emotion, vocals, rhythm, groove, ambiance, has connected with me in a way that I have related to the emotional message of the song; growing up, falling in love, trips, holidays, friends, family, broken hearts, long sleepless nights, flying high and fast come downs, raves, parties, lonliness, happiness, youthfulness, fantasies, dreams, lost loves, old friends that have turned into faces in the hall. Also, I just love the fact that my favorite bands at one time made me wish that I was a member of the band and that I was performing their songs in front of millions of people and made me dance and sing like no one else was around. (How many of you sing and dance along to your favorite songs in front of the mirror?? – you can keep that to yourself if you like). It’s the connection that has made me listen to the music that I do.

Though I am creating new amazing memories, I find my favorite music is timeless and the same songs from years ago are still creating the soundtrack to my life.

So now you tell me, Why do you listen to the music that you do?

Here is a quote by President Theodore Roosevelt regarding critics. I think its great as artists to be reminded that if you are creating something that you love, than that is all the matters. Besides you can never please anyone.
“Critics are worth absolutely nothing: all they do is point an accusing finger at the moment the strong suffer a defeat, or when they commit a mistake. True credit goes to those who are in the arena, their faces covered in dust and sweat and blood, fighting on bravely. True credit goes to the one who makes mistakes, who fails but little by little gets things right, because there is no effort without mistake. He knows great enthusiasm and deep devotion, and spends his energy on something worthwhile. That is the true man, who in the best of hypotheses will know victory and conquest, and in the worst of hypotheses will fall, yet even in his fall he is great, because he has lived with courage and stands above those small-minded souls who will never know victory or defeat.”

I hope you enjoyed reading this. Shine on!

I love reading self-help and spiritual books. There are many things I take away from them that help me walk with my head up high, but there is one thing that keeps reoccurring in these books I read: Ask and you shall receive.

I am currently reading “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill, which is one of he most successful self-help books of all time. Here is a poem from the book that I want to share with you:

I bargained with Life for a penny
And Life would pay no more,
However I begged at evening
When I counted my scanty store.

For Life is just an employer,
He gives you what you ask,
But once you have set the wages,
Why, you must bear the task.

I worked for a menial’s hire
Only to learn, dismayed,
That any wage I had asked of Life,
Life would have willing paid.

– Author Unknown

Bottom line; you get exactly what you ask for.

I hope you enjoyed this. All the best.

Shine On and God Bless.

Jude

Here is what I have been listenng to:

1) Smashing Pumpkins – Adore (a lost classic, sounds better as it ages)
2) Paul McCartney – Ram (Paul still at the top of his game)
3) Hologram – hologram + (Japanese ambient reverb with female vocals, need I say more?)

Enjoy!

I’ve been feeling very depressed the past week. I can’t do anything and I don’t feel like doing anything. I try to write and nothing seems to come out, it feels like I’m bone dry. I’ve lost all my inspiration and I don’t know where to find it.

Any ideas??