12 days of Christmas contest!

Hey friends! I would love for you to post about this contest! Post it, tweet it, facebook it, t61 it, or whatever else you do :) http://theothermarkmiller.com/12days_of_christmas.html

car wash, studio for a quick mix, home to pack...in that order

now a member of the KC Clay Guild - you who are pre-ordering "things of this world and things that aren't" get ready! http://ping.fm/hU6xA

I really want to play some street hockey - Mighty Ducks style - who's with me?

My girl has only one more day in Dallas (Mary Kay director's training)... Hurry back! :D

I really want to go play monopoly at McDonald's. Pathetic?

Hi friends! You are cordially invited to come over to my house tonight at 7:15 - music/tea/good times http://ping.fm/636Gi

What do you get when you combine live acoustic music, loose leaf tea, and amazing people? http://ping.fm/iu9Zr

My friend, Laura Morsman, posted this blog today, and you really need to read it. In it, she reveals a lot of wisdom about the depths of real love. So, with her permission, here it is:

"Two things I know in life, that may be the only things that really force my outlook on it to drastically change, or push me forward are this, That loving people, expecting nothing in return, selfless giving everything you have to others, spilling all honesty and rawness into someone without expecting an ounce in return, is one of the most gratifying things I have found. In the homeless, in children, the elderly,.. Its everywhere, love is everywhere, being sought after, being lost, or given up on, being taken advantage of.. It's something everyone is looking for, something that can repel you into bliss, or send you straight to the darkest place you could imagine..
Also, that when professing love to someone, and them professing it back, accepting that as truth is one thing, but seeing it through is another. If one claims it and the other does but denies any action to strengthen that claim, it is pointless, useless, and worth nothing. It's interesting, but through life i have found that the people who I have given nothing materialistically to, the people I have barely known or simply approached in love, have shown me more love, more genuine conversation, more raw human interaction than any romantic love I have encountered.
I am not claiming that love is this way or the other way, I am stating only what I have personally recognized.
When you find the real love in this life, it isn't supposed to keep you guessing if you're worth their time, it should energize you just speaking to them, love shouldn't make you feel used up, but continually filled with expression, emotion, and profound one-ness with that person. Love has been given such a tarnished coating and used so often in our world that when people find lust, or attraction, or even distraction in someones falseness which they disguise as loving the other person, that so many have given up, before they have even found the truest of loves, selfless love, and selfless loving."

And so it begins (finally)

Alright guys, the time has finally come for you to influence the new CD.  I have re-listed the steps for you and posted the first 2 songs for you!  We start tracking drums this week and then we start building!

P.S. - these two new songs - 56 and January - will be available for download starting now until next Tuesday, June 16 - for free at www.reverbnation.com/theothermarkmiller - just because I like you (and so you can listen for your ideas to flow).  You can listen to the new songs as well by clicking the music player to the left on my blog page at www.theothermarkmiller.blogspot.com

Step 1. I will be posting up acoustic versions of the album at www.reverbnation.com/theothermarkmiller

Step 2. You listen to the songs and step into the role of producer - telling ME what to add into each song - maybe you want to hear a cello in the third chorus, maybe you WROTE a cello part for the third chorus, perhaps you want me to play a toy piano, or bang on a bucket with a wrench - comment here, email your ideas to theothermarkmiller@gmail.com, or message me on the reverbnation page

Step 3. I take your suggestion, no matter how crazy it is, and if I can do it, or find someone who can, then I will. If it works, then it will be on the final album! If it doesn't, well, we shall see...

So what do you get out of this? Well, no royalties unfortunately, but you do get honorable mention in the CD cover - and satisfaction...

Also, I will pick three winners for the following awards, and they will all be getting extra special mention and free CDs :)

The Most Creative Award -to the most creative idea of all

The Song Maker Award -to the idea that ends up influencing a single song the most

The Make My Day Award -to the idea that is the most fun to try

So there you have it! Let the games begin!

The Quest for Commodore

Hey guys, I just got a call from a friend of mine who WAS playing a show this Friday night UNTIL he was reminded of a wedding he was supposed to be in the same night... so now its MY show :) Fun times. And perfect timing. And here is why:

During my trip to Ft. Wayne, IN, I stumbled upon a beautiful beaten up guitar hanging in a corner of a music store's dungeon. *Warning - the following couple sentences are intended for guitar players and should not be read by people who would care more about picking their teeth* As I picked it up, I realized that it had a L.R. Baggs duet pickup/eq (retails for $800 on its own). So I plugged it into an amp, ran my fingers up its delicate neck into the cutaway body, and instantly fell in love. Best part? They are only asking $400 for it.

I know what you are thinking... don't you already own 3 guitars? well... four actually... but the problem is that none of them are good, solid stage guitars. They take a lot of EQ, a talented sound guy, and a healthy dose of good luck to get them to sound good - and they don't really play that well and limit me to what I can do.

So this guitar would become my flagship, my commodore, as it were. And its on hold for me for another week while I see if can scratch up $300 more.

So, come listen to music! I plan to break out ANOTHER new song even, so yay. And if you could bring a dollar or two to rescue Commodore from the music store, you would make me and the guitar exceptionally happy. 

And how about this? If you donate $5 or more towards the guitar, I'll put your name in the thankyou section for my new CD (that I'm working on now :D) Cool? I think so. Hope to see you Friday at 7!

Details:

Scooter's at 10610 Shawnee Mission Parkway. Its in a bank. 

7 PM - but show up at like 6:30 to get some drinks and a seat :)

Josh Hafner is going to be starting us off with his songs at 7! So don't be late! 

We have something extra special too - you will just have to come to find out :)

Yes indeed.

Im really excited to finally get to share this... http://topsellingauthors.com/world/top_stories/1383/2523/mark_miller

I'm going barefoot tomorrow

I'm joining Toms Shoes and going barefoot tomorrow - and here is why :)   

I would LOVE to have you join me!

-Mark

THE FACTS

• Fact #1: In some developing nations, children must walk for miles to food, clean water and to seek medical help.
• Fact #2: Cuts and sores on feet can lead to serious infection.
• Fact #3: Often, children cannot attend school barefoot.
• Fact #4: In Ethiopia, approximately one million people are suffering from Podoconiosis, a debilitating and disfiguring disease caused by walking barefoot in volcanic soil.
• Fact #5: Podoconiosis is 100% preventable by wearing shoes.

JOIN US

• On April 16th, go barefoot on the way to the water cooler, walking to the mailbox, in an afternoon meeting or on your lunch break; go barefoot for the entire day or long enough to raise awareness.
• Attend a shoeless event in your area. Check this page for updates on times and specific locations.
• RSVP and pledge your support on Facebook: click HERE.
• Share One Day Without Shoes with all your friends on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Myspace by updating your status, writing a note, or posting a bulletin.
• Blog about One Day Without Shoes on April 16th.
• Buy TOMS Shoes and join our One for One movement! For every pair you purchase, TOMS will give a pair of shoes to a child in need. One for One. Purchase yours today!
• Share the TOMS mission, and how our One for One movement is changing the lives of children in need.

http://www.tomsshoes.com/content.asp?tid=284

Blonds and Bistros

random blond joke of the day:

Three blonds were walking through the forest when they came upon a set of tracks.

The first blond said, "hey look, deer tracks!"

The second blond said, "no, idiot, those are moose tracks."

The third blond said, "you're both wrong!  Those are definitely Elk tracks."

They were still arguing when the train hit them.

Please don't hate me blond headed people.  You are beautiful AND smart I am sure. 

Stay away from trains though - just in case.

Hey!  Manhattan show was fun!  Thanks to those who came out and especially to Carolyn, Brenna, and Lindsey for helping with the set list during the show.   

Bluestem Bistro is a great place - and you really can't go wrong with whatever you get from the menu.  Over the course of the day there I had Mint Vanilla tea, Paris Vanilla tea, Gunpowder Green tea, and some awesome fruit blend.  And several cups of each.  It was awesome.

Recap: Blonds - please don't hate me.  Manhattan show = fun.  Engrave your name on a table at Bluestem Bistro in Manhattan and never leave.

 

hmmm...

On my drive to Manhattan today, I passed a guy who had his arm and head stuck out his door - brushing his teeth.   I'm pretty sure that's not a good idea.  But good ideas are seldom so entertaining.

Show tonight in Manhattan is at Bluestem Bistro at 8 PM.  Sounds like we won't have the sound board either, so it should be a genuinely unplugged night.  Fun times.  No really, I like genuinely unplugged.  As long as you are here.

William Fitzsimmons and the beginning of randomness

I've decided to include something random with every post from here on out.

Random quote someone told me today - taken totally out of context - "You look like a 3."

Good luck figuring that one out.  Don't hurt yourself.

Onto something of substance: I went to the Bottleneck in Lawrence to watch William Fitzsimmons play his tunes last night.  I really, really like him.  Its really quite amazing how captivating his songs are when they really have almost no dynamic varience - but they are so so good that way!  

How to describe William Fitzsimmons... hmmm...

Ok, here we go.  If I was stranded on a desert island, living among ravenous wild beasts and restless natives, and could pick only one person to come along, calm my thoughts, and sing me to sleep every night, it would be William Fitzsimmons.  And I'm straight.  Lets put that out there since most of you don't know me personallly.

He just has this way of singing that soothes your soul and heals the wounds of past years gone awry. And if he were to take the place of the pied piper playing his guitar - I would probably follow him to the sea.  

Oh, and for those of you in Manhattan, see you in less than 24 hours at Bluestem Bistro! 

Static Electricity for the Heart

Thunderstorms outside right now.  Watching the hard rain catch the luminance of the lighting while listening to Dashboard Confessional sing "Heaven Here" is probably one of the greatest things in the world - at least at this moment.  Its like static electricity for the heart.

"And heaven's not waiting

It's spilling its secrets, its right here between us

And We've no other choice but belief"

___________________

And here are 5 more songs I love right now - and therefore you should check them out -  or just outright buy them on itunes and support good music.

"For My Love" - Bethany Dillon

"Wish You Well" - Katie Herzig

"When Did You Fall" - Chris Rice

"Tea and Sympathy" - Jars of Clay

"The Hardest Part" - Blake Aaron Guthrie

So I saw the best concert of my life - Andrew Bird

The question came from my friend, Brian, a few months ago - "Hey, have you ever heard Andrew Bird?"  Well, I never have actually heard him before, I replied truthfully, though I've heard of him from anoth

er friend of mine, Jeff.  

Brian can barely hold it in - "Dude, you HAVE to listen to him!  I'll lend you a CD."  So he did.  And I intended to listen to it - I really did.  But I never did listen...  

Several months pass...

Brian calls - "hey, you want to go to an Andrew Bird concert?"  

Me - "Sure, how much is it?"

Brian - "Don't worry about it.  I'll take you for your birthday."

Me - "Heck yes!"

The night of the show...

I didn't really know what to expect.  I knew he was good.  I knew he played violin and whistled and sang and all.  But what I heard and saw blew my mind.  

He started out the show solo, but within two minutes I could have sworn he had a string quartet, guitar player, and 3 background vocalists standing there with him - such was his mastering of his instruments and multiple loop pedals.

After a couple numbers, he was joined by his multi talented drummer, bassist, and secondary guitarist - and they perfectly accented Birds abilities even through their own obvious mastery of their instruments.  Everything from dress and stage presence to musical prowess seemed perfectly synchronized and well thought through.  Everyone knew their roles and played them out to perfection.

But it was Andrew Bird's gypsy like music and Captain Jack Sparrow swaggering that drew me to an immediate conclusion - this was the best performer I have ever witnessed or heard of.  Layer after layer of pizzicato gyspy scales and classical violin swoons were topped with smooth jazz vocals and accented with flawless whistling doubled by glockenspiel.  And I don't even usually like whistling - at least, I didn't before.  

People often ask me what concert is the best that I have ever seen.  After partaking in Andrew Bird at Liberty Hall on March 16, 2009, I finally have an answer.

how to be a full-time touring musician

Often times I'll meet people at a show on the road and they will ask me, how did you get to doing what you do now? Well, I just read this interview by Derek Sivers with Amber Rubarth and thought that it answers that question better than I have in the past - plus, I just plain learned a lot. So here you go, this is for all of my aspiring full-time musician friends out there. Go for it.

-Mark

P.S. Make sure you check out Amber's music - it's well worth your time.

Success Stories : Amber Rubarth (how to be a full-time touring musician)

January 13th, 2009

Amber Rubarth is a 26-year-old singer/songwriter from Reno, who only started playing music five years ago, but is making a full-time living touring, including four tours of Europe, booking it all herself.

She’s also one of the happiest musicians I’ve met.

Most musicians I know feel it’s tough, but Amber seems to glide through it all effortlessly.

How does she do it? What can other musicians learn from her approach? I interviewed her to find out.

Highlights: (full interview below)

• building your network by helping others
• interning with a booking agent, to understand what’s needed
• prove to each venue that you’re going to promote
• let your email signature do the hype

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FROM PICKING UP A GUITAR TO A PAYING GIG WITHIN A FEW WEEKS

There’s an interesting lesson in how you started. When you decided you wanted to play music, you immersed yourself into the local live scene and started performing publicly within a few weeks of picking up a guitar.

Yeah. I had literally picked up a guitar for the first time just three weeks before going to my first open mic. I had songs I wanted to play. I wanted to see and meet other musicians, and understand what the scene was like.

I was just excited about doing music and wanted to saturate myself, so naturally I thought, “Be around other musicians.” Get in there, see what other people are doing, share what I’m doing, and see what people think of it.

I was extremely shy. I remember the first open mic I did, people were looking at me on stage, and I thought, “Why is everyone looking at me?” And I had to remember, “Oh, right. I’m playing.”

If you immerse yourself anytime you’re getting into something, it’s like learning a language: if you’re surrounded by it, it’s a lot easier.

Especially with the music community because everybody is so nice because they’re doing what they love. You know? The sense of community and being able to talk to people and hear people and get response from people about what you’re doing. Everybody went to the same open mic every week and hung out - it was a nice little group.

Also I just didn’t know any better. I just thought, “Oh, you’re doing music? Me too! So I’ll go hang out with you.”

Then you got your first paying gig right away.

I had only done the open mic for about four weeks. I was still playing C, G, and sometimes F. I really wasn’t experienced at all.

But one day, a couple friends and I just walked into a coffee shop with our guitars and started singing, as a joke - because we were nerdy like that.

The manager of the coffee shop called me the next day and said, “Hey, what would we have to pay you to come back every Sunday?”

We said $20, thinking that was for all three of us to split, but when he gave us $20 each we thought, “Oh my gosh! We’re making money!”

Then you really turned this into a scene, bringing in other artists, right?

Yeah. We played that place for about a year, but we would invite other musicians to come play with us, and started creating a scene. Then people would ask us to do other shows.

I started bringing other artists that I liked into Reno. If somebody was playing in San Francisco or Sacramento I would contact them and say, “Hey, we have a growing music scene here in Reno, and if you want to play here I would be happy to book you.”

So I actually had a lot of people at one point contacting me to be booked, where I had nothing to do with the music part, I was just booking. I did it just to learn about it.

---

WORKING FOR A BOOKING AGENT

Then you interned for a booking agent, and learned a ton.

There’s a Hilton in Reno that’s a big music venue with national acts. I called the booking agent there and just asked if I could intern for her - basically just kind of follow her around for a day.

I told her I was a musician, just getting started, and wanted to learn about the booking from the booker’s end, because I didn’t know anything about it, and there weren’t many musicians in Reno who knew about booking things other than a coffee shop, you know, like booking real shows.

People like her probably don’t have a lot of people asking for their expertise in something. It’s a show of respect to the people who do know what they’re doing and letting them know that you want to learn - and that you’re willing to help in whatever ways that you can help. Even if it’s just grunt work, you know?

She was really nice and had me go in there every week to help her out with filing or whatever. She would show me press kits to show me what they did book and what they didn’t book. That was really helpful: rather than trying to learn everything from a musician’s point of view, branching out and asking, “What are these people receiving?”

What are the biggest lessons you learned from working with the agent?

As a musician, make sure you’re providing something - not just asking for something. Let the booker know whether you can bring people out, or whether you’re going to do all that you can to get the media involved. Let them know that you’re putting effort into it.

Tell them straightforward, that you’re reaching out to people on MySpace, that you’re going to write a press release up and ask them for a media list. They like that, even if it takes them an extra minute to send out their media list, they like knowing that you’re putting the effort in and that you really want to make it a good show. That you’re not just expecting to go there and have a built audience and have them do all the work. You know?

A booker receives tons of press kits. Certain ones are going to stand out and certain ones aren’t. So what is the difference? What does that?

Following-up. A lot of press kits sat there because nobody called and nobody asked about it.

There’s definitely a point where people can follow-up too much, but I think that if you’re just consistent and looking for an answer, whether it’s a yes or no, and understanding that these people have a lot on their plates and they’re shuffling through everything. Remind them that you really want to play there or that you really think that it would be a good fit.

There were all of these factors that I had never considered yet - and then I kind of got a little taste of that.

Then this agent started helping you, more than you expected.

She started booking me as an opening act for some of their bigger shows. That wasn’t what I went there for. I didn’t even really think that that would happen. I didn’t think that I was ready to play there. I really didn’t expect her to book me.

But when you put yourself out and you’re trying to learn something, and you’re trying to help somebody along the way, I think people want to help. Especially when you’re eager to learn, you know?

People do really want to help. It brings you more of the community feeling - that sense of family - to what you’re doing.

It’s easy to think that the business people are on the other side, but when you actually start meeting them and working with them you understand that everybody is on the same side - getting into music because they love something about it.

---

ADVICE ON BOOKING TOURS

Booking your first gig outside of Reno - in San Francisco - how were you able to do that?

I just Googled “music in San Francisco”, which is what I do any time I’m going to a new place really. Also finding out who does a similar thing to me, and where they were playing.

I put a press kit together, and sent it to the venue. I had built a website that was simple but had everything, and showed that I was playing a lot of shows in Reno. I just told them, “I haven’t played outside of Reno, but I would really like to play in San Francisco and I’ve heard about your place.” I’d seen a couple other people who’d played there, and they had really liked them.

I was just enthusiastic in wanting to do it and being willing to put the effort into bringing people out. Enthusiasm does a lot. It doesn’t have to be hyper crazy enthusiasm, but I think it’s just good to be really into it, and letting them know that you’re putting your best effort into it. People enjoy seeing that.

Then let’s pretend you you wanted to play somewhere you’ve never played - like Atlanta. How would you approach it?

Maybe we should pick a different city, because when I was at the Folk Alliance conference, I met Eddie from Eddie’s Attic, a top venue in Atlanta. He told me, “Come play Eddie’s Attic any time you’d like. Just come in.” So I would just do that.

Interesting! Good answer. So just by being out and about at Folk Alliance, you meet people that would book you in Atlanta. Let’s pick somewhere else. How about Billings, Montana?

Yeah. Let’s do Billings, Montana. I would start online, searching “Billings Montana concerts” or “music”. It will come up with venues, newspapers, or people’s MySpace pages with listings.

I’d find a venue that’s a good fit and that makes sense first. Then I’d first contact the venue by email, so that I can write a better introduction.

Then it’s important to ask for a specific date! I learned this when I was booking gigs in Reno for others. A lot of people would write and say, “Oh I’d love to play in Reno. When would be good?” But you can’t do that. Instead just pick a day, like, “April 27th or April 28th I’m available.” Because then people can look at their calendar and say, “Oh yeah. I do have that day.” or, “I don’t have that day - but the 29th would work.” That’s a huge thing. You don’t want to leave it open. You want to tell them specifically what day you want to be there.

So a booker says, “OK. I can fit you in on Tuesday March 15th.” Would you take it if they gave you a Tuesday night or would you say, “Hell no, I want Friday!”

It all depends. If you deserve a Friday then you should ask for a Friday and if you deserve a Tuesday then you should take the Tuesday. You know?

Ideally, yeah, everybody wants to play on Thursday through Saturday nights. Especially if you’re new to an area, you shouldn’t be too picky, but you shouldn’t be a pushover either. But if you can do a Tuesday and you think it’ll work then do a Tuesday.

Then how do you bring people to the show?

Usually venues will have a media list that you can use. Especially for a town like Billings, Montana. They probably will respond to a touring artist. More so than New York City, for example, because there’s just so many musicians.

I’ll write up a press release, then email it to the radio stations and the print people. You can write one press release for a whole tour, just changing the little bit of it that has the specific contact information.

Getting some excitement, putting posters out, contacting people, doing media and stuff like that. Let them know that you’re doing a show and then practice for the show to make sure that you’re going to give them something that’s really good that’s worth the excitement that you’re stirring up.

You’ve always found a great advantage in smaller towns, whether Reno or Europe.

Doing smaller towns is really good, especially when you’re starting. I do the same thing in Europe where I’ll go to, say, Eastern France and it’s the best show. It’s even better than doing London or Paris because it’s places like this where people are really responding. The newspapers are really excited about having somebody out there. It’s great to get into the small places. Don’t just do the obvious cities.

---

LET YOUR EMAIL SIGNATURE DO THE TALKING

Your email signature has been really successful for you. (Example printed below.) Can you tell us more about it?

---
thank you for listening, i like you a lot.
http://myspace.com/ambeRrubarth

NEWS FLASH: Featured Artist on NPR’s “All Songs Considered” - Request her at www.NPR.org
“Washing Day” (co-written w/ Adam Levy) chosen as 1st Place Winner (Lyrics) in International Songwriting Competition!

TOURING NOW All Over the Place to Find You (and sleep on your couch!)
10.21 (BRUSSELS, BELGIUM) Sounds Jazz Club
10.26 (YORK, UK) House Concert
10.29 (LONDON, UK) House Concert
10.30 (LONDON, UK) Monkey Chews
10.31 (BO, NORWAY) The Bull Inn
11.1  (ARHUS, DENMARK) Cafe Lobby
11.2  (COPENHAGEN, DENMARK) Drop Inn
11.6  (SOMERVILLE, MA) Somerville Theatre
11.14 (SAN DIEGO, CA) Y1 Studios
11.16 (SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CA) The Coachhouse
11.17 (LOS ANGELES, CA) Room 5
11.21 (NEW YORK, NY) The Bowery Ballroom *The Paper Raincoat*
12.6  (LONDONDERRY, NH) Tupelo o/f LOUDON WAINWRIGHT!
12.11 (LOS ANGELES, CA) Hotel Cafe *The Paper Raincoat*
12.13 (SAN FRANCISCO, CA) Palace of Fine Arts *The Paper Raincoat*

Listen, Stalk & More from the comfort of your home. http://myspace.com/ambeRrubarth

Now on Facebook too, oh boy!
---

When you write an email, you don’t want to brag, at all. It comes off bad. But you do want to show them that you’re putting a lot of effort into it, and want them to know a little clue of what you’ve done.

So having it in your email signature is a really good way of doing it. That way, you don’t have to say, “Oh and by the way I won this contest and I just opened for this person.” You don’t want to have to say it, but you want them see it. So the email signature is a great tool for that.

My email signature has all my upcoming shows, contact information, and a couple quotes. Right now I have a quote from NPR and an international songwriting contest.

I’ve had bookers contact me back and say, “Oh wow - I see that you’re opening for Loudon Wainwright,” or “I see that you just got played on NPR,” or “I see you’ll be at South by Southwest.”

I’ve had bookers say that that was the reason that they wrote back, was because they saw that. They’re getting tons of emails and need to just be able to quickly see if they’re interested in checking it out.

---

TAKING IT TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Now that you’ve done over a thousand shows, is there any difference now between that initial apprach you took, and what you’re doing now? Or is it just lots and lots of that?

That’s a good question. It is just continuing doing that. But bookers can can see my history and that I’ve done it for five years. That isn’t really that long, but when people are consistently moving toward something for an extended period of time, it moves more from just excitement for something new, to something where people know that they’re doing it for real.

It’s become more of an identity. I’m not new, I don’t feel new at this anymore. I’ve played at least a thousand shows.

Because I return to many of the same venues I’ve played at before, I don’t need to put a lot of effort or time into booking anymore. New places also contact me to play. If I’m doing opening shows for people, they’ll be asking me or I’ll ask them. It feels more grounded now - more established - like there’s a foundation to it. So it doesn’t take as much effort.

How are you able to make a living doing this? How much do you make for an average gig?

I usually get about $250 to $300 for a smaller solo show where I can bring some people out. Not a particularly crazy night. If I do house concerts or something private, I’ll get between $600 and $1200.

If I’m overseas it’s different because of the exchange rate. I make a little bit more there because the dollar is worth less.

I’ll take $0 if I’m doing an opening spot for somebody I really want to open for. Usually they’ll pay at least $50 to $250. But if there’s something where I’ll be getting great promotion or the opportunity to open for my hero, I would probably pay to do it!

But really, most of the money comes from CD sales. The only way that I’m able to tour is because of CD sales.

How do you turn this from a few gigs into being a full-time touring musician?

If you put enough effort out - and you’re contacting enough people about it - and people like your music - then they’re going to respond. You’ll have some response and it’ll build. If you’re constantly building on what you’ve previously done, it’s going to work.

It’s important to not have a backup plan. If you want to be touring, you should not have a job. Make it work. Any time you have a backup plan, you can always fall back on it.

If you really decide you want to do something, you should do it. People surprise themselves when they have to make something work. Being fearless and creative with how everything’s being done.

At least if you just want to be touring and supporting yourself with it I think you can, I think anybody can do it, really.

---

MORE ABOUT AMBER RUBARTH:

• AmberRubarth.com
• Video of Amber Rubarth performing “You Will Love This Song”.
• Article in the Boston Herald

Lessons from Rocky

Every 2 years or so, I carve out a large block of time to clean a portion of my living space that has long gone neglected. While doing so today, I found this journal entry from when I was in Karuizawa, Japan in 2007.

Currently, I'm staying with my cousins up in the mountains of Japan. Well, with my cousins and Rocky, their energetic pint-sized dog. This morning we went for a walk/run/me pulling as hard as I could to keep him reigned in. But what I really want to remember is what happened when we got back to the cabin.

Rocky ran past me inside somewhere, and I just dropped, fully exhausted, into the closest chair. Soon, I heard this odd slurping sound and went to identify the source.

In the bathroom, I found Rocky licking a pipe under the sink for any kind of moisture he could find to quench his thirst from the run. Never mind that he was leaving more moisture on the pipe than he was taking into his tiny body.

My first thought, accompanied by an amused laugh, was, "all you had to do was come to me, you dumb dog, and I would have filled you with all the water that you needed."

My second thought sobered me. So often in loneliness, I probably look a lot like Rocky after a long run, thirsty and not thinking straight. I turn to other things to fill my desperation for love and they just leave a bad taste in my mouth and suck up what remaining life I had. And the whole time, Jesus has just been waiting for me to come to him and say, "I'm thirsty - will you give me your water?"

So here is my question for us all:

How do we fill our desperation for love?