I'm a prostitute, you gon' get some:
Today I had the pleasure of working all day, then rushing through traffic to do make-up training for seven Toastmasters’ Officers before their regular bi-monthly meeting. Did I mention I also had to prepare a 10-12 min speech for tonight to present at the club and I was there to do my Area Director semi-annual Club Visit too? I literally killed three birds with one stone today.
The big news of the day though is that in my speech, “Selling myself for money”, I was able to explain what it is like to be an independent artist, how school doesn’t teach us that we are all selling ourselves; (You are either a pimp or being pimped, I’m both), and I sold seven of my albums to a very excited, captive audience, on the second floor of a commercial complex inside of an Indian restaurant.
Listener supported:
That is more albums than sadly I have sold in my last few gigs. People must be educated that music is not free, and like public television or radio (I donated this year to PBS, KCRW and KKJZ), music and the arts need to be supported or they will go away.
I was so happy that people bought The Moon Crickets LP, Who The Funk Is Cliff Beach? (Nominated for LA Music Awards- Record of the Year), and Stripped Down & Unplugged (Which as featured on Soultracks.com). I also got to discuss my upcoming album The Gospel According to Cliff Beach, and the process of making this new record.
I have learned we must celebrate the small victories. I presented my information clearly; I got to tell some clever anecdotes about being a musical ‘ho, learning at Berklee how the music industry will screw you over (and won’t offer you Vaseline), and that you are the “CEO of You Inc.”
Diversify your portfolio:
One of the best things I have gained from Toastmasters is experience and self-confidence. Leadership and communication skills are not only important, they are vital to being successful in this world. It also is a tremendously rewarding networking opportunity (I met an assistant to a music agent at a very good agency, and Berklee Alum tonight as well), and place for positive thinking, sharing and learning. Plus, having a platform to work on getting better at presenting information is great for a budding blogger, author, songwriter, and entertainer like me.
I encourage all of you to sharpen and hone your skills daily. Never stop learning, and pushing yourself to new heights, elevating your personal bests every step of the way. Today’s mission was to sell something, and I sold myself. Mission accomplished. I can go to bed happy knowing I completed my tasks; I did as much as I could for today, and I gave a new group of people my music and information on this blog, to hopefully gain more followers. Baby steps; I’m building it; Dreaming big and winning big! It will come to pass.
Today I had the pleasure of working all day, then rushing through traffic to do make-up training for seven Toastmasters’ Officers before their regular bi-monthly meeting. Did I mention I also had to prepare a 10-12 min speech for tonight to present at the club and I was there to do my Area Director semi-annual Club Visit too? I literally killed three birds with one stone today.
The big news of the day though is that in my speech, “Selling myself for money”, I was able to explain what it is like to be an independent artist, how school doesn’t teach us that we are all selling ourselves; (You are either a pimp or being pimped, I’m both), and I sold seven of my albums to a very excited, captive audience, on the second floor of a commercial complex inside of an Indian restaurant.
Listener supported:
That is more albums than sadly I have sold in my last few gigs. People must be educated that music is not free, and like public television or radio (I donated this year to PBS, KCRW and KKJZ), music and the arts need to be supported or they will go away.
I was so happy that people bought The Moon Crickets LP, Who The Funk Is Cliff Beach? (Nominated for LA Music Awards- Record of the Year), and Stripped Down & Unplugged (Which as featured on Soultracks.com). I also got to discuss my upcoming album The Gospel According to Cliff Beach, and the process of making this new record.
I have learned we must celebrate the small victories. I presented my information clearly; I got to tell some clever anecdotes about being a musical ‘ho, learning at Berklee how the music industry will screw you over (and won’t offer you Vaseline), and that you are the “CEO of You Inc.”
Diversify your portfolio:
One of the best things I have gained from Toastmasters is experience and self-confidence. Leadership and communication skills are not only important, they are vital to being successful in this world. It also is a tremendously rewarding networking opportunity (I met an assistant to a music agent at a very good agency, and Berklee Alum tonight as well), and place for positive thinking, sharing and learning. Plus, having a platform to work on getting better at presenting information is great for a budding blogger, author, songwriter, and entertainer like me.
I encourage all of you to sharpen and hone your skills daily. Never stop learning, and pushing yourself to new heights, elevating your personal bests every step of the way. Today’s mission was to sell something, and I sold myself. Mission accomplished. I can go to bed happy knowing I completed my tasks; I did as much as I could for today, and I gave a new group of people my music and information on this blog, to hopefully gain more followers. Baby steps; I’m building it; Dreaming big and winning big! It will come to pass.