JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Brian Austin Whitney Blog Wednesday, March 28th, 2007

Hi Folks,

Ever had one of those days where nothing seems to be cooperating? Today, Linda and I wanted to find something fun to do. We had planned to go to Chicago for a couple of days of museum hoping, but it was supposed to Thunderstorm all day. So instead we planned to visit southern Indiana and go to some art galleries and funky little shops in Nashville, IN. Well, it decide to rain there all day too. So then we thought about going to the Indianapolis Art museum..well.. the exhibits there currently didn't interest us at all.. so we thought about seeing a show.. the shows available didn't interest us at all. So then I checked out the symphony. No luck there. Next we thought we'd just settle for a movie. Ack.. have you seen what is out in the theaters right now? Terrible! So then we thought we'd rent something. Well, we've seen everything that's out that we're interested in. So then we thought about ON DEMAND on cable.. still no luck.. nothing to see. So now we're going to settle, after wasting the entire day, to just watch American Idol and have some meatloaf. Sigh.. so much for a little midweek vacation day.

Brian

Welcome to my current world...

Jody

Sounds like you shoulda stayed home and listened to some of JPF'rs music

To quote one of my own song lyrics.."Sometimes some days, it just doesn't pay to crawl outta my bed"--"One Good Drunk'

In a certain way, this hits me as to why everyone (just about) that does what we do here cannot get noticed...just read your post Brian---the bar is set SO high in virtually everything and those top echelon things are SO accessible to everyone these days--- that those lower attempts to reach that bar are boring and uninteresting...It must be in the TOP TOP TOP tier to be noticed and even then it'll get compared to the top of the top. We really don't have a chance. We just have to look at it as a fun hobby that we do for LOVE---and be happy for the few hundred (or some have a a few thousand) people that enjoy what we do with us.

Herbie

Either that or strive to be the TOP TOP TOP. We looked at going to some small tiny places to see unknown folks. The rain just happened to stop us. As with most corporate music offerings, we found the major theater, music and museum programs to be predictable and uninteresting. We actually seek out interesting and offbeat things to do. We just weren't finding them. We were going to have to go out of state for most things. In Chicago there IS a few interesting things right now though. Wicked sounds like fun. So does the Human Body exhibit at the Science museum. But here in Indy the choices just sucked. Indy sadly is a great city.. especially safe and clean to raise a family. Great sports. Good road systems. Great health care options. We have the most affordable housing market in the entire US. (We've been ranked #1 for years). We're able to live in a really nice house on a fraction of the money you'd need in most major cities. But the one lacking thing here is culture. We have a nice museum corridor. The childrens museum is world reknown. But once you've seen the major attractions, they haven't done a good job nurturing much else and the diversity of the major offerings are lacking in my opinion. But there are many cities out there much smaller than Indy that have all sorts of things going on. I've seen them. I just don't live that close. Nashville, IN which is about an hour away has a little artist community. We'll likely be going there tomorrow. None of those folks are getting in a museum.. but if we find something we like, we may buy it.

It's not so grim. If you want to play in the top tier.. then just make music good enough to do it. Create a great You Tube video like OK Go who did the video on the Treadmills for 146 dollars and are now world famous. They are JPF members and good friends of Jenny Toomey the FOMC president. She said they're just guys like all of us who used some creativity and got noticed and famous instantly. Opportunities are wider and more wide open than ever before. You just have to raise your game and go for it.

Brian

I totally agree, I am just saying the bar is SO high in virtually everything you REALLY really have to be in that realm to not be INSTANTLY shut off. You have to grab their attention quickly and hold it---you have to EARN their attention (and they WILL be comparing you to a very high standard)...I love these questions that always come up here like "how do I get my songs to the right people"----after spending years here, I realized through the wealth of info we get---the answer is---YOU DON'T---you have to be within the top all by yourself---and have other people notice that and have that word spread and take every opportunity you can---and expect NOTHING...that way you'll appreciate the small accolades that you DO get.

Herbie

yeah.. it's easy to see those questions in a different light. I just hope we all remember that we were asking those same questions one day not too long ago and I hope we continue to give positive responses. It's like the old Hollywood cliche where the starlets get off the bus with stars in their eyes and many turn bitter and have horrible outcomes, but while that is happening, a brand new busload is getting off with stars in their eyes. It's a cycle that never ends. I hope we can be the greeting committee here at JPF so when those songwriters and artists get off that proverbial bus with stars in their eyes we can keep them from harm. Though some will simply refuse the help and learn the hard way, we can likely nudge many in the right direction so they can learn the reality from a safe and supportive place.

Brian

If you mean the Body exhibit that shows everything including the veins minus the body itself, that's an amazing thing to see. I recommend it.

As for TOP and videos and whatnot, it's about being creative and figuring out a means to make that creation work. While my video was cheap it certainly wasn't $146 cheap. But darn close. I can't wait to do the next one, it's a great idea just working on getting the crew together to make it happen. It's the planning that takes time.

In the meantime, I'm working on music for some other people.

Jody

If you have never been to Helen, Georgia you might look at making a short trip. It is like an Authenic German Village with a few shops and not a big place. It is in the North Georgia Mountains.

Also Ashville, North Carolina has the Huge Mansion built by one of the Vanderbilts you can see if you haven't already been there. Next year, If I'm still here we may go see the Okeefonkee Swamp about 50 miles west of here. We have never been there. There must be a Winery or two you can go visit not too far.

Are you doing okay Ray? Your note sounds a bit ominous?

Brian

I am fine. I am just a realist. One more place I thought of is THE AMERICAN ROSE CENTER just west of Shreveport, La. I used to be a member. The Roses should be in fairly good bloom the first two weeks in April. They have a Web Site, but no pictures I could find. Happy Hunting.