But MJ…I have to make a living! I understand But…

My speeches at the Randolph middle school (yesterday) and High school(this morning) were very inspirational to me.  I met a young man by the name of Nick Lee.  You should google him because he is 17, has developed iphone apps, used the proceeds to buy his OWN car, and is one hell of a jazz pianist.  I knew that I was where I was supposed to be as soon as Nick mentioned that he loved music but was going to go to college to follow computer science because “[he] had to make a living!”  So of course I asked him what it meant to make a living? If you know me, I was baiting my trap. He explained how there is no money in music and how it was a hard life and how he had to have a back up plan for music.  He looked at me and even said, “look at you, you have a JD and an MBA as your Backup plan!”…….GOT EM!  I was very quick to explain that my MBA and JD were not simply back up plans.  They were necessities of being an entrepreneur in the music industry.  They are one of the main reasons why I am successful.  In law school, they taught us a different way to think – 360 degree based analytical thinking.  Actually, I think that everyone in America needs first year law.  Law is all around us from when we are in our cars, until we go to sleep at night. We are governed by laws.

In my MBA program, they taught us how to use tools to strategize our dreams and ideas into their physical manifestation in order to bring them to market and make money.  Actually, isn’t that what the music industry is all about? Of Course. We have to bring Ideas out of our head and think of every way to allows for their physical or aural manifestation in order for us to make a living.  What I find funny is that people always say that the music industry is hard.  And it is.  But it’s as if other industries in the world are any easier.  Ask an MBA who has been laid off from a consulting company or a Lawyer who has been laid off from a firm about what’s hard and/or secure.  And yes I’m gloating just a little because I was laughed at by so many people for following my dream. I was told not to follow my passion and that it was arrogant to walk to my own drum. I mean, “who did I think I was?” Well….Its been hard and I have had my A$$ kicked, but I’ll tell you this…..based on the HARD work and impossible industry of music, I have a job that has me pretty comfortable on this Acela train.  I Just got back from a successful trip to Paris, and I just left a high school where I know I made a difference and was paid for it.  The thing that makes the music industry hard….Or life hard, is the same thing that gives us the wisdom to share with those who are our future.  It’s the thing that makes us interesting and unique.  It’s the thing that gives us integrity and self esteem so long as we keep on getting up after being knocked down. And I mean Hey….Life is hard enough anyway – in any profession.  Why not do it with something you love? Trust me, loving what you do, WILL ABSOLUTELY get you where you want to go. I just hope it’s toward your happiness.

Loves….MJ