"You're gonna wanna know this !"

Chapter 1 (by Uncle Dave)

Making money in the music business is easy.
Making a LIVING in the music business is a lot harder.
Making a living, creating something beautiful .. AND enjoying it -- now, that's heaven!
There are a few things you're gonna wanna know before you buy a portable keyboard and head out to Hollywood. As a professional entertainer spanning 5 decades of music I have learned a few tricks along the way that I will gladly share with you now.

First: It's not all glamorous. When you see a performer do a two hour show -- you never see the work BEHIND the scenes that led up to the stage. There are hours of caffeine powered rehearsals, fueled by fragile psyches and inflated egos that all go unseen to the audience. This is the "BIZ" part of Show Biz!

Second: It's ALL about energy. Say it with me ...... "It's all about energy"
Music is much more than notes on a page. Without the soul and emotion of a performer -- the notes are meaningless. Add a "human" element and a collection of random dots can take on a beauty so powerful that lives will be touched, eyes brought to tears, and heartaches mended. Music is THAT powerful, and musicians need to harness that power and respect it's place in the world.

Many people depend of music to enrich their lives, calm their nerves or simply entertain them. We, as the makers of music have an obligation to provide a creative product that can lift the soul and enlighten the spirit.
Today's digital keyboards are so "packed" with automatic features, that it's easy to rely on the machine for inspiration, but don't fall into the lazy trap of auto-everything! Even the fastest cars need to be driven, and it still takes a human pilot to land the space shuttle as it thunders toward earth in an anti-aerodynamic race with death. The same is true of playing the keyboard. YOU need to pilot the unit to get the most out of it. Don't be satisfied with pushing the start button, and watching all the pretty little lights. Get your hands ON the keys, and get to know the joy of creation.

The simplest tip I can give you is "Have fun"
Music is supposed to be fun ... according to Mr. Holland, anyway.

Try this at home kids -
Learn a simple note sequence or melody, and memorize it. It can be short or long -- easy or hard. the important thing is to memorize it.
Now - rearrange the notes while playing the same rhythm and see what you come up with. Then rearrange the rhythm and keep the same notes. Now you have three separate ideas from one simple starting point.

That's it! You've just created a fresh new, original idea! Congratulations!
You are now ready for your next tip on making music with your portable keyboard!
(batterrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrup!)