Preparation Meets Opportunity - Pt. 2
“You can’t always change your circumstances, but you can always change your approach to them.”
In my last post, I talked about the saying my dad would often tell me that two things have to happen to succeed in music or in anything in life – preparation has to meet opportunity. He would tell me that some people spend their entire lives preparing but never get an opportunity. Others get an opportunity, but they aren’t prepared. I shared my personal story of me being in that second group of people by getting an opportunity but feeling unprepared as I bombed my audition for Bread of Stone. The truth is, I was prepared. My dad later reminded me that I had been preparing for that audition for the majority of my life; I just wasn’t fluid with the specific material of that band on that day.
In that circumstance, I am the exception; not the rule. In most instances, bands won’t “reward” your terrible audition with giving you the gig. Who makes a team after failing the tryout? Yet, that’s my story because of what the Lord did.
Today, I want to talk about the first group of people – the ones who spend their lifetime preparing but never get the opportunity (or never create an opportunity for themselves if capable of doing so). This makes me think of Nashville. In any restaurant you go to or retail store you visit, the workers there are likely to be a music lover. Perhaps they are a phenomenal singer or an extremely talented musician. The city and its outskirts is full of “undiscovered” talent. Many of these people move to the Music City in hopes to land a music career. In the meantime, they take a day job to make ends meet. Many end up working right in front of Music Row, but their big break is never realized…or maybe just not in the way they thought it would be.
I love the quote, “You can’t always change your circumstances, but you can always change your approach to them.” A friend of mine, who is also a drummer, has wanted so badly, for a long time, to have a full-time music career. Even after he started playing for a very well-known artist, he still always had his good 9 to 5 job. Ever since I’ve known him, he’s just wanted to solely do music, but when COVID-19 hit the globe, he still had his reliable job, while many other musicians were forced to stop working.
I don’t think success in the world’s standards should ever be the ultimate goal, but success is what you make it out to be. Each of us defines it differently. People often think just because they only share their music in small clubs or are just a part of a local church worship team that they aren’t a musical success. I think if you are able to share your talent on any platform, big or small, or maybe even just write songs and share them with close family or friends, you are a success on the musical journey YOU’VE been given! May you be encouraged and keep pressing on in all of your musical endeavors no matter where you’re at right now!
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