Working on Super Serving our amazing fans and Destination Members. Everyone gets a handwritten, signed postcard … I just started including the pick.. Our Aug 17 Martha’s Vineyard Jackopierce Destination Show is already sold out … Santa Barbara June 8 is over 50% sold .. You can check them at www.jackopierce.bigcartel.com
I pulled this song out to find some peace in light of the recent nightmare in CT
I grew up not far from there in Westport, CT. My best friend growing up actually went to Sandy Hook.
This was from 9/11 but I still think there is some healing words in there …
Obama quoted the first scripture I ever memorized - and my favorite to this day - from Paul’s letter to the Corinthians (2 Corinthians 4:16-18).. I was moved to share these words..
Hey there! I think I’ve posted all of the chapters from my book-in-progress that I’m going to post for now. I hope to continue to post interesting and informative things here and there. If you’re new to the blog, there are 30+ entries. I hope you’ll browse them and spread what resonates with you.
What I’m most excited about today is designing the first Jackopierce International Destination Show in San Miguel de Allende, hopefully April 2014. One of my favorite parts of creating these shows is the graphics - especially the sketches that lead up to the final graphic. I just got 3 sketches from www.HerringandHaggis.com. I love pencil drawn images. I love seeing where this will go. SMA is my favorite new town. I went there a couple months ago and it’s awesome. It just got voted #1 Destination in Mexico by Conde Nast 2012.
(wondering what a Destination Show is? click HERE)
Here’s how I described SMA to some friends:
Many of you have heard me talk about our potential Destination Show in my favorite new city, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.
We got to spend 3 days down there this summer and we were blown away.
It’s cobblestone streets, multicolored stucco buildings, gardens, courtyards and gorgeous cathedrals are basically the same as they were in the 1600’s.
The beauty, the history, the heritage, the food, the galleries/museums, the shopping, the kindness of the people is just jaw dropping. We weren’t just thinking about “coming back one day” - we were literally thinking about how we could live there for the entire summer.
On a quest for the perfect Jackopierce Destination Show venue, I spent 9 hours touring some of the most breathtaking properties I’ve ever seen: ranches, hotels, haciendas, theaters and public spaces. My tour guide was our new best friend and San Miguel’s premier event/wedding planner, Guadalupe Alvarez. Together, we found it.
Oh man, did we find it. This, my friends, will be the trip of a lifetime.
Let me tell you about the house where the Jackopierce Destination Event will be held Oct 19:
Casa Chorro is a magnificent 7 bedroom Colonial home located across the street from the historic birthplace of the town of San Miguel and just a few minute walk to town. It offers incredible views of the surrounding town and countryside. Exceptionally furnished, with beautiful terraced gardens and its own private park, it is the ideal place for special events. The property is a completely enclosed compound with 4 different buildings - including a full 2-story gym, pool, veranda, hammocks and fountains.
Today I’m going to dissect one of my songs I wrote when I was 19.
I grew up in Westport, CT and used to run into into this girl from the neighboring town of Weston. She was pretty and sweet and I liked her from afar. Once I went off to college at SMU in Dallas, I thought that would be it.
But the first day of freshman orientaton - who walks in the door? This girl, Ray. It was fate! We were meant to be together! The only problem was this little detail of her having a boyfriend. Hence - the song: “Three of us in a boat… doesn’t look like this boat’s gonna float….” It was our first jackopierce original. www.jackopierce.com
Jackopierce is my band that I started with Jack O’Neill at SMU in Dallas in 1988. Next year will be 25 years of JP. Wo. “Three of Us in a Boat” can be found on our latest album, “Everywhere All The Time”:
Everywhere All the Time - Jackopierce
I loved you and you know it
So I wrote this song just like Farley Mowat
(Farley Mowat is a Canadian author who wrote the book, “The Boat Who wouldn’t Float.”)
For a little while I was your dual lover
(there was another guy involved - Jerkface. Well I was really the Jerkface. Her boyfriend got sent home from school to go to rehab and I saw opportunity).
I knew this would happen one way or another
Looks like I’m gettin ready to swim
The chances of his walkin the plank are lookin pretty slim
(this is maybe the fastest line that I’ve ever sung. It’s a lot of fun live and I think you will enjoy it when you hear it. I just realized that in this verse I resolve to give up. I’m the one jumping! Why didn’t I push him out? It’s more fun this way. I had moved on anyway. He could have her).
Three of us in a boat
Doesn’t look like this boat’s gonna float
Three of us in a boat and it won’t float
(I have a fantasy of making a video of this song (the reggae version). It would be Jack and I wearing a cardboard boat costume with a very pouty, tall, disinterested super model type between us. Everywhere we go, we have to go together. We get in and out of cabs together, in elevators, try to walk up stairs, go into restrooms. Genius)
Hope you have some agility
Hope you have some aquatic ability
(Jack and I were both in the ATO fraternity at SMU. It really was the foundation of our career. Pretty anywhere we would play, 20-40 of our brothers would come out. We had some tradition at the house for Big Brother night where we had to go swimming. Aquatic ability was essential. That’s all I’m gonna say).
We all know this is your ship my dear
Don’t say a word it’s perfectly clear
I’ve got my suit on – I’m goin in
(I often say “Speedo” and get a good chuckle. I was a swimmer throughout my youth and wore many a Speedo. My fave was the star and stripes BiCentennial edition. My sister had the one piece to match. From grades 1-6, I lived in North Harbor/Sandy Springs/Atlanta and we had neighborhood swim teams. I remember all the other kids would eat powder Jello but our mom would make us Gazpacho (cold tomato soup). I also did 2 years at Staples HS in Westport, CT as a “diver” on the swim team. I was a rare bird that could do a back flip and walk on my hands. Since diving was considered one of the swimming events - and the swimmers were only able to compete in x amount of events… the team literally needed a guy to jump off the board. Woody called it “falling with style.”
With a heart as fragile as mine why did we even begin
(yah - I ‘m a sensitive guy. I was asking for it)
I’ve found new days of sunshine
(this line used to be “I miss my Ray (her name) of sunshine.” Wow. That was pathetic.)
Looks like we’re in for nasty weather (should have said you’re in for nasty weather - she and boyfriend started fighting over phone).
But if you’re meant to be than you’ll stick together
Don’t come cryin to me when your horizons turn dark and grey baby
(remember that scene in Swingers when the old girlfriend FINALLY returns his call? But she’s too late. He’s got Heather Graham on the other line. He’s moved on. Things started to get rocky with her beau so she calls me up and wants to “see what I’m doing.” Uh uh girl. You chose him - good luck.. I’m out.
(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter most Fridays - or as close as I can get… I genuinely hope this blog inspires you… thanks for following)
We don’t have to be scared.
But we are scared - a LOT.
We are scared to start a new company or launch a new product. Scared to leave our current job for a better one. Scared to pick up the phone and call that girl. Scared that we’ll show up to the party and not know anyone.
Some fear - like running across the highway at rush hour - is healthy fear.
But I would contend the number one fast and slow killer of dreams is fear.
Tony Robbins says “we’ll do more to avoid pain than to gain pleasure.”
We know going to the gym and getting in shape will bring us nothing but pleasure - but we’re scared it will be painful working out. It’s easier to have another couple donuts (less pain).
We’re so scared.
But what’s the worst thing that could happen?
When I was going through my divorce, I was in serious pain, was in deep debt and thought I was in real trouble. I was paralyzed.
A good friend asked me, “what’s the worst thing that could happen to you.” I thought long and hard about it. If everything fell away and I had nothing - no house, no car, no income - what would that look like?
It’s important to define your worst case scenario. What does the WORST CASE SCENARIO look like for you? It may not be as bad as you think.
For me I thought long and hard about it. I would have to move into my parents house. It would be incredibly humiliating but they would not let me starve. I don’t need any new clothes. I could take public transportation but I could probably borrow one of their cars a lot. It would not be great but things could be a WHOLE LOT WORSE than that.
Once I realized my worst case scenario, I was able to stare it in the face - see it for what it was, and then move on.
Regardless - if it’s worse or better than you think - it’s good TO KNOW WHAT IT IS.
When embarking on a new endeavor and you’re scared, anxious, unsure just get real clear on your worst case scenario. Define it, stare it in the eye, shrug your shoulders because you are now free to move on. Like the monster that doesn’t exist under the bed - it can’t scare you anymore. This might be one of the most freeing things you ever do as an Artrepreneur.
(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter most Fridays… I genuinely hope this blog inspires you… thanks for following)
Get used to hearing that.
Better yet - get used to ignoring it - becuase you can do just about anything.
My band, Jackopierce, was told for years: “we don’t book acoustic duos;” “we don’t do seated shows;” “we don’t do non-smoking shows.” “You can’t do that.” So we just quietly, slowly, kept growing our fanbase across the country to the point where we could dictate our terms instead of being dictated to.
You can do just about whatever you are willing to put your mind to - period.
You’ve heard the stories.. Sylvester Stalone took his script, “Rocky” to over 1,000 different people. He actually sold his dog to stay alive. Everyone told him he could not sell his script nor could he EVER dream of starring in the movie. “Rocky” was eventually made for $1.1 million but grossed $117 million. It was nominated for 10 Oscars and ended up winning 3 - including best picture. It also spawned 5 sequels.
Roger Banister was told he could not run a four-minute mile. It was a physical impossibility. His legs would explode from the pressure and impact. In 1954 he broke the four-minute mile. Now high school kids do it.
Sell bottles of water? Sell expensive coffee? Make a record? Write a screenplay? Make a movie? “You can’t do that!”
Bah! Yes you can.
(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter every Friday - or as close as I can…Thanks to all my new Followers who found me through TuneCore & other places. I genuinely hope this blog inspires you to grow, learn and have FUN).
I have a silly saying: “It’s hard to get out of bed when you’re still in it..”
If you really want to get something done, get up a little earlier than everyone else. Once you actually get out of bed and get moving - there’s a magic to being one of the only ones up. You’ve started your day - you’ve started your life.
Master legal-thriller writer, John Grisham, wrote his first book by waking up every day at 5am to write for 2-3 hours before work (he kept his day job). He did this for three years. He started his next novel the day after he finished his first - and since 1988, he’s written a novel a year. There are over 235 million of his books in print.
Most of the great leaders of all time got up early.
Time to get up.
(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter every Friday - or as close as I can…Thanks to all my new Followers who found me through TuneCore. I genuinely hope this blog inspires you to grow whatever it is you wish to grow).
Nothing can replace FACE TIME. Plant Seeds. Send out Ships.
Financial Coach, Rick Ruby, said “if you’re spending most of your time behind a desk, you’re not doing business. You gotta get out there, take meetings, meet people.”
Great advice.
I just got back from”exploratory” trips to both Santa Barbara, CA and San Miguel de Allende, Mexico for Jackopierce Destination Shows we have coming up (June 8 SB, Aug 17 MV - working on SM for Oct ‘13). A more detailed explanation of Destination Shows can be found here: http://carypierceblog.tumblr.com/post/20535571990/a-bit-of-history-of-destination-shows
And more info can be found in our store: www.jackopierce.bigcartel.com
I have spent a LOT of time researching online. I’ve looked at tons and tons of pictures of hotels, rental houses, venues and places to see/things to do but nothing could replace going to these places, meeting these people face to face, walking the properties where the events will be held. Nothing comes close.
My manager had put a lot of calls into places for me to go look at but nothing compares to meeting someone face to face and seeing things for real.
I got more done is the days hanging with the local experts than I would have in weeks of trying to figure things over e-mail and scouring websites. They gave me the scoop on the places to visit, the restaurants to eat at, the things to do and the hotels to recommend. I also had the opportunity to walk to property and spend some time talking over the details of our Destination Show. I could now see the event unfolding.
———————-
Other “Get Out’s”
I was talking to an artist in Dallas about producing her record. She invited my wife and I out to her show. While I was there, I saw the owner of the club. We chatted for a bit and he mentioned that he had thrown Jackopierce’s hat in the ring to play an extremely lucrative festival. I immediately called our manager and got him to work on getting us the show. He did. We got it. We got paid extremely well, sold thousands of dollars of CD’s, T-shirts, played in front of over 5,000 people and had a blast! I’m glad I “got out” that night and saw that guy!
———————-
I love to go to Nashville every 2-3 months. I leave at 7am and I’m in my first writing appointment by 10am. I write for 2.5 days straight, take meetings in between, have lunches, dinners and I’m back home - only 2 nights away from home but I probably get more creative work done than I might in a month in Dallas - or if even if I lived in Nashville. Each trip costs about $800 but every one is paid back in spades. The more time I’m there and the more I write songs, and the more face time I spend with my manager, the more things seem to happen.
(This is an excerpt from a book I am working on about Being Creative for a Living. I will post a new chapter every Friday - or as close as I can…Thanks to all my new Followers who found me through TuneCore. I genuinely hope this blog inspires you to grow whatever it is you wish to grow).
Take fair out of your vocabulary. It is possibly the most ridiculous word in the English language. Take it out.
FIGURE OUT WHAT “WORKS FOR YOU.” DECIDE if a decision is “amicable,” “agreeable,” “equitable.” Figure out if something “makes sense” for you.
When I hear people, “that’s just not fair” it drives me crazy.
Of course it’s not fair. Nothing is fair because “fair” does not exist.
My interpretation of what’s “fair” will always be (even if only slightly) different than the guy next to me.
Some people want to be taller. Some people want to be shorter, skinnier, bigger, lighter, darker. Some people want more “success.” Most people want “mo money.” A lot of people think that when they don’t have the things they want that life is “unfair.”
So many people who have “made it” in this world being Creative did not get stuck in the “fair” game. They knew from the get-go that things were not fair and they went about creating anyway.
To sit around and worry about what’s fair and what’s not will not get you what you want.
To shake your fists “why?!” at the gallery owner that puts the “inferior” art of the “cool guy/cute girl” instead of yours into his gallery - or to sit around and wonder why everyone hates your book are bad questions to ask yourself.
Ask a bad question - get a bad a bad answer.
Quit asking “why” and start asking “How” or “What.”
Instead of “why did I not get into that festival?” start asking “how can I get into that festival?” or “what do I have to do to get more shows on my calendar?”
Instead of asking “why am I so fat?” start asking, “what do I need to do to lose weight?”
I just saw the movie, “Flash of Genius.” It’s based on the true story of inventor, Bob Kearns - a Creative that invents the intermittent windshield wiper for cars. Ford steals the idea. At one point in the movie, he is offered $300,000 (this is 25+ years ago) to settle. The lawyer (brilliantly played by Alan Alda) and Kearn’s wife urge him to take the deal. Alda implores him, saying that Ford will bury him in paperwork for the next 10 years, He says fighting them will turn him grey and old. But since the Kearns wants Ford to do what’s “fair” and admit that they stole from him, he declines. Eventually he is offered THIRTY MILLION dollars to settle but he refuses again.
His battle started in 1969 and did not end it until 1995 (36 YEARS LATER) after spending over $10,000,000 in dollars in legal fees. When he invented the wiper, he was a happily married 42 year-old-man and a father of six kids. When he won his nearly $30,000,000, he was divorced. He would die 10 years later at 77, of brain cancer complicated by Alzheimers.
A lot of people spend their lives trying to “even the score” - while the successful ones are out there doing what they can to make the world a better place. Some through invention, some through charity work, some through influence in industry or government. When things don’t work, they reassess, make changes, and forge on. They took fair out of their vocabulary a long time ago.
Hey there reader! Thanks so much for following me. I’m taking August off from posting on my blog. BUT -
Some cool stuff coming up:
Aug 14 - our new Jackopierce album, “Everywhere All The Time” is avail for presale at http://jackopierce.bigcartel.com
Wed, Aug 15 - I do my third www.StageIt.com show. I play live in my studio (never recorded or archived) and you get to chat/request with me and fans from all over the world.. It’s a BLAST and I get to play some stuff that I don’t always get to play live. Tix avail here: http://www.stageit.com/carypierce
Oct 19 - we added another Destination Show at the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC.. tix and info http://jackopierce.bigcartel.com/product/jp-in-asheville-nc-on-october-19-2012-friday
please follow me on Twitter @carypierce1
If interested in me or Jackopierce for a private event, please contact our manager, David McCollum, at dmccollum@dryve.us
upcoming jackopierce/cary pierce events:
Aug 15 - www.stageit.com CARY SOLO
Aug 30 - The Beaumont - Kansas City, MO
Aug 31 - Denver, CO - Soiled Dove
Sept 13 - Houston, TX Warehouse Live
Sept 14 - Ft Worth, TX - McDavid Studio
Sept 15 - Austin, TX - Stateside at the Paramount Theater
Oct 11 - Boston, MA - Club Passim
Oct 12 - Philadelphia, PA - TBA
Oct 13 - Washington, DC - The Hamilton
Oct 14 - NY, NY - City Winery
Oct 19 - Asheville, NC - Biltmore Estate Destination Show JUST ADDED
Oct 20 - Asheville, NC - Biltmore Estate Destination Show SOLD OUT
Nov 9 - Atlanta, GA - TBA
