• Is it really that easy to be successful? [ The real way? ] 
• My good pal John is having a giggle on TV [Just the Two Of Us]
• And another pal is Number 3 in the chart [Nicco McBrain - Iron Maiden] 
• Good visual laugh  [A hoot!]  
• Tip of the week  [Restore Defaults]
• Success Stories [ good one this week ]   
• Charts   
• Subscriber's Section  [ how to get into session playing? ]   
• The Gags  ( THE IRISH CANDLE [a little rude!] )

I am probably the most reviled and attacked person on the Internet...why?

Simply because I tell the truth about our business, our industry, our first love - music!  And the truth, as we all know, can be annoying. I consistently say that attaining success as a song writer, performer or a music maker/producer is easy ... BUT ..... you have to follow the well trodden route that all successful guys have trodden.  Gaining success is easy, but gaining the knowledge is hard, having the tenacity, the persistence, the killer attitude is hard.  And, let's face it, if it's hard, it will not suit a lot of guys.

Every single piece of advice I write and advise is learned from bitter experience, having 'been there, done that' ... and also seen loads of my successful pals in the Industry trod the same path.   I did not get success in an easy way ... try sleeping on railway station benches in the coldest Winter in living memory?  But having the Number Ones made up for all that. 

Hard work never killed anyone... how many times have you heard that?  But it certainly doesn't agree with the majority of folk, particularly in music.  And that is where the problem lies.  Once you get the knowledge [and the easiest route is through 'How to Make A $Million From Your Music' ....watch this week for a separate Email with a stunning New Years offer] then you have to accept the method for gaining success...and that can annoy a lot of guys ... they simply will not accept it ... but trust me [as the used car sellers say!] there is only one method for success.

Learn, learn, learn, learn .... then practice and do what you learn..... 100%

Oh, you can argue that there is a method through the Reality shows ... but how many of those winners actually retain their initial success [Kelly Clarkson excepted] There is also a method through becoming a band member on salary with a production company or agency/management.  Oddly, that is how The Beatles started their success with Brian Epstein ... see the extremely interesting blog entry on http://www.studiolegaleinternazionale.com/blogHome.php4?blogId=587&n.x=42&n.y=11 entitled 'Brian Epstein - a case of murder?'.  I even get a mention ... but not by name [ a legal nicety]

So.....

Three ways:

1) The guaranteed way [don't forget the hard work involved and the swallowing of your own pride?].  Gain the knowledge, apply it, have the persistence, attitude and positive wish for success .... besides throwing away all your pre-conceived ideas.  By the way, I never reveal the method that is contained in 'How to Make A $Million From Your Music' .... that is a complete method, in fine detail.... learned over ten months..... with total personal access to me by phone, Email, letter etc.

2) The Reality TV show way .... very 'iffy' ... can make you a 'joke' in the business and you end up a cabaret act in working men's clubs and pubs unless you are constantly in the public eye.  [whatever happened to Michelle McManamus?]

3) The 'manufactured' route ... 5 years success maximum, if you are extremely lucky [that is the normal length of contract].  Precious little money, if any, to show for it after the five years.

Feel free to disagree with me on any of the points above. However, take a few minutes to observe the world as it really works and you'll have to agree with at least some of the points. Consider them carefully and perhaps you too will find yourself admitting that the way to success is easy, and defined precisely by Dec ... but it is extremely hard work and sometimes not very pleasant work.  Making the music is the 'easy' part.

"Sometimes we strive so hard for perfection that we forget that imperfection is happiness" -- Karen Nave

My good pal John is having a giggle on TV [Just the Two Of Us]

My good friend and fellow 'Water Rat' John Bardon [Jim Branning from Eastenders now Prince Rat] is having a blast on the latest Celebrity Singing Reality show on UK television, 'Just the Two Of Us'.

John is a fine actor but many will not know he has had a lifetime career in West End musicals ... so he is a fine stage show singer.  He struggled a bit last night with a new song he was not familiar with but had the audience in stitches with his 'entertainment value' .... great fun and worth a watch through the week.  You may even vote for him?  I will!

"Dreamt" is the only English word that ends in the
letters "mt". (Are you doubting this?)

Tip of the Week [Restore Defaults]

Have you made changes to a program or your system that you don't like? Do you want to go back to the way your computer used to be?

Look for a "restore defaults" button in that particular control panel or settings screen.

For instance, in Internet Explorer's Advanced Internet Options, you can put everything back with the click of a button.

                               Bob Osgoodby

"Our eyes are always the same size from birth, but our
     nose and ears never stop growing."

Help a fellow 'One Minuter'?

Paul Hartley

Saturday Jan 20th         The George & Dragon, 39 High Street, Chipstead, Kent, TN13 2RW
(not the Chipstead near Purley) ... Apparently this is a gastro-pub thing. We've got to play totally acoustically, no amps, mikes, drum machines etc.....unplugged!

Sunday Jan 28th - The Swan, Forest Row, Surrey 8:15 till 11:00 .... Really nice venue with good food, wine etc. Apparently does an exceedingly good chipped potato according to Steve, who sampled
them last time we played there. Kick off at about 8.15 ish.
 
Saturday Feb 17th - The White Horse, Ditchling. 8:30 till 11:00 ish ... Yes, I know what you're thinking......there again. They keep asking us back, you see.
They obviously haven't rumbled us yet so hush hush, mums the word, eh?

"TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made

using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.

(All you typists are going to test this out)"

Success Stories 

Dear Dec

You know progress has been made when a virtual unknown is getting kudos from Carnegie Hall performers and is getting recognition from peers and associates in all parts of the world, some legendary in stature, some not so legendary, but just as significant. You know progress has been made when you get invited to do reviews of mainstream artist CD's as well as indie artist CD's by a major music magazine that believes your style of writing and in depth reviewing is going to give a touch of professionalism needed by the publication. You know progress has been made when more and more artists want to get featured on the website you are creating. You know progress has been made when the albums and videos you have produced for your wife are suddenly being listened to and enjoyed by thousands of listeners from all walks of life in all parts of the world.

Bryan Anthony

'The sentence: "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy
dog" uses every letter of the alphabet. (Now, you KNOW
you're going to try this out for accuracy, right?)'

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