Anyone who knows me...say, any of the Members of The Serious Writers Guild will know that I am an avid reader.  Yep, I certainly believe in the old adage: "All great leaders are great readers".  If you don't read constantly then you can't keep up with the amount of knowledge that is available.  If you don't read constantly, you cannot keep up with the live changing thoughts that are about.  If you don't read constantly you certainly will be boring and not giving yourself that chance at success that you deserve.

The one book I am raving about and quote at every possible chance is the one written by a Japanese/American guy called Robert T. Kiyosaki.  It's called:

- Rich Dad, Poor Dad -

It is certainly one of those 'can't put it down' books.  A lot of the ideas are well known to guys like me, who have made a life long study of wealth, what it is about and what can be done with it once you have it.  The concept of wealth is much misunderstood in the West.  Most guys hold up their hands in horror at the mere mention of the word: "wealth".  But amazingly, in the music industry, it is the one sure and certain measure of musical success.  You hear the phrase: "Million Selling songwriter" and "Million Selling record maker" plus all the other measures such as "Platinum selling" etc.  All this means 'wealth'.  The description 'good' only exists in amateur or novice music making circles. [wow, that should get a lot of hate mail....grin!].  That statement is true!

You cannot bring wads of 'good' reviews to the bank to pay your bills but you certainly can bring wads of Dollar notes?

Carnegie:

As I always say: "You can always give it away".  Carnegie spent the first half of his life making his immense fortune and spent the second half of his life giving it away....Way to go!  They found that life-long goal in the drawer of his office after he was gone...scribbled on a scrap of paper.

The world would be a far sadder place without all the institutions and scholarships, bursaries put in place by Carnegie.

The book also shows the proper and correct way to organise your business life so that you pay the least amount of tax.  So important in the UK,  now,  with the obscene level of taxation.  I have lived by the principals laid out and I give those principals to all my Members.  I often wonder how  many actually take it to heart and carry them out?

Buy the book....or better still do what I am doing this Christmas.  Buy a load of them and give them to your family and dearest friends.  The advice in the book will last well after you are gone!   ' Rich Dad, Poor Dad '  by Robert T Kiyosaki ISBN: 0 7515 3271 1

And make sure to give your wealth away:

My members know well that I encourage 'giving'.  It is quite amazing how the more you give away the more comes back to you.  I have never figured that out except that it works.  Find your own charity, make your own charity.  Find a guy who is on his or her uppers and personally help them.  Main stream charities, by and large, are no more than huge corporations that just eat up the public's money by employing more and more staff and distributing large amounts of dosh among the directors.  Find a good personal cause where you can see what your money and gifts does ... in real time.

Good news for guys short of dosh?

I have always advised music guys without dosh that they should contact their local Council re. the many 'New Start' ideas which Government has.  They will welcome any initiative by music guys to start a proper career in music by 'learning'.  Any of our programs will be looked on favourably.  Provided you can prove that you are serious and have your feet firmly on the ground.  The Council will fund your study.  We have had a number of guys get funding this way for our programs.

There is another source of funding.  There are many private Trusts about who will help deserving music guys. 

Shaw Trust
Newbold Buildings
37-39 Oldham Road
Rochdale
Lancashire
OL16 5QJ

This trust will help, but you must present a proper plan to them.  And that should include a proper study plan.  Our programs are ideally suited to this.  "How To Make A $Million From Your Music" is now recognised as the most successful ten month study plan for music makers.

Please, if you approach your Council or a private trust make sure your intentions are correct and that you are serious about your future life in music.

How to feel amazing?

Make a success list.

"When we are feeling low in self-esteem it is difficult to like anything about ourselves

When we are caught in a negative spiral of self-dislike, feelings of powerlessness, inability to make decisions, inability to act, self-dislike...there is a way to stop the rot.

Make a 'success list'.  This is a list of everything you are successful at, or have been successful at.

Go back as far as you can, make a fun thing of it.  Get a really big piece of paper and keep adding to your list.

You see - you ARE a success!"

Lynda Field

"Share Your Knowledge - It is a way to achieve immortality"
Dalai Lamha
 

Up Coming major Showcase

Matt Page Agency proudly present their "NEXT GENERATION" SHOWCASE at THE PARKWAY CLUB, Maskew Avenue, Peterborough in the UK.

10 Acts Appearing from around the UK.
On WEDNESDAY 23rd FEBRUARY 2005
For your FREE Invitations contact us at :- mpagency@btinternet.com  more.music@btinternet.com

Or Tel; 01733 204353

I will be finding out more about this showcase and may even get more involved.

If you are on the road, gigging, you must read this:

As one who had a minor scare years ago.  I was travelling to a concert, alone, and suddenly felt that all was not right in my chest.  As it happened, I got it completely wrong but it scared the s**t out of me.  I came across this bit of advice.  I'd heard about it from someone and was glad to see the proper advice in print....could it save YOU some day?

Is It A Heart Attack?  Read this... It could save your life!!

Let's say it's 2.15 AM. and you're driving home from a gig (alone of course), after an unusually hard evening. You're really tired, upset, and frustrated.

Suddenly you start experiencing severe pain in your chest that starts to radiate out into your arm and up into your jaw. You are only about five miles from the hospital nearest your home.

Unfortunately you don't know if you'll be able to make it that far. You have been trained in CPR, but the guy that taught the course did not tell you how to perform it on yourself.

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE

Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness.

However, these victims can help themselves by coughing repeatedly and very vigorously. A deep breath should be taken before each cough, and the cough must be deep and prolonged, as when producing sputum from deep inside the chest.

A breath and a cough must be repeated about every two seconds without let-up until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Deep breaths get oxygen into the lungs and coughing movements squeeze the heart and keep the blood circulating. The squeezing pressure on the heart also helps it regain normal rhythm.

In this way, heart attack victims can get to a hospital.

"I wanted to encourage you and say a big THANK YOU once again, for being such a good man and helping us in the ways you do

Kindest regards as Always  - Sharon ('S')"

"Just thought I would let you know that grade 1 of the make a million course is Brilliant!!!!!. Up until now I have been taking drum samples from vinyl and sample cds, but after playing with some of your ideas the drums sound brilliant.
Jon Brome"
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"The Master Class in the ultimate, I am really indebted now Cluskey. I feel as though I could never repay you.

Quincy Ellis [University Of Alabama At Birmingham , USA ]"
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"I've never made so much money in my life....thank you Dec.....
Linton Osborne  [Spain] " 

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Charts:

USA [my thanks to Charles in the USA for supplying this]

(1) Drop It Like It's Hot, Snoop Dogg Featuring Pharrell

(2) My Boo, Usher And Alicia Keys

(3) Let Me Love You, Mario

UK

1) BAND AID 20 -  'DO THEY KNOW IT'S CHRISTMAS?' 
2)  ICE CUBE ft MACK 10 & MS TOI -  'YOU CAN DO IT' 
3) DESTINY'S CHILD -  'LOSE MY BREATH' 

(1) 'Do They Know It's Christmas' - Band Aid 20  Universal 3
(2) 'Vertigo' - U2 Universal 7
(3) 'What You Waiting For' - Gwen Stefani

Chart Comment:

One of my fave artists for years has crept into the Top Three of the download chart...Gwen Stefani...different, innovative and distinctive.  Everything a new artist should aim at being.

Destiny's Child still hang in there....amazing  staying power...it's a great track.

It is the first week of Band Aid 20. The first week sold 300,000 ... more than the entire rest of the top forty put together...so I am told!

Far and away the biggest new entry in the UK is 'You Can Do It' by former NWA frontman Ice Cube, ably assisted by Mack 10 and Ms Toi. The track is actually no less than five years old, having first been recorded back in 1999. Indeed the track is such a part of the Ice Cube canon that it appeared as one of the tracks on his 2001 Greatest Hits collection.

 "  Let your guard down, and let life in."
Joe Vitale

" It isn't premarital sex if you have no intention of getting married." 

       George Burns