This Is Why The People Applaud

Today, January 17, is Benjamin Franklin's birthday. He w

as born in 1706 and is no longer living, but his quotes and inventions have lived on.

When you think of Ben Franklin, music may not be the first thing that comes to mind. However, I love this quote that I put to an infographic meme:



So true...

Of course, as a musician/performer/entertainer, I admit that applause makes me feel good.  But, it does something more as well.

The quote is so true, that applause waits on success.

When I receive applause at the end of a show, and sometimes even a standing ovation, it humbles me yet at the same time inspires me to perform at my best because I realize for an audience to applaud means I have succeeded at making their day pleasurable, brought back happy memories, or just provided an hour or so of enjoyable music.

Moving the Music to an iPad

So excited!  We have moved into the new year and the new century of technology.

I no have an iPad which I plan to use to replace my mounds of music lyric and chord sheets I use when performing.

It's going to be a massive project of transferring my marked-up, highlighted lyric sheets onto the iPad.  However, once it's done it will be well worth it.

And, it will hopefully lessen how much gear I have to transport with me in one van which is filled with 3 children and my wife when I'm on tour.  Maybe my wife will actually get some foot room this next trip when our iPad transferring project is complete.

I'm hoping this streamlined, sleek way of reading music will not only look professional but save me hours of thumbing through paper.

Music Soothes The Soul and Paul McCartney

It's been a whirlwind lately playing gig after gig.  In the midst of it all I had the privilege of actually going to a concert to hear someone else play.  Guess who I got to see?  Sir Paul McCartney.

For a Beatles fan like me, this was a thrill.  The tickets were worth every penny.  All I could think throughout the show as that someone forgot to tell this man he's 70.  He looked great!  He even tripped off of the last step from the piano to grab his guitar at one point and popped back up like a dancer.

He is a true showman, and while I will never attain his claim to fame or knighthood, I have patterned myself in my performances a bit after Paul.  He inspired me even more at this concert.

I have taken my Christian Disc Jockey service and expanded it to be a mixture of a live performance with "spinning discs" which are now mostly in digital form anyway.

No, I will never be Paul McCartney.  But, a concert like the one he put on for St. Louis is not one I will ever forget.

It made me think how music soothes an aching soul.  If it is not music that also offers the life of Christ, it may be a bit of a Band Aid repair of the soul.  But, nonetheless, it soothes it if even momentarily.

I'm glad I got the chance to see Paul McCartney live in St. Louis.  And, I can only hope to pull a little of the magic of the musical night to sprinkle into my shows as well.

Selling my childhood

It has come to this!  Toys from my childhood have become quite valuable, it seems.  Combine this with my need to pay down debt and everyday living expenses, and I have decided to sell toys from my childhood, including a guitar, on eBay.

This journey is eye-opening.  It makes me feel old.  It makes me feel as if a part of my growing up and happy days are waving goodbye, and it makes me sad and full of hope all at the same time.  The hope, of course, stems from the practical aspect of the money these toys bring in.

I have come to the last of what I was able to scour from my parent's basement for now.  Only one item remains to be sold and shipped away.  So, I thought I would share some photos of my experience as well as spotlight an awesome guitar that is still for sale to the highest "bidder" (more on this in a future post).

What are people saying about John Scott Musician/Joyful Sounds?

Love this letter of recommendation I just received from Spencer Place:

Letter of recommendation