MyGigNet Blog

Naming God, Black Holes, Wisdom and Quantum Thought

2009-12-18T23:13:00.000-08:00

Out in the cosmos, there is a black hole. We cannot see it, but we know it is there. We know, because we see what is happening around it. It sucks up galaxies and alters the properties of light, itself. That's incredibly huge. And there are countless billions of them, unseen, unknown. But they are there.

I am one of billions of persons on a tiny planet. I don't have the ego, especially in relation to what else is going on in the universe, to speak on God's behalf. Why should anyone else? Trying to name this concept- principle-process is futile. Placing infinite points on the heads of infinite pins would make more sense than identifying this God/Not God.

So, why do people try? You need not answer, for there is no point. I will give something of my own here, however. Humans have a need to make tangible what is not, to make simple what is complex, to give pointed pertinence to something or someone that embraces so much that is impersonal -- the movement of the planets, the placement of the atoms.

Islam gives this concept 99 Beautiful Names. Christians have theirs. Jews identify, but will not utter. Add your own. Make your list. If it affirms, it connects and it gives purpose. That's all right. All I know is that, if others have consciousness enough to ponder and to seek the same Truth, then it implies a consciousness that we are a part of. And if we are a part, we are empowered by that consciousness. If we are part of a process of transmutation -- energy changing from one form to the other (remember the black holes) -- then we are empowered by that, as well.

The universe demonstrates and delivers a limitless energy. Where abundance is shown, there should be no bounds. What you think is what you see, what you know, what you do.

Solomon said that Wisdom is in the joy of what you are doing, while you are doing it. Are you doing what you think?

The Value of Integrity

2009-10-04T21:56:00.000-07:00

Integrity, so exceedingly and decidedly void today, is still something that each of us responds to positively when we encounter it. Integrity tells me that, when encountered as either a response or an offer, it holds the readiest of value to everyone. Oh, there are those in denial -- it implies putting one's neck out. The reasons are theirs, but opportunities are missed, whose rewards are more than affirming. When you speak directly and honestly to the most directly honest part in the other person, the truth of your integrity is more than known. It is felt and that one little effect opens the doors to relationships that affect in a monumentally empowering way.

Time to talk honestly.

I have met more people that are more than ready for a challenge that truly means something. They are looking for that point of personal significance that says their lives mean something. It would be great if it was music related, but anything would be welcome. It is when they are most in need, however, that the survival instinct, conditioned feelings of inadequacy, depression and desperation, or whatever, kick in. Back off and you're safe. But are you really?

As a society, we are bombarded with disempowering messages, accelerating and amplifying by the week, by the day. We let elected representatives, the media, and small, vocal groups take responsibility for getting done what we know needs to be done. The results are always insanely consistent, inadequate, and disappointing. And we still get the bill. So much for buyer's remorse.

As musicians, most of us know what it is like to be unemployed, uninsured, and unfulfilled. Only, for us, it is not a recent phenomenon; it is a constant. We let industry "leaders" take care of our business and what do we get? We let the need to work degrade the standards of our work. We take less substance (read paycheck) and take more crap. Is anybody seeing a pattern here?

In the 70's, I could work a week of lousy pay one-nighters and still cover my bills. Having moved to the top of my game in 2009, I worked more and got less -- and had to travel to do so. Hanging at poverty is not a living. That said, the obvious question is, "why do you do it?". If you're reading this, then you know, but, just in case...

My wife and daughter, both disabled and looking to me for their care and advocacy, have told me how miserable it is when I am out playing or hustling gigs. They have also told me how much more miserable it is when I'm not playing! If you're working at a day job, you know what I am saying.

Yes, I have met a lot of folks, lately, looking for that one thing that will make a difference in their lives. I have also heard their laments, their peeves, bitches and gripes. MyGigNet started out as a form letter with the whole laundry list. The list didn't change, but the intent behind it did. Describing the problem was not enough; prescribing a solution had to be there.

Our solution is deeply thought out. It is our experience -- like yours -- but with one difference. We're putting together the place that will let you put together the place that you envisioned when you first wanted to play. It will be housed in the virtual world, but will be deeply connected to the physical world -- through music, the one language we all understand. Integrity, mine, ours, and yours, is what it's about. We are putting our necks out.

We'd like some company.

By the way, we will soon post a slide presentation -- short -- but deep enough for you to better understand what I have been trying to intelligently articulate in previous posts, apparently to no avail. Hope it helps.

The MyGigNet Survey

2009-09-28T11:10:00.000-07:00

Since the MyGigNet mission is to serve the people -- you -- that will help to build it, we are compiling a survey that we hope will give us a clearer idea of what it is that you want, need, and hope for. While we are working musicians with a lot of years of experience, we are experienced enough to know that each person's perspective is different. Our intent is to open the channels for a real dialog here, to determine priorities, and to establish a solid starting point for our data model and our hard launch. When the survey form is finished, you will be notified through our newsletter, but only if you are registered. So, please, if you haven't, then sign up. It costs nothing.

Also, tell others about us. They don't necessarily have to be musicians; they can be music service providers, management, agents, club owners, or fans. We want everyone to have the opportunity to help everyone else.

Your involvement and input are much appreciated and needed.

The MyGigNet Manifesto: A Promise of Responsibility and Respect

2009-09-12T03:27:00.000-07:00

Throughout the course of this undertaking, I have been met with either an open understanding of what we are attempting to accomplish -- for both those that create and those that enjoy music -- or a very conventional perspective that cannot see the forest for the trees. The first group is comprised, mostly, of the people that we are trying to serve and, most openly, by those that are younger. The second group is represented by mostly older musicians and aficionados, but seriously strong in those that can fund our project; the older ones resistant to technology and the investors too steeped in revenue models, projections, and forecasts to recognize the difference between finance and priming the pump of economy. The last group is the one that I have had to focus the most attention upon, especially over the last two years; they are the focus of my appeal to any and all of you that hold any hope for creating and sharing, in a robust and relevant environment, and receiving residual compensation for your contributions.

Investors have tended to see some compelling argument for the creation of a MyGigNet, but they relate best to tangible numbers, usually dollars. While not fluent, I have managed to understand where they are coming from enough to shake my head, thinking "they are stepping over dollars to get to dimes". It is impossible to place a tangible value on much of what transacts between people. What's it worth to get turned on to a new gig? What's the dollar value of finding the band, the CD, the download, the lesson, that moves your consciousness, capabilities, and capacities to the next level?

In thinking this through, realizing that some tangible reference has to be made in order to get the serious attention and commitment of socially conscious, conscientious, and responsible investors, there became apparent that the only avenue open was to post our promise, to persevere in its development and delivery, or to die trying. If we achieve a testable base of 5000 MyGigNet Citizen/Members, on something as simple and direct as a promise, we are convinced that this will demonstrate something of more value, as it is a growing and sustainable model. Imagine 50,000 or 500,000 -- on a promise.

We are keenly aware that the music industry (and the Internet, for that matter) is much too vested in product orientation, too often neglecting the creative process and, when it doesn't, reduces even that to product. If this is what determines the matching of supply to demand, then the best one can hope for is cursory in its results. MyGigNet is of the mind that, by emphasizing process orientation, we are acknowledging the act of creation, which, itself, implies the need to connect individuals through more than common knowledge, skill, and interest; we have to better represent the individuals, their wants, needs, perceptions, perspectives, and manner of engagement. This will result in deeper, defined, and relevant matches, whether as peer networks (creative clusters) or as information, sought and needed.

It is with this in mind that we deliver our solemn pledge:

To build a community governed by principles of personal and professional pertinence, with historically sound relational organization, and exercising the highest economic responsibility to our Citizen/Members; and to hold conscious resolve to the moral and social imperatives that promote the general welfare of these Citizen/Members. The modes and means for accomplishing this include, but are not limited to:

1. Pertinence -- derived through the Personal Profile Application, a MyGigNet format that allows the user to create a discreet, private program representing him/her as a distinct, deeply defined individual. This program can be continually revisited, answering more questions to develop a deeper, more dimensional personal "data avatar" that best represents the user.

2. Structure -- the repository for all things music, thematically organized down corridors that relate to Music Education; Business Education; Composition and Publishing; Recording and Distribution; Pre-venue Performance Development; Venue Performance and Professional Services; Organizations, Programs, and Funding; and Music Therapy. Each corridor will connect to related portals that are more specific to functional tasks and needs. The structural design reference is best described as a hybrid museum-library-classroom-lab.

3. Operation --MyGigNet, using the Personal Profile Application, will operate according to a Guild based model, with Masters, Journeymen, and Apprentices. The status of the individual within this Guild will depend on the tasks at hand, a well as the relative areas of expertise. In this regard, the older Master offers experience in life and career processes; the younger Master offers knowledge of new technological paradigms.

4. Economy -- a new paradigm of revenue distribution, accountable through and to those that contribute content, and determined by how often that content is accessed by other community members, as well as non-members.

The Promotion of the general welfare of the MyGigNet community will beget a positive individual and community identity, more direct problem solving, create a more perfect union/community (we acknowledge that this is not a new idea), and resulting in something of common, substantial value to defend against any and all threats to its integrity and existence.

The Well Within Our Reach

2009-04-10T22:25:00.000-07:00

In this particularly perilous time, we are faced with ever mounting issues of personal and social survival. There is a certain conditioning at play, which causes us to acknowledge the more modest, but immediate relief from our travails. We have become too easily distracted by details, by personality, by headline, by sensation, and all for the illusion that we survive for some future benefit. If conditioning holds out, this future remains just that -- future -- never attained, never arrived at; a long way out of reach or almost within our grasp.

I have been guilty of such short-sightedness. In my mind, 5 billion prayers and pleas for relief and deliverance would just put mine into a pot; multiply that by several times per day, every day, month, year,........ I could never be a priority. Even reasoned omnipotence has its limits. There is total parity in the universe. We are all energy, matter, and energy, again.

Ours is the search for a well, a fountain of affirmation and empowerment, the source endless and its bounty well beyond. We wade through a vast desert called life looking for an oasis on the horizon, on the surface. This is the point of opportunity sought and fulfilled, but it is deceiving if it is the only accepted point of recognition and reference. Looking for trees and grasses is, most certainly, evidence of life flowing from below, but it represents a greater wellspring fed by an integrated network of springs and aquifers, which can extend far beyond our vision.

Sometimes a stream runs its course, visibly meandering in meadow and wood, mountain and valley. Other times it is unseen, running freely and undetected beneath our feet. Either one represents the opportunity to partake of its benefit.

The lesson here is to feel and to recognize the well wherever it is. Do not be distracted by only looking for the obvious. Ask, "why here and why now" and determine its value as a source for solution, removing the "problem" paradigm, and initiating response in place of reaction. Responsible engagement is the backbone of the MyGigNet and global community.

We must stop looking for the sip of water when the well is within our reach.

Obstacles and Opportunities

2009-03-06T15:29:00.000-08:00

Times like these are reminders that, when we rely on others to do right by us, we -- the common folk -- are the first mentioned and the last regarded. Our economists, pundits, and politicians bluster, boil, sidestep, rationalize, and argue over an abundance of small points that have each been inflated to category 4 and 5 storms, just by the perceptions that are being shaped. Everything is a problem. Everything is a crisis. And no one is attending to the real answers.

The infrastructure of any economy is not determined by the money-moving accounting networks of banks, insurance companies, hedge funds, or Wall Street. It is determined by the relationships of the people within the society that lead to exchanges between them -- valuable, not because they have a dollar amount attached to them, but because of the needs of those doing the exchanging. Whether its goods, services, knowledge, or even questions, there is an intrinsic value that is implied that no number can measure.

I buy some product or service, as an example. Who did I buy it from? Why did I buy it? It is almost always a matter that is more about the integrity of the company or individual that I purchase from than one of just price. How much value do you put on that relationship, as a purchaser or as a purveyor? While knowledge does have a bearing (again, what's that worth?), it is the question -- or series of questions -- that are posed, back and forth, that qualify the integrity and the pertinence of the transaction. Each question begs an answer. Because it is posed as a question, the respondent inherently knows that there is an answer and, thus, he strives to fulfill or to lose out if he doesn't.

Which leads me to the issue of problems and the obstacles that they present. If we were to pose problems, not as statements, but as questions, wouldn't a solution be naturally forthcoming? The obstacles to solutions are removed (or, at least, reduced) by this modest shift in presentation. And what is a solution, but an opportunity? This site is looking at solutions -- and the opportunities that they offer -- not just from a small group of people on the inside. It is seeking solutions from you. What do you know? What do you do? What can you offer? This is your site. Start offering. We're waiting. And so is opportunity.

MyGigNet Is Not Dead

2009-03-06T12:47:00.000-08:00

I just received an email asking, since there have been no new blog posts, if MyGigNet is dead. I assure you that it is not. The tasks that we have laid before us have been very involved, from determining database issues (acquisition, access, security), to the formatting of the PPA, its programming, spread sheets that investors need (yes, there are people out there that are very attracted to our mission), business development, marketing, site development, and on and on and on..........

We are honestly close. We have been struggling to make advances, but our commitment is no less than ever. Remember that we are musicians working on a mission, but upholding the responsible and respectful position of treating this like the sustainable business model that it is. In the meantime, we have bills to pay and issues to address. It ain't easy, but it is getting done. If you have any skills that you can offer, financial/funding, programming, research, business development, etc., please let us know. Thanks.

Well yes, Oregon IS for Dreamers

2008-08-19T09:26:00.000-07:00

The need for MyGigNet is apparent in so many ways. I speak to working musicians, to teachers, to students, to organizers and activists, to fans, and the list goes on. Each and every one has expressed frustrations, from simple searches to finding gigs, connecting with like-minded musicians, programs, funding, guidance, etc. This list, too, goes on and on. MySpace frustrates them, Sonicbids frustrates them, download sites frustrate them, repetition frustrates them. It is not just the process, it's the result -- too little, too irrelevant, too costly. The article, below, cites 2 million artists, but that's professionals. With 84,000,000 playing music -- for the joy of just doing it -- too many are too isolated to share their gifts. Everything comes at a cost. In Portland, Oregon there is a creative environment that attracts many to get a start, but the end result is that they have to go elsewhere, with no guarantee of success, to move ahead. It is easy to see the problem. It is a little harder to find small, pointed solutions. It is extremely difficult to execute the one, grand vision -- but it is not impossible. We each have something to offer, but it must be done within a committed, contributing, community; one that shares enough of what it knows to help itself by helping others. It will be done in bits and pieces, but it will be done. Read on. There is affirmation for our mission in this article. Yes, there are problems. You hold a piece of the solution.

David Kahl

_______________________________________________________________________

Sometimes the statistics show just what you think they will.

According to a 150-page report released Thursday by the National Endowment for the Arts, there are more artists than ever before in the United States -- about 2 million -- and Oregon is one state where the number of artists has grown decisively, jumping from 15th nationally in 1990 to eighth in 2000. And that underscores the perception that Oregon, and specifically Portland, is one of the country's more popular artist havens.

"This report gives the arts community a real tool to show the public how much of an impact they have here," says Jesse Beason, senior policy director for Mayor-elect Sam Adams, whose portfolio of responsibilities includes overseeing the city's arts scene. "It's not simply a feeling, not only anecdotal. It's rooted in facts."

The report, called "Artists in the Workforce," compiles data from the 1990 and 2000 U.S. censuses and the 2003-05 American Community Survey. Chock-full of charts and tables, the study is a comprehensive appraisal of the state of the artist, which it defines broadly and inclusively through 11 categories, including designers, architects, writers, fine artists, actors, musicians and even announcers.

Several of the report's national findings may sound surprising: The number of artists is a shade less than the number of American military personnel -- who number 2.2 million -- but greater than the number of lawyers, doctors or farmers.

Not surprisingly, most artists live in the country's major cities, with Los Angeles having the most, followed by New York, Chicago, Washington and Boston.

Artists, the report says, tend to be more educated than the general work force yet earn less than others who are similarly educated. And it seems that even the arts have much work to do when it comes to equal representation and pay: Most artists are men, and male artists tend to earn more ($42,000 a year) than women ($27,300).

For Oregon, there is good news for arts supporters. The state ranks eighth in the number of total artists per 10,000 people, ahead of Washington and Nevada, but behind New York, California and Massachusetts.

A breakdown of the total artists category is revealing: Oregon ranks eighth in the number of architects and ninth in three separate categories: designers, actors and fine artists, which includes animators and art directors. Lovers of Powell's City of Books won't be surprised to find out that Oregon is No. 5 when it comes to the number of writers.

It's unlikely that these numbers will shock Oregonians. For the past decade, everyone from culture observer Richard Florida to mayor-elect Adams has talked about Oregon's --particularly Portland's --bounty of artists and designers, its so-called "creative class," and how they affect the quality of life here. But why have so many artists come to Oregon and Portland?

"We have an environment that is conducive to creative activity," says Virginia Willard, executive director of the arts advocacy nonprofit Northwest Business for Culture & The Arts. "It's an open-minded environment that accepts creativity. Artists are comfortable here. There's a lot of fertile ground."

While the report strengthens Oregon's standing as an arts hub, Willard thinks that's not enough.

"This is a great place for artists to get their start," says Willard. "But many feel they have to leave. Are there enough financial opportunities for them? Is there enough of a market? We have to make sure there is enough infrastructure and resources to support them."

Beason agrees, and says one of Adams' chief successes as city commissioner has been his championing of arts funding, programs and coalition-building within the arts community. Beason says that Adams intends to build on those accomplishments as mayor.

"All along we've said it's important to make investments," says Beason. "To keep what we have if not grow what we have. We still want to think about what policies will help continue to make this an attractive place for artists."

-- D.K. Row; dkrow@news.oregonian.com

MyGigNet Musician's Summary

2008-07-31T19:53:00.000-07:00

Preface: It has dawned on me that, the closer we get to launch, the greater the need to clarify what it is that we intend to do. Yes, we have a huge idea; we also have the means (capital considerations notwithstanding) and the opportunity offered by convergence of timing and events. The ideas driving MyGigNet did not come flying out like monkeys emanating from a dark human orifice. It is the culmination of 6 1/2 years of organized, determined effort. It has been defined and refined countless times. There is a virtual side to this enterprise that is proprietary and nearly fully developed, so you'll just have to trust us on this one. It is being steered by a dedicated team of individuals, who recognize its importance, both as technological innovation and as a social and cultural imperative. I hope to have addressed the ideal in a pragmatic manner. I'd like to hear from the cynics; maybe we can both learn and accomplish something worth a damn.

MyGigNet (MGN) is the logical solution to the growing stresses facing working musicians, educators, students, and related workers and proponents in the music industry. It addresses, in a coordinated manner, the functional necessities of doing business, accessing resources, and delivering tangible results, while offering realistic options for economic viability to individuals, associations, and the programs that they serve. The systems and models that MGN is built upon are historically sound, the infrastructure currently exists, and the technology exists to make this immediately accessible and usable. What follows is a practical description of what we do and how we work.

The Personal Profile Application (PPA) is the brain within the MGN body. It determines the character traits of the individual, his/her wants and needs, skills and proficiencies, and sets in motion the coordinating signals that determine actions and outcomes. It is a reasoning mechanism that not only sets the parameters of relevance, while continuously learning and adjusting through the ongoing use of the MGN program. The PPA is built upon existing matching models, like eHarmony, but goes light years beyond. We know that we are not just personality driven; we have ethical standards, individual modes of viewing and using the same information, different priorities, and individual ways of acting upon them. Technologically, it is a constantly refining search engine that connects, through interfaces, to multiple sites and returns combined results, not just singular web links, and coordinates their functional components. The end result is functional service, tailored to the individual.

Technology/Application Program Interfaces (APIs): An API is a set of declarations of the functions (or procedures) that an operating system (MGN), library (the site) or service (Internet resources) provides to support requests made by computer programs. With the geek definition having been made, let's get to what we need to know. Google has opened up a wealth of APIs for use by any site. What this means is that we don't have to all be programmers to make this work; we just have to know what we need and want, then we use the Google infrastructure, including servers, to make the connections. We can grow without worrying about system crashes, connect existing and developing data, and coordinate their outcome as comprehensive, usable service. No more hunt and peck; no more cut and paste; no more taxing our memories to figure out where it exists, whether it is usable, or whether we've covered all of our bases. It also means that we can use their resources for building outside sources of revenue, accounting for its distribution, and paying the community base that develops the content that we use. Of course, technological coordination will be handled by the MGN geek squad, with qualified community input.

Content Development: As noted, the community is the most qualified base for content development. If we know what we know, know what we do, know what we want, and know what we need, then the only remaining consideration is setting a standard format for assessment and allocation of content. This makes any bit of data usable for any of a number of individuals and applications. MGN has developed this format and made it simple, while accounting for more detailed assessment of aesthetics, ease of use, and other considerations. Additionally, we recognize that this is the most cost effective means of building and maintaining an agile, responsive, and responsible content base, which is not only good news for investors, but for the economic health of the community, since it frees revenue to distribute throughout the MGN network.

Economy: There are numerous sources of revenue – at least 200 – that will develop within the MGN site, none of which come from the members, directly, but that result from the participation of these members. How it works is simple. MGN establishes relationships with Amazon.com, Travelocity, insurance companies, and so on. When a member goes to one of these sites through MGN, it costs nothing more; MGN gets a small fee from the seller. Easy enough. The other revenue sources are relational and developmentally derived. They are built on the premises that the PPA delivers a more direct route to a qualified customer base – one that is more likely to purchase, as opposed to one that just might be interested. Furthermore, with 84,000,000 musical instrument players in the U.S., alone, the economy that 1% of the poorest ($10,000.00+ per year) represents exceeds $900,000,000.00 per year of economic power. Now, 84,000,000 people are not just working musicians; they are doctors, attorneys, professionals, working class. They represent 25% of the population, have family and friends, are connected to their communities, hold varied associations with programs, groups, and causes. Logic holds that, at least, 2% of them are socially conscious and, when offered the opportunity to give back, will do so. This would translate into, minimally, a $2 Billion economy, of which MGN could garner $40,000,000.00 per year at no additional cost to the user. This, too, would distribute throughout the community, funding individuals, associations, and educational programs. If you think that this is unrealistic, consider this: $7 Billion per year is spent on musical equipment; $30 Billion is spent on Internet advertising. There is countless more. When we reach 10% of the U.S. community, at an average income of $30,000,00 per year, we are nearing a $1Trillion annual economy. Economic empowerment is closer than we think.

Integrity: This is guaranteed by open source orientation of Google APIs, of application toward MGN, and by the constant input of the MGN community. It is, also, warranted by two historic models. MGN considers itself to be the technological equivalent of the artisan guilds. These organizations span centuries, political change, religious diversity, and geography. They are the prototype of functional social networks, providing educational guidance, unifying practices and proficiencies, and advocacy within the working groups that connect inside its broader framework. The second historic reference is actually derived from the definition of American capitalism put forth in the Federalist Papers. Profit was seen to be derived from issues that were quality driven. Production was tied to incentives for qualitative goods and services, which were, in turn, determined by paying the labor base to deliver on that basis. The result was one that spent little or no time in servicing inferiority (nonproductive), lowering costs, making the product more affordable, expanding the market, employing more, and so on. The most recent examples of this policy are the New Deal and NASA. The programs, no matter how much opportunism, looting, and manipulation, still hold after decades. Think of Social Security, the BPA, and TVA, even after 70 years of this.

In summary, we are like individuals paddling in a vast ocean, fearful of the next threatening wave. If enough of us consciously lash our rafts together, we hold a better chance of survival; if more join us, we are more than capable of reaching our desired destination, functional and economic.

A Case for Common Cause: The MyGigNet Revolution

2008-07-31T19:49:00.000-07:00

The benefits of the Internet, with open access to more information are obvious. Opportunities abound for the connections of innumerable resources, along with their creative, productive use. For the innovator, this is a vast, uncharted territory. There is, however, a caveat. The value of any tool is directly tied to its more common use, as well as its varied applications. The problem with holding a wealth of data is that, for the average person, it becomes a double edged sword. First, it requires a certain disciplined skill set that, furthermore, is tied to a substantial analog effort that taxes memory, time, and energy in exercising a determined, desired result. The second is an outcome of the first; with this abundance, coupled with the attentive demands of other media (in the form of news, information, and advertising), there arises the imminent potential for sensory overload. This, in turn, results in a basic response – in order to survive, a certain shutdown occurs. One has to look no further than the majority of MySpace users. Even in a more focused environment, the efforts required just to make connections become too involved, relative to the benefits.

Creative minds, scientific and artistic, hold a common trait. They thrive in environments that are devoid of stress. The issue, then, is centered around delivering the technological innovation that reduces this stress and, in turn, implements a boost to the strength and utility of existing tools, along with the creation of new ones. An example of this is the development of smelting techniques; it is further demonstrated by the implementation of tempering processes. The most common of tools were benefited by these keystone points of discovery and integration. Their applications built civilizations.

Data, by its very nature, is staid and stagnant. It is like a library, whose books, for the most part, gather dust. Even when they are read, the ideas within are still only potentials until put into action. A word, unspoken, has no power to inspire, to move, to create. Furthermore, the compartmentalization of information lessens the vitality of its potentials. Without connection there is no mechanism for logic, no movement toward a determined goal.

It is not enough to offer a gathering place, whether it is the Internet, MySpace, Facebook, or YouTube. A congregation of individuals has two extreme potentials; one is no better than a roaming mob; the other a unified force for principled change. The fathers of the American Revolution were ordinary citizens, but they were united in common cause – principled, uplifting, looking toward the grander potentials of humankind. So, too, were the French revolutionaries, but theirs was a reactionary force. The outcome is embedded in the many milestones of history. When even the most trying of events threaten to mark the most noble of experiments, even these efforts are insufficient enough to derail the course of progress.

Getting back to creative minds, the task at hand is one that entails key fundamentals of stress reduction. How do we identify the means of delivering information, turning it into functional service, open up avenues for connection and collaboration, and inspire the potentials for creative, productive innovation? How, too, do we directly empower the participants in this process, from the bottom up, in as many beneficial ways as possible? How can we qualitatively and quantitatively measure their results? Lastly, how can we offer the gathering place – the public square – that not only delivers the speech, but offers the framework for its common, purposeful cause – the general welfare of its citizenry?

MyGigNet has, and continues, to do just that.

David Kahl
CVO

Sustainability, Responsibility, and the Positive Carbon Footprint of MyGigNet

2008-06-18T13:05:00.000-07:00

Gas prices are rising to the point where we could find ourselves playing gigs that will net a loss from just the commute. I know that the “pay to play” element is rampant in major markets, but this is going too far. It's bad enough that, when commute time, alone, often puts us in the position of receiving less than minimum wage for our efforts, we have to consider the possibility of not playing in order to keep from sliding further behind, let alone get ahead. Add rehearsal time, equipment and vehicle purchase and maintenance costs, time and effort in seeking and confirming gigs, and our wages are much less. I know I don't have to mention the dwindling value of the dollar, itself, but that is more salt in the wound.

Whether it's a dollar, an hour, a kilowatt, or a footstep, this output can be translated into energy. Every breath can be measured; every effort quantified. So, you ask, “how does this daunting project – MyGigNet – change any of this?”. No one is suggesting that this is an effortless endeavor. What I am saying is that the efforts of one, shared with the many, is just a single example of “virtual recycling” -- if there is a vehicle, a center, for that resource. MyGigNet offers that recycling center. If you want to talk about the benefits arising from the socially responsible aspect, alone, then this goes well beyond the measurable value of saving steps for others through your individual input. The immeasurable values, from “doing the right thing” to the karmic return of these benefits, can ultimately be measured. Just like you keep a mileage log, MyGigNet will track, with your input, the efforts and energy saved through this process. The energy values can then be placed upon the whole of the effort and, especially in the age of $4 or even $5 a gallon, can be translated into carbon credit. This, my friend, has real world value. It buys something. And, since the economic principles embedded into MyGigNet include the cycling of all revenue sources into the community, it will level at least some of the playing field and further pay you for your work. My position is that we can make this argument, in a legal, qualified, and quantified sense, and glean the tax credits for ourselves, as a company and as a community. We are intent upon using corporate advantage to its best, brightest, and most responsible use.

David Kahl
President, CVO
MyGigNet

2008-05-25T12:53:00.000-07:00

Lawyers and Scientists; Chaos and Order

Lawyers, even the most brilliant, execute their skilled craft through a weaving of technicalities; this is their edge, to know the details, to be intimate with every bump in the road, and to maneuver through the smoothest course. Facts exist, which in a world of common sense would stand, solitary and solid, upon their own principles, but the attorney seeks the anomalous exception, the detour toward upholding, exonerating, appealing, proper objection, and most proper objective. While justice is the principle, the objective is the law, with all of its technicality, implication, and application. Its fabric can be as simple as linen or as ornate as brocade.

Scientists address facts, as observed, relate their apparent state, and proscribe laws to explain them. The nuance of knowledge is based upon the perspective of holding to principle and, oftentimes, finding its explanation in, again, the anomalous exception. Thus, even black holes are discovered.

The world may be seen as trillions of things, with billions of laws, but we are all driven toward one principle. In any dimension, there is countless abundance of apparent chaos. There is, also, order, but we have to desire to detect it, acknowledge it when we observe it, and act upon it when it is recognized. It is the unity we all seek. It is born of the anomaly that is obscured by the disorder of details in a complex and chaotic environment.

Stop now. Look at it.

It stares you in the face while distraction assaults you. It asks you to put the faith that you have in yourself into others. It asks you to put your weakness out there, as well. Where you are strong, by sharing, another can find his own. Others may help you in this regard.

The one unifying body, the language of the cosmos, the order of even the most chaotic elements, can be expressed by a single word: music. No dogma. No hype. No denial of its existence. It is form; it is action; it is principle. It just is.

MyGigNet asks a lot from you. It doesn't ask for it all at once. All that is asked is to do a little, then to do a little more. Most importantly, though, is where it starts.

Desire to see it. Know it when you see it. Then act.

David Kahl
President, CVO MyGigNet

An idea about auditions...

2008-04-25T16:34:00.000-07:00

Thanks for contacting me. I think this is a great idea. We need more vehicles to help facilitate and cultivate our industry. As you know, it is becoming increasingly difficult just surviving as a musician.

It would be great to post serious auditions, which a lot of people don't have the connections to hear about them. I also think it would be great to get some of the labels and their connections with management companies to post auditions. These are just some thoughts off the cuff.

Stephen R. Moretti
Drummer/Percussionist
Morettiman Music™
Studio, Touring, Producing, Instruction
www.stevemoretti.com
www.myspace.com/stevemorettimusic

Why I Am; Why I Am MyGigNet

2008-04-23T20:22:00.000-07:00

I make my case here, not for any special place, not that I am any more special than anyone else. I deliver an appeal as an average guy, but with one key, conscious difference. I argue that I, indeed, do have something special that needs to reach out, communicate and connect. I argue that so do you, each and all.

I am the poster boy for someone who knows a lot, has experience in even greater abundance, is willing to share it, but needs help. I need help in organization, not that I can't organize. Keeping up with it is a bitch, with gigging, looking for gigs, talking about them, and just living; the hope is to have enough life to have a life. There is a need to connect, but there is a more immediate need to survive. I have a family that struggles, but that gives me purpose. I have to outlive the odds for their sake.

I have songs that I have written, but have yet to be recorded. I have other songs, still yet to sing. I have friends in the same boat. All of it. Some are just beginning and a lot of them have been at it "too long". We're stuck in it -- both blessing and curse.

And there lies the point. We are cursed by the blessing of our common gift: the song, the anthem, the symphony. It moves us to action; we want to share it. But the imposing power of others, and the opportunism that they take advantage of, has caused too many of us to protect our offerings and, thereby, take away the power of our significance. This is the curse.

Who we are and what we have, by sharing, harnesses our creative and experienced energy and moves it toward a directed, ethical use, whose integrity is shown in the prosperity that it generates through cooperation and collaboration. This is the blessing.

I am old enough to know what the "old dogs" in the industry know and how they use it. I am not unlike any other who has been disadvantaged by it. I have seen others royally screwed, far more than me. But I have seen it. I am, also, old enough to know that the youngest of us knows a lot. It's a different knowledge, but it is the knowledge of the verging world. It's their world. I can learn much from them, as they can from me. Technology drives their muse, but they still have to feel the strings, touch the keys, move the pipes. And they love old guys -- like me -- a lot more than many realize.

We have much to learn from each other. We all have much to learn from each other.

We have much more to gain.

I am no different than you -- average and special.

David Kahl
President, CVO
MyGigNet.com

MyGigNet and the Golden Rule: What Are You Willing to Offer? Is It Equal to What You Expect You Deserve?

2008-04-09T23:56:00.000-07:00

I came to this place -- one that is feeling centered and more comfortable, like home -- with a clear intent. I wanted to talk about who you could trust. And why. I came prepared to make the case that, intended or not, the wolves are about, masquerading in the garb of sheep. Some of them adorned -- prize winning ones, but wolfish result, just the same. I came "home" to vent indignant outrage, the way we all do when we are in our most sacred and protected of spaces.

I was fully prepared to say, without hesitation and with fullest conviction, that my spleen was inflamed, not by the experience of getting reamed by the best and the lowest of them. Nor was it because I'd heard it all before: how great it used to be, how hard it's getting, how a Springsteen can't be discovered the way the industry is, how -- a lot of things. I was angry because my anger was my brothers' and sisters' anger.

I came to say that, how it is, is that we know who we can't trust, but that we still deal with them or, that we hoard our most personal gifts from fear of losing -- losing traction in the first scenario and losing ourselves in the second. I knew what everybody else had to know. And, if they knew it, then they were trustworthy, which validated a premise. "Why Don't We Build It?"

The answer was easy, because no one that might have thought about it ever did anything about it. Even after I took this a few more steps past a summary and every implication, after others encouraged me forward while still others claimed impossibility -- even after loss after loss, anguish after anguish, mine and my community's -- I kept this consciousness and its will to be bigger than me. I couldn't identify it, but there it was, undeniably there.

It is more than mere feeling when there is consciousness attached to it. I was mulling over this when it occurred; the language of consciousness and of emotion was music. It is the one language that we share between ourselves, our conscious selves, our cosmos. If we can agree upon that, then we can trust each other, because that's the part that makes us the same. You don't have to play the instrument to make music. You can move an amp, man a booth, run a club, listen to a choir, or just want to play. If you're there, then you're there. The greatest musical vibe is the one that's shared.

That you can trust.

Now, to pragmatism.

I have heard, as old as I am, essentially one thing: everybody's looking for assurance, but not thinking as much about what assurances they can (or are willing to) give. It takes a few to move many; many more are then moved. MyGigNet is now a group of qualified, committed professionals, like you and like those you want to be. We are not any more special than any of you. We are just doing something about it.

There have been object lessons all around us. When people are called to act upon their principles, there are obstacles. Initial frustration is natural, giving rise to "why me, what have I got, what can I do?". The successful ones changed the first response to "why not me?" and the follow up questions changed their polarity. "Why me?" takes any empowerment potential and places them out of phase like unmatched speakers. I sucks energy and goes nowhere. "Why not me?" bursts the energy forward and outward. It ripples. It can become a wave.

What Can You Offer? Is It Equal to What You Expect You Deserve?

I would have rested my case here, but I read Boyd's post of Heather's email. Remember coming "home", earlier? Read her email.

Then I'll rest my case.

David Kahl
CVO, MyGigNet

A Musician Speaks Out...

2008-04-09T14:08:00.000-07:00

My dear friend, Heather Hammond (her stage name), responded to an invitation I sent her to check out the MyGigNet brochure online. Heather is one of the more blatently honest people I know, and it formed the basis of our friendship down through the years. So, when she says something, she means it, and with a genuinely inquiring mind and heart of a true artist, her statements are hard to ignore.

With that short introduction, I'm posting her email message to me about her experiences in the music business...

I think this is a great idea Boyd.

I think you should include an easy way to copyright and legally protect one's music. I know people who have written prolifically and gorgeously and fear losing their music because they can't afford to copyright it. So they never let anyone see it. Much of it is hit music if they would just let somebody else record it.

The copyright office/business seems slow and cumbersome. If there was some other way to protect the music that was quick, easy and inexpensive, like a lifetime automatic copyright for everything you submit, or something, something easy, like a personal copyright page so anybody could say "let's record something by Harry Pierce," go to his page, peruse his written or recorded music, pick something, contact him, get his permission, make a fair business deal so he gets royalties, and record it. People could be making a fortune off his music, and he could also, as a songwriter, because it's great.

That's what I find to be one of the greatest problems, people stealing other people's music. I do it myself. I tried to get permission with Harry Fox, waited for months, finally figured I'll just keep track of how much sells and when they sue me they get their cut. I never have ever heard from them.

There needs to be some way to keep people honest. Contracts through your system or something so recording artists would have to honor their agreements and make fair agreements with songwriters. They should be required to put on every cd, credit to your website and to the songwriter, to do business with you.

I don't know. I'm just guessing. The technical stuff is beyond me.

Another thing you could do is help get recording studios together with artists to record and distribute on a sale-based agreement where both parties produce the recording at their own expense, share expenses, and get equal royalties. There's a lot of little recording studios around that are going nowhere. Make it so these techies and artists could find each other and make a deal. Or audio engineers who come work other people's equipment. Take that time restraint off the studios racking up money by the hour. That preys on the mind of the artist while he's trying to concentrate, dollars slipping away every minute of studio time, and he can't help lousing up his performance.

Skerik recorded one of Harry's tunes, Harry wrote the arrangement for him, and Skerik recorded it and is selling it online. He gave Harry $200 a couple years ago. No royalties. I don't know if he's copyrighted it in his own name or what he's done but it's selling and Harry is getting nothing. The name of the tune is Let Me Be Your Voodoo Doll. If you look it up online you can hear it and hear Harry's arrangement of it. It's selling.

Harry is homeless! He has hundreds of great tunes. He could be a millionaire but he can't afford to copyright and gets frustrated with the procedure and the delays. Any kind of official paperwork. He's totally an artist and just can't deal with it. I see him clutching these tunes to his breast and he won't let anyone have the sheet music. He's written several books worth of music. Gorgeous stuff.

He wants to record it. He has several cds worth but he hasn't got the money, he's barely surviving playing Schubert for a ballet class, he's homeless, tries to keep his spirits up but he's depressed, his voice is going and he's going down man. He's going down. And he keeps writing.

Somebody like Harry should be able to put up everything he has written, arrangements, everything, and people should be able to buy it online without registering with the site. Just go shopping and buy it. Let the fund in his name build up and he can draw it out once a month or whatever way you want to do it. And protect his music.

iTunes is supposed to be the best but I'm on iTunes and I don't know how anybody finds anything on there. All these sites require that you register and download a program to buy anything. It's confusing and who can remember all those passwords?

I want to buy anonymously. I want to be able to go to any site and buy a product without registering with the site. Maybe a generic registration that everyone could use, if it's necessary to register at all to buy. (NoCharge dial-up has a generic registration, everyone signs in as "guest" and the password is "password.") Of course the sellers would have to register and get set up. But it should be easy for buyers to buy.

The focus should be on getting out the music that is being suppressed by the system. Right now, studios make money from losers who have money to invest and limited talent, while the real artists go hungry and the losers don't make it anyway. Or if they do, it's just stupid.
Just more of the same. Just another take on the same old bullshit.

We have Shakespeares and Gershwins and Bob Dylans among us and they're dying like rats on the streets. I've seen it all my life.

Ever since I was very young I've wanted to have an institution someday for 'criminal' jazz musicians where they could practice, write, record and live until they were recognized and could go out on their own. I wanted a big garden to feed everybody and everybody would be required to spend 5-6 hours a week working in the garden or cleaning up or something, a community, but the focus would be on rescuing these great talents. No drugs. The recordings would belong to the institution, whatever they recorded while they were there, or the royalties shared for all time on those recordings. Then when they leave, everything they do outside would be their own. Something like that.

Anyway, I'm willing to help. I think you have a great idea. That's all it takes is a great idea and honest people to make a fortune these days on the internet. I like the name too, mygignet.

This constant struggle for musicians is just awful. They have to do their own marketing now, they only get one night a month in a club, they're reduced to playing in bars for drunks, prostituting their talents, or being controlled by the big record companies who will only promote certain styles that generally debase the public. We don't have real music any more. People need real artists. All we have is junk stupidity. The same old thing over and over. In the old days the jazzers used to say, as rock was gaining ground, " don't play good, play loud." Well they got blasted out. The music we have now does not give people what they really need. Party party party is all they think about because that's all they're allowed to know. They think that's life. Meanwhile, the real life is dying, penniless.

That's my 2 cents worth. I think the major focus should be on rescuing these great talents.

hedy

The Impact of MySpace Music on Working Musicians

2008-04-07T01:00:00.000-07:00

MySpace has just announced its intent to roll out MySpace Music, a social networking site dedicated to the sale of concert tickets, merchandise, and downloads. The 5 million artists represented on their site are supposed to be excited over the prospect of handing over the fruits of their labors in order to receive a piece of the action. I'm certain that this will probably be true, but let's take a closer look at what we know, extrapolate from that, and determine just what realities are about to take place.

We know that MySpace is talking about "content", but everything still looks like product to me. The creators of this content are being glorified on the one hand, while the fact is that they will be part of the assembly line that feeds NewsCorp (owner of MySpace). How can I say this? Easy, just note what goes on in the current Music portion of the MySpace site. A lot of work to qualify your friends, a lot of bulletins that no one reads, a lot of invitations that no one cares about. Yes, the distribution of exposure is a help, but who and how many are getting real benefits? How much have any of you received from MySpace for what you already have done to deliver success and revenue to their stockholders?

Chris DeWolfe, MySpace co-founder and chief executive of MySpace, I am certain, knows, from personal experience, what the common musician, teacher, student, or club owner is going through to survive. Universal, Sony BMG and Warner are participants in this venture. What DeWolfe (and Rupert Murdoch, for that matter) don't know, I'm sure these industry "leaders" can teach him. Speaking of Universal, the stakes must be high for them to set aside their lawsuit against MySpace in order to get a piece of this pie.

These guys are not idiots. MySpace Music is to be launched as a separate entity and will have to justify its existence by pointing to the accountant's bottom line. They have had their thorough analysis and projections, seen what has happened with iTunes, and know that they are losing traction. But what about their record? Aren't these the same guys that have resisted technological change? Aren't they the ones that have put up countless roadblocks to the workings of fact in the real world? How about their anticipation of musical trends or their support of either traditional music or the voices of originality? They are clueless, at best, and the slickest of thieves, at worst.

For every successful act, how many have been turned down, ignored, or signed, left in the can and put on a shelf? Masters of manipulation are intent upon making up for lost time; their marketing belies their blindness. There is no vision, there is no ethic, there is no principle, except the one driven by profit.

In the end, the only way for us to thrive in this jungle of hucksterism is to sort it all out for ourselves, to serve ourselves by serving each other, and to show these opulant opportunists that we actually know what we are doing.

What is a Teacher? How Does MyGigNet Relate?

2008-04-04T13:57:00.000-07:00

I have always been a teacher in essence and this is the perspective that I bring. It is born of observing, of listening. It didn't matter if it was a lecture, a film, or a friend just pouring their heart out. Listening was the key. Again, this is the perspective that I bring to bear in the following:

I had an experience today that bears relating. I was at the desk in the showroom of my family's floor covering business, attending to the formidable assemblage of MyGigNet, asking questions, positing answers, organizing, implying, and applying, when the phone rang.

An obviously focused instructor at one of the local high schools was at the other end of the line. He was mentoring a class that was to present a demonstration at a trade show and needed tiles, of various sort and application, along with preparation and installation information, and other specifications. I explained to him that, while we did not stock the fullness of his requests, I could offer him a reasonable and accessible solution.

His response was one that emphasized time management (his words) and that his choice to call us was one of convenience, as we were down the street. I offered that our suppliers were equally close and would hold the easy solution to his dilemma, but he would hear none of it. He wasn't familiar with certain streets though he was familiar enough with the landmark ones. Repeating that he chose us because we were on the boulevard, he further added that he apparently had phoned the wrong people and hung up.

A man speaking the principles of time management would not take the time to listen, even when the solution was in front of him. A “teacher”. God help us.

What is a teacher? A teacher is not necessarily an instructor, though an instructor may, at times, be a teacher. An instructor will take the step by step approach while a teacher will broaden the scope of perspective. An instructor may teach by implication and application, but the teacher always teaches.

MyGigNet, to be differentiated from other Internet solutions, is the teacher. Let the others instruct. MyGigNet will teach them, too. And so, today's lesson:

There is one language that the whole of the Cosmos holds common: the language of vibration. This is music. Until the innate nature of this language, in a holistic sense, is embraced as the prime mover – the initiator of action – as well as its result, human beings will experience a lack in the significance of their being. Significance may arise, but not its full potential.

Music activates complexities in brain activity more dimensional than that of any language. These are the pathways to fullest use of our faculties, as well as our potentials for solving and avoiding problems. Music is the teacher because it changes our perspective. MyGigNet embraces the whole of music by identifying with the creative force, itself. There are no barriers. MyGigNet, therefore, is the teacher.

Let me get back to today's experience. The easiest thing for anyone to do is to go to what's convenient. The point is that everything on the Internet is down the street. The solutions are in front of us, though it takes some time for the best answers to appear. Patience and perseverance are the best solutions to time management. The question is: do we, as a community, hold the will to take to the side streets, make discoveries, share them, learn, and teach?

“MyGigNet: Teaching the Creators in the Music World to Prosper”

Welcome!

2008-04-04T13:54:00.000-07:00

Welcome to the MyGigNet Blog here at Blogger. Please visit our website at mygignet.com, and click on the "Register to Download the MGN Briefing Brochure" link at the bottom of the page. That document explains what MyGigNet is all about, and registers you to receive updates as MGN develops.

Our mission is: To create a social network of musicians, music professionals and music lovers driven by an innate desire to communicate about their music passions, their drive to create and promote music for personal fulfillment, and creating positive economic outcomes for all.

We like to think of it as the new online operating system for the music business. Beyond that, MGN offers a complete suite of services for musicians and those in the music industries from "cradle to grave."

We are always open to input and feedback on this project because it is a community project, and we are very interested in your opinions, desires, frustrations, and inspiration about music, the business surrounding it, and the overall culture of it.

Thank you for visiting!