Matthew Goolsby
Mar 2, 20182 min
Updated: Apr 21, 2022
Welcome to my blog where I offer tips for musicians.
If you're following this blog, then you know that this is installment #8 for 2018. We're already into March. Whew! Where does the time go??
You've probably already realized something I'm going to focus on in this week's blog in your own life. It takes money to have a decent quality of life.
In fact, it takes quite a bit of money especially in the United State to live day-to-day. The cost of living in the U.S. alone can easily exceed one's income.
I heard an interesting fact the other day from Rick Warren, who teaches on numerous subjects affecting human behavior from a biblical perspective.
According to him, European Countries' households typically save about 18% of their income per month. The Japanese save about 25% of their income. (I did Google some of these figures and found them to be fairly accurate according to CNBC.com and Forbes.com.)
In the U.S., we spend 1% more than we make! That's astonishing but it makes sense given our national debt.
So what do these figures have to do with music? Well, let me explain.
A few years ago I purchased a very inexpensive mic on Amazon. It works fairly well, but I was thinking that it didn't have the resonance I was looking for.
I borrowed an Audio-Technica condenser mic from a friend and was astounded how much better it sounds! Not only does it sound better, it records everything so much clearer. It's amazing. So I decided to invest in one myself. (On credit, but I get the Amazon points and have the cash.)
The point of my blog this week is to try out different equipment and then invest in something that will be worth it in the long run.
I've seen musicians and groups try to use outdated broken-down equipment. It's frustrating!
They say to each other: "Well, we can't afford anything else. This is all we got."
Baloney! Save your money! Buy something that will be worth it.
There's a quote that Theodore Roosevelt once said: "Nothing in the world is worth having or worth doing unless it means effort, pain, difficulty…" There's so much truth in that statement.
Or ask yourself, would I like to sound mediocre or great? I'm sure you'll come to the same conclusions I have.
If you have a subject you'd like me to write about in this blog for musicians, let me know. My email address is: Info@gentlehavenmusic.com. Until next time, keep going forward!