The Grand Pursuit

Derek,

I love your courage and curiosity. Like you, I was a voracious, non-fiction reader. I could digest software, audio, finance, spirituality, metaphysics and other texts easily. I've come to a new realization however. Being a long time meditator, I've found that I can access deeper knowledge in silence. Reading is all right, but I think that meditation is way cooler. If you really want to understand reality, in my opinion meditation is the ticket. Now I read a few selected texts. And I read them very slowly. I read a line, and then contemplate. Understanding that everything exists all at once, in one big event thingy, is to know reality first hand, for yourself. I'm in-joying your articles, and watching you morph into new ventures. Keep up the great work.

Best Wishes,

Ken LaDeroute

My biggie: making music FUN again, for musicians AND fans. A great side effect is that I make it a lot more fun for me, too.

I just read Richard Branson's "Screw It, Let's Do It", and it's abundantly clear that this is a guy who will never meet a challenge he won't want to tackle. That adrenalin is his currency.

Money is a great measuring tool, it's a great 'energy source' to keep feeding your cause or to help others.

But as for the real currency, the 'psychic currency': for me, it's the feedback! I love when people get excited about something I've done. Money may feed me, but it's the love from others that sustains me.

Thanks for sharing your book list! Time to hit the library...

My Grand Pursuit has become twofold: until recently, my entire life revolved around trying to make a dent on music as a songwriter. I am still completely dedicated to the art of the 3-4minute pop song and what can be said and done within that time limitation. It's just a wonderful art form and can house everything from the lofty and spiritually uplifting ('God Only Knows')to the appallingly banal (insert fave here). However, along with this ambition, loosely clothed with 'fame and fortune' natch, has come a lifelong growing interest in the metaphysical and things of the spirit. It's not sudden but as a voracious reader I have become more and more intrigued by such things as manifestation, Law of Attraction, 'The Secret', the writings of Abraham-Hicks et al. Recently I read an amazing book called 'Busting Loose from the Money Game' by Robert Scheinfeld. It isn't about money. It's a book equivalent to the 'red pill or blue pill' section of The Matrix, for all of us who know the film, you will know what I mean. The effect on the reader is the same. Derek - you have to read this! It polarises opinion - you'll see why - however once experienced, it's never forgotten. So my new Grand Pursuit includes the aims within this book of reaching the 'Busting Loose' point and entering the portal of Phase 2 of the Human Game.

My grand pursuit is to make a positive difference...

...With my kids...

...In my community...

...In my career...

...With others in need...

...With music...

- Gary

In the past two months a whole string of events has allowed me to realize that my grand pursuit is artist management. Although I'm not in a position to dive in 100% at the moment (still need the desk job to pay rent), just having taken the time to really figure out exactly what I want to do and how to go about it has been one of the most intense/scary/amazing processes. And now that I know, it's so much easier to focus and process - instead of saying vaguely that I want to pursue something in the music industry, I've narrowed it down and planned out several changes in my life so I can make it happen. The hardest part is just not being able to dive in *right now*. :)

Also, I think your book list is fantastic, especially because it's honest. I don't think anyone should judge what you are reading, because if you're reading at all that's fantastic! Normally I'm a voracious fiction reader, but lately I've been tearing through non-fiction like it's candy. Am in the middle of "Here Comes Everybody" and it's fantastic. Would also recommend, "Back of the Napkin: Solving Problems and Selling Ideas with Pictures" by Dan Roam- quick read, but great ideas on visual thinking/communication.

Dig the blog, thanks for the food for thought!

Great question. Isn't that the greatest question of all - it has to do with your purpose and meaning. My purpose is to give more than take.

To invest in my kids and relationship with my wife.

To help artists become successful with my new company (www.sayvee.com)

To inspire the people around me (through music and humor)

To never stop taking risks

To be able to live life; doing what I like and not being limited by money, time or knowledge.

What a fantastic coincidence that a writing on grand pursuits occurs right now. I have been working the last year (after finishing other projects) on the grandest event ever for me. I am writing a great Omni Opera that is called at this time "The Centrifugal Satz Clock". While the idea is relatively direct the iterations are dense and I intend to write a book on the story (best would be to find a co-writer so as to free up time). Billy Joel once complained about the constraining nature of pop music. The 3 to 4 minute length suffocated the form and limited severely what could be said. But the band Yes actually was on to something when they envisioned grand forms similar to Brahms symphonies. It was too bad that they didn't continue developing their ideas in this direction.

One way is to have pop/jazz/rock/classical/etc. instrumental textures applied to your larger forms. Like say... Wagner, Mahler etc. Now you could use the language of Pop, jazz, classical, and all other genres to make a huge statement with movements that encompass 8 to 20 minutes and that also just connect directly with bigger masses of movements that create one large "sentence" or idea. There is so much work that needs to be done with endless revisions and improvements that the most difficult parts of this creation (finding singers and performers to augment the current group as well as get help in mixing) can be put off for a while. But not forever, the big ensemble movements with many people will need to be written with a clear understanding of the ranges, qualities and skills of the participants, so soon that headache will begin. After part one of the CSC is done (and two other CDs that are partially finished) then the plan is to go to L.A. and hire musicians for a short tour. It should be a combination of people with good name recognition and people of extreme talent. Then along with the show will be a mega-circus atmosphere where the stage show crosses such extremes as to attempt to top anything before, creating sensation and controversy. This would help lead some people to find the music and hopefully enjoy it. It will very different music and hopefully listeners will work with it.

Such a plan is very fraught with potential large roadblocks but the idea is to get up every day and after having done all other important tasks to keep working on this until it is realized. Don't stop until it is done. (italics) The beauty of it is that the process of the work is so energizing that it is like discovering a potion for making life absolutely fantastic while needing very little externally and thus not being impeded from factors out of your control.

Well that is the long winded answer to how the idea of grand pursuit relates to me at this time. There is more to it but brevity is the soul of shortness.

Derek,

I don't know why you were scared to post your book list. It looks exactly like mine or my wife's -- though we all have different niches. For me, in addition to business/self-improvement books, I've rediscovered my love of juvenile fantasy. A 30-something grown up daddy reading not only Harry Potter but every other knock-off that came after it.

I deserve whatever judgments anyone holds for such a man. ;-)

ari

Oh, forgot to answer about my grand pursuit -- mine would be writing rocking songs with my guitar, blogging, coaching/mentoring, imagining, and leading. The last one was a recent discovery, but it's true. I'm itching to be a leader -- and in dire need of changing my life to allow me to do so. I've long built up a life of strictly following!

ari

Derek, I love that you go for things, jump at them and dive into it. It is the child - like quality that can turn everything into fun. It is possible to live the life you dream of, but one has to do it. Money follows one's state of being. Took me decades to learn that. Let's have fun!

Like you, I love learning and exactly the same kind of books. If I'm not reading a book, looking up info google style.

The problem I have in my grand pursuit is that I want to cover too much I guess. I want to be a composer. I want to be a musician. I want to help my country's almost invisible music industry grow to something else. I want to ... Read Moredevelop businesses (why I read the books you like reading). I want to learn how to talk to people..etc.. My grand pursuit.. tough one... Trying to make a difference would be one answer

I can definitely relate to that Derek. I was reading/applying a book a week for about 2 years. The great thing about reading non-fiction, is that you can learn from someone's mistakes they made so you don't have to. Time is VERY expensive, I've been told. I think non-fiction books allow us to learn things on our own pace (whether it be fast or slow).

Treating people well. Lifetime learning. Balancing husband and songwriter. Keep looking for stories untold. Continue asking myself when creating song/sound: "Is this an improvement on silence?"

www.cdbaby.com/all/buddhaboy

Music and art are an obsession I cannot stop. Helping others, serving them with my talents helps me to overcome character defects.

Learning to overcome character defects is my biggest goal. Hence my nickname Buddhaboy. I honestly care about making other people famous more than myself. The obsession of serving others has become so grand in my life that I would live with nothing and have done so in order that others may succeed and be happy and gather fame and money.

Success for me is in serving others.Perhaps I'm wrong,perhaps I'm nuts but helping others has always made me feel better than helping myself.

Here comes the straight jacket! Ha!

Cheers. Good to reflect on this stuff, I was having a terrible day because of family problems and this woke me up! Thank you.

John David Hart

Somehow, to leave every person, place or thing better off (even in the smallest way) for my having encountered it.

Seems pretty grand to me...

My grand pursuit? If I could do *anything*, I would put composers at the forefront of the music industry again, and not just as the writers of background music for films.

the grand pursuit? Being there as it happens!

My Grand Pursuit is to know, love and worship Christ. NOT religion -- please! - but I want a passionate love relationship with Him and a letting go of myself - my ego - in order to let His Love rule in my heart. Out of that heart, I intend to continue creating music that heals, uplifts, inspires, challenges and restores others.

My grand pursuit is to create natural sounds with Electronic instruments. It looks simple but it is very difficult.

Our guru, Her Holiness Sri Viswamatha, recently told me that whatever one places their undivided attention and bhakti (devotion) on, will ultimately take them to God. Even if they've never heard of said God. :>)In this line of spiritual philosophy, all artists serve Sri Saraswati The Goddess of Art, Music, Knowledge,Poetry and Beauty. To those of us who take that to heart, why would we serve any other way than to the best of our abilities, growing, changing and giving through this dharma? It doesn't get any Grander than that and it spans lifetimes.

Salem from Jones

I really enjoy reading you. A fan of yours and of Soros!!! love the mix of biz and social artistic purpose. and u did it! nicole

I never thought of my project as a grand pursuit but that defines it to a T. The idea: use music and drama to convey the passion of the downtrodden. This is an outgrowth of my 30 years as a journalist and my disgust at the present state of (1) journalism (2) inane and vapid pop tunes (3) the rape of the earth for resources and (4)the lying Bush administration. Music and lyrics are extremely important in everyday life. I've taken the bluegrass music of the Appalachian mountains and aplpied it to the horrible concept of mountain top removal to get coal. If you don't know about it yet, google OVEC. It's a living, breathing and very real horror story.

It is my intention to create more Love in the world with music & generate enough interest in ONE LOVE that it makes a positive difference in the lives of people worldwide to grow stronger.

Hi Derek,

I believe the "grand adventure of understanding reality" requires a comprehensive rational philosophic base. An amazing book, which goes wide in its integration, is:

Objectivism, The Philosophy of Ayn Rand

Here's a link, in case you might be interested in considering it for a future read (it's way pithy; might take more than 1.6 days to finish, lol):

http://www.amazon.com/Objectivism-Philosophy-Ayn-Rand-Library/dp/0452011019/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1224361822&sr=8-1

Best premises,

-Todd

The grand adventure of understanding reality - I LOVE that!

Hey I hope it's ok to do a straight up plug here - it's totally relevant and anyway it's free - my e-book called "Curly's Law". It's about finding your "One Thing" and the power inherent in sticking to that one thing relentlessly. You can download it here http://curlyslaw.com

Theres so many "help others" stories here that it actually makes me feel quite inadaquate. I think people write what they think others want to hear and be inspired by.

If im being brutally honest im far too confused about what lifes role is to be building world peace. i wouldnt mind some "me" peace! My goal is to try and find out who i am, not just "what i want to do, or how i want to be perceived, but the real inner core of what makes us tick.

Which is kind of why i have so much respect for doctors, carers, etc. Complete selfless acts.

I dont really believe that the bloke rallying for world peace on hyde park everyday for the rest of his life is any purer than the muscleman perfecting his body.

Its where you want to put your energy i think.

I write songs cos i need to, if i dont i go weird....i also make no money from anything....because i let this happen, which is not a good thing.

My grand pursuit is with myself, and i understand fully how much as a person i need security.

Money brings security, and with money can come a certain amount of exploitation of others.

I dont mean that to be as bold a statement as it will be taken, but people need to feed there inner voice, unfortuanetly thats our weakness.

And currency/security is as just a primal need as darwins evolution theory.

Only the strong will survive

My grand pursuit is to use my music to introduce everyone to my best friend Jesus.

To learn more, go hear www.nevillepeter.com

when i was two years old my family had problems gettng my attention as i was sitting on a rocking horse, singing. when i was five i made demo tapes (some childrens songs and german schlager music of course) and told them to put them in an envelope and send them to popular singers of the time to apply for a recording deal. and so it went on. the grand persuit just was. i never had a choice. and to this day i stuff music into envelopes hoping. kind of.

What is my grand pursuit?

First you have to understand the forces which formed my character. I made the unenviable choice at the age of four or five that I wasn’t going to play anymore. I wasn’t going to play with my dad and - by extension - I wasn’t going to play with anybody. To my early mind – and I felt that I had been deeply betrayed and thus - as a child - my determined option and vow was to cease the game. Not that I knew at the time that there is an element of game to life. I had been wrenched, most cruelly, out of my quiet and delighted acceptance of life and ‘the unifying bliss of it’ and could only then resort to passive resistance.

And later on ... “ Oh .... you got castrated ... that must have been ... unusual to say the least..... Did your balls grow back? You got molested ....hmm .... so did most of us. You were misunderstood ... welcome to the human race.”

My task has been to unify these discordant elements within myself and to find the truth of my existence and - because you are brother and sister to me - and I hold this dear because of our common heritage - and a lot of you share my uncomfortably common experience..... how to make sense of such a shambles which does require some sort of underlying faith that there is divine purpose if only I could find it.

This lead me through heroin and LSD to yoga and everything in between.

Thirty years ago I started writing songs.... you cannot refuse life without either dying or becoming catatonic. I did neither, as a child or teenager ....you endure. This is a wonderful ability of the human spirit to either compartmentalise distasteful aspects of reality or to, somehow put them on the ‘back burner’ for later consideration.

A hundred years back and I could have hoped for no more than to be the village songsmith - along with my ‘real’ job’ as a serf or whatever.

Now I can connect with a wider field of humanity. This may only last for a brief and poignant moment but I have always believed in Divine Purpose which transcends our momentary suffering and therefore you and I matter deeply. What we do, what we create, the feelings we sing.... I called it ‘work’ so that I could deceive my earlier vow and - still I am a village songsmith who has a ‘real’ job and sings because .... we all wanted to play before life got cold and ruthless.

The glass is half full.

My grand pursuit: happiness and peace.

In no particular order of importance...

Performing makes me happy.

Songwriting makes me happy.

Being married to a wonderful husband and partner makes me happy.

Getting paid to do what I love makes me happy.

Being connected with people in a peaceful and loving way makes me happy.

Inspiring people with my music makes me happy.

Learning makes me happy.

Achieving makes me happy.

I hope that my imprint on the world and people around me is a positive one.

To become a billionaire musician

creating the music I love to

play would make me high as a kite.Contrary to popular believe

you can do both.Here's an interesting fact, in the great

depression people made fortunes.

Don't settle for breadcrumbs

when prime rib is sitting in front of you.The people that

say money doesn't matter have

lost hope or have it already.

Ask a person living in a car

if he's happy scraping for every

dollar,if he says yes you're

talking to a nut.

The Beatles were the greatest

band ever to grace a stage.They

made fortunes that they didn't

refuse. Their songs are timeless.

The fact that they are wealthy

doesn't change that.The reason

money is important is that it's a sign of respect.I have a song

on cdbaby called Mardi Gras.

It's actually a Brazilian piece

Your'e not going to hear brass

arrangements on this song but if

you like lively party music

check it out.I'll have a lot more

music coming out soon.Someone

asked Jason Newsted formally from

Metallica if they sold out

because they cut their hair.

His reply was "Yeah every seat in

the house.You can have a full

wallet and still have a full heart.

I like to extend an apology.

I printed my website wrong.If

you check out my song feel free

to write a review.I appreciate the feedback.

Hmn.

After a show last spring, I was chatting with some friends about the set, and a gentleman came up to me and said, "keep playing music, you've got what it takes to really succeed in that business!" In the past, when I'd heard that, it resonated in the same part of my brain that holds anxiety. If I have what it takes, why hasn't it happened already.

Fortunately for me, my friend answered for me with, "she's already succeeded." Although it could be conceived of as an easy way out of working toward something bigger than oneself, what her response did for me was remind me that I can label my grand pursuit everyday, and work with it, rather than toward it like a carrot in front of the donkey,

Since then, I've increased my levels of relaxation in regard to music, making me happier and "more successful". I guess this means that my grand pursuit is whatever I'm doing today, and it just so happens that writing and performing have yet to wear themselves out!

To really be the best husband and father I can be. I am helping to change the world of 4 people for the better. It's an amazing power, though it will take my lifetime to see the results... if I've succeeded.

My grand persuits has aready been realized, Derek. Because I'm from such a small town, all my dreams seemed grand and somewhat unreachable. But with Berklee's magnificent help, I achieved the first grand persuit of "playing with a cool jazz trio in the top of a tall building in a big city back east." Funny, huh? But that was the first one. Experienced that one when I was 27. Then the pursuits got grander. Make a living as a composer, which I did for 33 years.

The second grandest, to conduct a major symphony orchestra, I experienced at age 43. The London Philharmonic Orchestra, recording my own music at The Music Centre.

Saw and talked to Pat Metheny in the hall there for a few minutes, realized at that moment I had forged into my dreams farther than I had ever believed possible.

Now, semi-semi-retired, my grand pursuit is very small, very humble. It involves reaching one person at a time with my music... making their time spent with my music in the background better, more productive, more relaxing, more complete. This grand pursuit was inspired by a grandmother in Australia, who emailed me one day, telling me that my meditation album that someone had given her was the only thing that would put her grandkids to sleep in the evening, and she thanked me profusely for it. I realized at that moment my internet music might probably be the most powerful thing I can give, the way to reach distant corners of the world and make a small difference. That realization warms me to this day. And continues to inspire. Just as you do, my friend.

Steve Hulse

Napoleon Hill - Think And Grow Rich!

My grand pursuit? Well, I've got where I am today by a series of wrong turns, reversals of fortune, and happenstance. I guess you could say I'm a victim of chaos theory. Whatever I've planned to do has never turned out the way I wanted it to if it even turned out at all. So, now I'm just drifting until I find the current that's going to pull me where I'm going to go. No expectations, no alarms, no surprises. I'm just going to let whatever happen happen.

Raise awareness, inspire and encourage others, turn things around, and "Hug the Earth." Wanna join me?

I just want to live life to the fullest and leave this world a better place because I was here to make a difference. Not original thought perhaps, but yet a good way to wake up everyday and view the days activities and how to positively impact them. Peace to all!

My goal was to create my own music company - just for me - and I did it (now on it's second year, an LLC incorporated in Delaware).

It allows me to keep my individual interests separate - work, family, and music.

Having an LLC is good practice for whatever might happen next cuz sometimes I get other ideas.

.db.

Derek, do you remember the story that "wowed" you about the old biology Proffessor who broke down in tears feebly muttering "they made me do it [Parents etc.], all I ever wanted to do was play the violin".

He was everybody else's success except his own.

Surely a man who is a multimillionaire is only a success IF THATS what he WANTED TO BE or has set out to be DELIBERATELY.

Equally a "Dumbo" who wanted to be that,[dumbo] However, he may be "rich". ie, a lot of money.

The list goes on.

So for me a successful person is one thats doing what they were "Designed" to do.

Respects.

OZ

To make the world a better place.

The holidays are just around

the corner.If you'd like to

give someone a nice affordable

gift music is always good.

Check out my song Mardi Gras

on my site. I'll have a

follow up to this song

pretty soon.If you like

party music you'll like

these songs.

Happy Holidays!

We all talk about our

pursuits,things that

mean something to us.

I've been lucky to

have a lot of love

in my life.I'd like to

share this thought with

my fellow musicians.

As indie artists we have

the right to expect to

get paid.We put as much

work into our music as

any major label artist.

I think it's disrespectful

for someone to expect you

to give away your music.

Imagine someone working at

their day job and at the

end of the week you come in

and take their whole paycheck

leaving them with nothing.

How do you think they would

feel? That's what they do to

you when they don't buy your

music.

Music done with sincerity and

integrity deserves to be paid

for.I was given some free CDs

from a bootlegger, I destroyed

them threw them out and bought

them in the store.I won't steal

from my musical brothers and

sisters.

Never let anyone make you feel

unworthy of making a living

from your music.

To my musical brothers and

sisters I salute you!

Bob Dylan said, "your either busy being born or your busy dying".

music is free.....what humans do with it is another question

"when your at the top,your really at the bottom"......Bob Dylan

reality is simple.....just look beyond your self, not within

it would be difficult for me to give much credence to anyone named her holiness

I have some encouraging news for the musicians
stuggling to sell something. I just read on the
cdbaby site that one of our own indies made
50k in album sales without a label. This proves
my point. Don’t let anyone say you can’t do it.
My suggestion to anyone that has made that
sort of progress,send the information to a
record label ,even an independent label.
Record companies listen to numbers.

Try walking out of a store with a CD without
paying for it. If you don’t get paid your’e an
amateur. Professionals get paid! Any
musician including the major label
artists will tell you the same. If you
think music is free especially if your’e
a musician your’e a disgrace, you’re
not a serious artist.

I love this list. I’m currently reading a biography of Florence Nightingale (Miss Organised!) and a book by Paul McKenna "I Can Make You Rich". After that I have two more biographies to read. And I LOVE to read books that help you improve your game (so-to-speak). Guess I’m a bit of a nerd too. Did I mention I’ve read two of the three large tomes of Margaret Thatcher’s autobiography? The third is on my reading list.
Cheers,
From fellow "White and Nerdy".

Wow. Poignant, poetic and powerful.
Thank you.
Linda.

But if I learn how to better MYself then perhaps I can teach others also how to better themselves and so it spreads...the ripple effect. I cannot teach others how to fish if I don’t know how to fish. I can teach another how to build if I can’t build.

So, after I ’help myself’ the choice then remains: "now do I teach others what I have learned or do I keep it to myself so that I have the advantage?"

Cheers, Linda.

I figured out my number one goal. I want to be in a band that is able to keep a crowd transfixed for 90 minutes.

I would like to hold a song contest to find a female anthem, which will be sung by a celebrity female artist on International Woman's Day, March 8th- to be broadcast- so women around the world- can sing in unison at the same time, same day to create a historical event to promote women's rights.
I have yet to find my celebrity vocalist!
The single will be sold on itunes and part of the proceeds will go to an int'. women's charity!
http://www.myspace.com/womensfreedomsongcom

I don't know, not off the top of my head.

I once wanted to understand normal people, and after some years that grand goal is met. I "get it" now, and I am as functional as the next person.

Years ago, when I read as much non-fiction as fiction, I thought I might be a fiction writer. But these days I read and collect non-fiction, and most fiction is not meaningful to me.

So I am into writing non-fiction essays, as that is what truly energizes me. I recall George Orwell had a similar problem. His essays are as good as his fiction.
So maybe it's not surprising that I never buckled down to writing fiction long ago.

What I could do is encourage people I know to tell me what fiction they are enjoying, and do likewise. And I could lead by example.
But for now, I just don't know.

Derek, you showed very good "listening" by picking out that one little line in a piece about money.

Today I read an old Malcom Gladwell piece where one man listened and knew the U.S. could not win in Vietnam...

while an expert read the same transcript and thought the U.S. could easily win.

The expert had listened to a prisoner answer the communists could not win, and missed a key little line of the very same prisoner also answering that the U.S. could not win.

Listening is hard because having an open mind, unbiased, is hard, according to Gladwell.
So if your fans want to be more like you, Derek, they could start by listening better.

There's more if you search engine his name, listening and Vietnam. For the edited version, here's the URL
www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23037957