This is just one of many options

I love how I feel like you're writing all your blog posts directly to me.

:-)

Derek, you are an amazing, insightful and brilliant human being! Thank you for sharing yourself. I continue to make use of your words in my life! ~Kate

Yeah!

This applies also to guitar, bass,drums,keyboards. Easy things become very difficult played faster tempos... BUT...

If a Master drummer chooses

to play certain song with a simple, easy groove, he does it WITH a conviction of a Master.

Not that he couldn´t play something

more demanding. His code is serving the SONG...

Like our human code is to be a Good human beings, and after that comes everything else..

I LOVE this game!!!

My first comment on your blog! but this post was just perfect! Couldn't have said it better :)

Yes yes anything to break up the mononotony of doing it the same ol' way!

You are still dah man!

THE HAPPY MAN!

Very insightful. A wonderful analogy. I'm reading this at midnight and I'm really running on fumes but this is really making me think. I'm gonna come back and re-read in the morning with a clear head.

Thanks Derek. Really appreciate you sharing the journey of your life.

Derek - thanks for this. It resonates with my soul.

You continue to amaze and inspire me, pal.

Keep spreading the good karma. And enjoy the return--that is at least for a little while, until you take off on another challenge!

"It doesn't matter how slow you go, as long as you don't stop." -Confucius.

There is no wasted effort in the Universe.

Derek,

Your insights are amazing (no surprise)!

Thanks and best!

Great piece to find in the inbox on performance day! :)

Brilliance is always so compassionate

I love you!

http://www.simonhewittjones.com/

Thank you for this great email... sharing this singing excercise. Just great, with appreciation and cheers, Ermina Tsounis in Toronto CA

EVERY aspect of your email was brilliant. I'm actually studying to give vocal lessons and open a music lesson studio, so all of your left-field ideas hit home.

Best, Christopher Maloney www.christophermaloney.com www.cosmosquad.com

Thats a good one thanks

You're my hero.

Cheers dude

Jay Spears

Yes, I have found that trying songs out at different tempos, different styles and even different time signatures can bring surprising results. Not always successful on their own but giving new insight into why you do it a particular way.

Years ago I wrote and recorded a song in a very Dylan-esque style (not direct imitation, but with that same kind of rhythm and feel). I was not wholly satisfied with the result and thought to myself, "Well, The Byrds did wonderful things with Dylan songs, let me try this song as if The Byrds were doing it." That lead me directly to the style in which I have continued to do the song.

It's fun, even if just in the car, to sing one of your songs as a reggae, or a jazz number, or as punk, or how George Harrison might have done it. You stumble upon new insights to they lyrics occasionally that way.

I live just outside New York City and love going to Thailand! Sawasdee krup!

http://cdbaby.com/all/sigafoos http://www.youtube.com/watershowsprod

Hey Derek, First off I really dig your emails. I've been reading your blogs and stuff since I signed up for CDbaby waaaay back. I really think they've been more helpful since you left and have been doing sive.rs so, go you, and thanks.

I wanted to say though, I really don't get the last part of this last email. Is this point to simplify? Be willing to wear a lot of hats, err, heads of hair? Maybe I missed something.

Cheers, Tim Emmerick www.timemmerick.com

I used to play this game when I was a youth choir director - lots of fun - and it did the trick.

Once you got back to the way you were supposed to do it you might realize that there maybe another - better - way of performing it.

That game hadn't made the jump with me into my new career - thanks for reminding that I can use it anywhere for anything!

That's a great story. When I picked up my guitar to practise there was nothing in between once I started playing it, I never looked aback, I never thought of eating till sometimes I have to be convinced by my parents to go and eat, and then I can come and play again, meanwhile my heart doesn't want me to stop playing. Sometime it would take 2 or 3 times to be called to go and eat my lunch or dinner. "oh forgive me God that was what I wanted to do, and that was what was meant to be." Check my website: http://www.myspace.com/adamsolomonblues1

It took me two years I was a great guitar player, after 4 years I was master of my instrument, and kept learning everyday of my life that everyday you play the instrument the more you know it.

Thank you Derek.

Deborah Allen http://www.deborahallen.com

A great perspective. Reminds me of writing a song and doing it with a rough trac; then listening to it over and over until you hear all the 'bugs' and problems and then going back and doing it over and over. Just trying to make it the best you can with the talent and resources you have.

Randy Duck

This may be one of your most thought provoking posts yet - or at least in a long time. I'm sharing it with everyone I know.

Thanks! Ryan Michael Galloway The Alpha Gigster

Brilliant, all of it! --Martin Jack Rosenblum

Great idea on the singing lesson I'll try it out today

Flemming Behrend

A great read, and definitely food for thought.

Flexibility is such an important attribute. The ability to quickly change gears like you're a rally driver, and continually enjoy the thrill of the unknown road ahead can bring both success and satisfaction (which for many of us is what success actually IS).

Always a pleasure to read your insights, Derek

Pretty clever Derek. I like that a lot.

Thanks, Pierre

Sounds great Derek. If it works for you great. However, next year my vocal tutorial be out and it's based on years of experience and research. It is for professionals and amateurs. So it's good to know there are good people out there for artists. Thanks for keeping in touch.

June Harris

Interesting concepts...and as always, cool advice written from the heart of a generous man.

Thanks for sharing yourself. I admire your fearless fire.

Thanks Derek,   Melanie Phippard xo

This a good post. You can sing what is in your mind idea always.

Take some white crosses and become with it.

IF YOU NEED LESSONS YOU CANT SING

Hello and thank you for your emails. Keep up the good work and inspiration.

Sincerely, SarahMoon

Derek,

I love how your blog sends me e-mails to keep me up to date.  I loved the latest one on having many plans and looking at things from different directions.  I found it very inspirational.

Thank you.

IRENE NACHREINER

Thank you , I have done some of that with out knowing what the results would be Tempos would happen when a drummer got excited... One of the better songs ever recorded was done at a nervous tempo, changed the entire landscape of the tune, and brought to life. It was after that, that I started playing with tempos and pitch a lot more.

Thank you! Very funny yet insightful story. Chris...

www.doghairproductions.com

Thanks Derek,

This is great information. I need to market more but I'm too wrapped up in the election!

Al

How funny! Why? Because it sounds like the way I've always done anything vaguely creative...and in my opinion the business end of our art takes an extraordinary amount of creativity. I really laughed at the "life" section, Derek, because it sounds like you've been peeking in at my whole life! I've been all of those 1..2..3..4 ..go! scenarios! Good job making me smile this morning. ;-)

J

OK--You're reading a crazy and stuffed email in-box next to a task list the length of your arm and you've got bills up to the ceiling and you're late for a meeting and you get an email from Derek Sivers that seems far more interesting than anything else at the moment, so you decide to read it AND comment. GO!!!

Excellent!

Awesome dude. I love this stuff. And I know Warren because I lived in India in the 90s when I was studying Karnatic music.

-Peter Bufano Circus Music Guy

Thanks Derek

I love you too.

Emile

Great comments - this is one of many I've forwarded on to my artist friends (and management clients). Reversing the model, changing perspective (re-framing).. these are all excellent ways to in the words of Mike Skinner "Push things forward". As with all these ideas, the artists that consider them and adopt them into their daily MO are the same ones who take their long-term success seriously.

Great. Soon. Mitchell

thanks.

great advice that i try to follow

So true! And I love how you've applied the same principle to other areas of life.

For music, I used to sing in a women's vocal ensemble whose repertoire was almost entirely made of traditional folk music from eastern europe. We had one vocal warm up where we switched styles every 2 or 3 times to get ourselves centered in the various shapes/timbres required. It got to be such a fun game that we started calling out things like, "now, the Cowardly Lion" and "now, Ethel Merman" or--my favorite--"now, Eric Cartman!" It's a great way to keep your mind working just as much as your voice.

Derek:

As always, your e mails are well thought out and truly offer valuable information that I can pick up and use

Right away.

Thanks.

Rabbi shaul praver

Rabbi rock TV

Derek, Thank you. You are always an Inspiration!! Blessings and Peace, Meg www.megdevlinirish.com

I like that, thanks :) ~ Mitchelle Tanner

rare and amazing idea.

DEREK, I TOOK MY COMPLETE SINGING COURSE WITH THE BEATLES.... THANK YOU AND GOOD LUCK BROTHER. MIKE MALANDRIX www.musicadelamontanhamexico.com

Just to tell you how much I enjoyed this! I did!!!!

Raven Cohan

Derek, I have also taken vocal lessons from a variety of coaches and have never heard of these techniques, I have done scales, breath expansion- take a deep breath hold it now take a swallow more into your mouth then force it into your lungs, then again, careful not too hurt yourself. Whisper singing as a prolonged warm-up exercise, works wonderfully and can help you gain control at low volumes; it is also good for a strained voice, sing barely audible, scales or songs. I get the intent of your email-to apply various models to my music carrier as I would to practicing music, but I thought I'd throw out a couple of vocal practice secrets as well. When I am on my game I like the 25/25 rule, my personal rule for vocal advancement. 25 minutes of scales, followed by 25 songs every day. Whisper sing if you are straining but train every day. I have found that building the voice is like building a muscle; in fact it is a muscle. Train your voice as if you were training to run track and field, the high jump, long jump, shot put, power lifting ect. and remember that every days practice builds on yesterdays practice. If you stop you regress just like running. kevindwood@msn.com kevin wood stray dog cd

Love the one you’re with (in more ways than one)!

Thanks!

Ha! I reread this in my end-of-year email purge. very nice. But couldn't help recalling what a theatre orchestra conductor would yell at us horns when we were assing around in the pit:

"take it down an octave and leave it out!"

peace,

Mike

I am deeply grateful for coming across this post and for falling into your insightful web of inspiration.

thanks,

Khalif

KhalifBobatoon.com

GREAT ARTICLE! NICE! Was just writing 3 business plan options before reading your article. I'll go for 10 now! THANK YOU for your wisdom!

Michelle Gold

Music: often described as "Celine and Mariah meet Yeshua (Jesus) in Jerusalem."
Vision: Spreading a contagious passion for proclaiming the good news of Yeshua to Jews and gentiles worldwide
www.michellegold.com
www.facebook.com/michellegoldfanpage
www.youtube.com/migoldmusic

What an inspiration you are... You are truly tapped into the universal mind set for many people. I know I speak for myself. I write not to flatter you but to re-enforce that what you feel you should blog is right on point. You have no idea how many people find their voice... their thoughts and meditation in your words. You are truly a blessing my friend. I call you my friend because you are to me... Bless you Derek!

класс!

Life is simple.
All is energy everything lives.
Even the tree when it is cut down lives on we shape the tree into usable object for us like chairs and tables. Is the tree dead? No it isn't the energy lives on the energy just changed, even when we are done with the table it still is energy you might burn it and you say it is gone? No the energy just changed again. All is energy some or most energy we cannot understand because we cannot see it or prove its there but it is.
Just like your singing instructor he was shaping the energy of you vocal chords.
Today people are to focus t on material belongings and these do not mean anything as long as you know this an you do Derek you can be happy and when your time comes your energy will evolve to the next stage. I stood on the bounder of crossing to the next level in 2001 but I was shown and told I wasn't finished here.
Good luck,
Tom

brilliant post! Absolutely! I like re-reading your posts - peeling the proverbial onion.

Hi Derek, Your blog posts always make me smile. Thanks for sharing! shoutwithjoy!

Wow.

Now you are XXX, go!

Love it. Gotta apply it though.

What should a 20 year old do when there are seemingly good choices and opportunities to take?
See Trying">sive.rs/donkey">Trying to pursue many different directions at once? — Derek

Derek, that's an amazing and literally eye-opening article! Thanks a lot!! I for one physically feel new neuronic chains being created in my mind when I think and exercise like that.. Keep sitting with wide-opened eyes, enlightened and excited:)

This article reminded me of one exercise that helps in pushing yourself out of your patterns.. It consists of looking at problems (sure not only problems) thinking:
1)"What's the opposite reaction/way/behavior/feeling/perspective..name it.. for the way I feel/do/think"
2) what are 3 other possible variants (real, random, serious, crazy.. whatever)

Are you in Singapore now doing music distribution business?
I am wondering how the Performance rights royalties can be collected.

A perfect instruction for practicing resilience. The result: increased confidence? Or maybe less fear/worry?
In school we learn to do things a certain way. Often only one solution is considered correct. No wonder do we struggle so easily in real life.

I really appreciate this perspective and it directly applies to real world examples in business and personal growth. Derek Sivers has pearls of wisdom to improve one's life and it is absolutely great.

This is wonderful! Engaging in this constant switch keeps your mind from running the show..

This one's great

I've just discovered you, and I am so happy I did ☺ Ever since I was a child I've always believed there is no such thing as absolute right or wrong. This was a curse growing up, as I struggled to find something "solid" to hold on to. Thank you for sharing your ideas and insights. I'm looking forward to discover more of your posts, books and videos ☺

I must try this !

I like how Daria at #89 looks for three variations. I can't prove it, but I think that odd (not even) numbers drastically increase our creativity, while even numbers can hurt, or pull to a false binary.

I love this. I also love that this was written when I was 8 and I'm 20 now. A teacher shared a link to this and I'm very grateful. Wish I'd found this earlier. :)

This is so helpful. Thank you.

That was pretty motivating. That GO! at the end of the sentence made ms realise that I shouldn't overthink or resist myself in anyway to be creative ajd achieve what I want.