Step 1: What’s My Name?

4 Aug

As I mentioned about a month ago, Adam and I have decided to make our own opportunities and pursue his career path as an independent solo artist. We have been busy setting goals, gathering information, and putting our creative minds to work!

One of the first items on our agenda was to decide on Adam’s official stage name. He has been going by “Adam Lee,” but there is another guitar player who goes by that name and has several websites and accounts. In addition, it is not a very unique name. Adam has chosen to go by the name everybody knows him as, Adam Shick. Yes, the last name needs to be enunciated (say it out loud and you’ll understand why), but at least he won’t be competing for space with too many other “Adam Shicks” on search engines! This change means that Adam is in the process of creating new Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, ReverbNation accounts, etc. Once we get the new official website up-and-running, be prepared for alerts to “like,” “follow,” and “sign-up” to keep up-to-date with his new music and shows.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I am busy researching marketing, promotion, and other strategies for do-it-yourself musicians. I have come across some great resources! Here are my favorites, so far:

1. Ariel Publicity I love Ariel Hyatt’s blog and her book, Music Success in Nine Weeks! I’m going through it for the second time to glean all the tips and organize them in my marketing binder.

2. Passive Promotion Great advice broken down into easy to follow steps from a musician, Brian Hazard, who has tried them out already!

3. Mixtus Media A Nashville-based PR firm! They have a great blog with some useful printable resources/worksheets! This site is helpful for authors too!

4. DIY Musician Blog This blog available on cdbaby.com is full of advice and tips for a constantly evolving industry!

I think that we have a pitch nailed to describe Adam’s musical style and his artist bio is in the works. Adam continues to record his latest songs as part of his upcoming debut solo album. We are exploring logo ideas and a photo session will be scheduled soon! I’m so excited to start working on the website!

July’s Dreamer in the Spotlight

31 Jul

“His Eye is Upon Us” by LeRone Wilson

I ran across an article a couple months ago, titled, “Listening to God Pays off for Struggling Artist,” and tucked it away for a future post.  I forgot about it, but fortunately ran across it recently and thought that I would feature this professional artist, LeRone Wilson, as this month’s Dreamer in the Spotlight before I forget again!

LeRone Wilson is a family man whose artwork is inspired by God and the Bible.  He signs all of his work, “In His Name.”  In the same article mentioned above, he comments, “It’s through Him I get my concepts and titles and through Scripture,” he says. “This work belongs to Him because He alone gave it to me.”

It’s a pretty neat story, so please read it if you have a couple minutes!

Perfect Timing

25 Jul

After my last blog post, my cousin Cynthia emailed me a passage from the book, The Power of a Praying Wife by Stormie Omartian.  It fit in exactly with where I’m at in life right now and what I hope to be and do.   Ironically, this book was given to me by a friend (Thanks, Laurie!) about a year or so ago and is sitting on my shelf unread still… I think it’s about time to dust it off and get reading!  All in God’s timing, right?

Here it is:

“Whatever God has called your husband to be or do, He has also called you to support it and be a part of it, if in no other way than to pray, encourage, and help in whatever way possible.  For some women that means creating a good home, raising the children, being there for him, and offering prayer support.  Other women may take an active role by becoming a partner or helper.  In either case, God does not ask you to deny your own personhood in the process.  God has called you to something, too.  But it will fit in with whatever your husband’s calling is, it will not be in conflict with it.  God is not the author of confusion, strife, or unworkable situations.  He is a God of perfect timing.  There is a time for everything, the Bible says.  The timing to do what God has called each of you to do will work out perfectly, if it’s submitted to God.  
If your husband is already moving in the purpose for which God has called him, you can count on the enemy of his soul coming to cast doubt – especially if he hasn’t yet seen anything close to the finished picture or realized the success he had envisioned.  Your prayers can help cast away discouragement and keep if from taking hold.  It can help your husband to hear and cling to God’s revelation.  It can cause him to live his life on purpose.” 

I love this whole paragraph, but what really struck me were the last few sentences.  Adam is so jaded after failed projects that I think he’s a little hesitant.  He’s been trusting in me and God to start this new journey.  I know he’s excited about it, but I think he’s waiting for some more things to get going before he’ll feel like it’s real and what he’s supposed to do.  In the meantime, I’ll keep working, planning, praying and believing!

Have a great rest of the week, everyone!

above image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

It’s Time to be Independent

7 Jul

The past few weeks have been exciting! Adam and I have decided to dedicate ourselves to pursuing his career as an independent artist. No more waiting for a big break or for the right person to come along to help propel Adam’s major record label dreams forward…

We both came to the realization that “independent” is the way to go around the same time. If you’ve read my last few posts (or kept up with this blog at all), you know that I’ve been spending a lot of time reading books and watching shows about using our talents and pursuing God’s will. For the past few years, I’ve had an itch to start some sort of business and about a month ago, the obvious idea hit me over the head to step up and help Adam pursue his music career in a hands-on way. I’ve always been supportive, but I left his “music stuff” up to him. I started to research websites, digital distribution of music, promotional advice blogs, etc., and realized that pursuing his career on our own was totally doable. Yes, it will take a lot of time and hard work, but I could see the steps and the opportunities and that was all I needed to get me started!

Adam, on the other hand, came to this conclusion after a long weekend of teching at one of the stages at CMA Fest in June. He had listened to about 40 different acts and realized that what is popular right now with commercial country music does not really match up with his values or what his music is about… He realized that he would never get to be true to himself with a major record label deal.

So…when I approached Adam about us teaming up to commit to going the independent route, it didn’t take him too long to jump on board.  I feel that God has given me a passion and purpose for this.  Even though I know next to nothing about the music business, I’m not afraid to jump in and I’ve already seen where God has given me some wisdom and insight that I haven’t had before.  I feel that my strengths of organizing, planning, researching, etc., will complement Adam.  There are a lot of things that I will be able to take off his plate so he won’t be so overwhelmed and feel like everything is on his shoulders.  He can mainly concentrate on making amazing music and connecting with friends and fans.

Right now, Adam is focusing on working out at the gym (yes, he did get a membership and a trainer) and recording his new songs! I am working on our promotion and distribution plan.  An official website is in the works, as well! I can’t wait to get Adam’s latest songs online for everyone to hear!  Many more updates to come!

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(The picture above shows some of the categories I have in my Marketing/PR plan binder – I feel so professional!)

Saying Yes Equals Success (Part II)/June’s Dreamer in the Spotlight

27 Jun

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” -Matthew 7:7

If you read my previous post, you may have been re-energized to look for ways God can use you or you may have thought, “I’m not Mother Theresa; I’m no saint.  I have a lot of work to do before I can do something great for God.”  We will never be perfect, but even in our brokenness and imperfection, God can use us to share His love and reach others.  There are so many opportunities each day that we may be missing to experience joy, peace, and true fulfillment.  I, personally, am really trying to focus on small impressions that God may be placing on my heart to act on for His good on a day-to-day basis.  I know that I have repeatedly overlooked or ignored them, not realizing that even a small action could be a significant moment for myself and/or another person.

Another thought that may have come up while reading my last post is, “How do I know what God wants me to do?”  As I mentioned earlier this month, I have been reading an inspiring and insightful book called, What Happens When Women Say Yes to God, by Lysa TerKeurst.  This particular woman has a lot of wisdom and trust and is not afraid to take risks.  Click here to read her five questions to discern God’s voice.

I had never read any of Lysa’s books until I was recently invited to be a part of a book club that focuses on developing a deeper faith and strengthening a personal relationship with Jesus.  The members of the group voted on What Happens When Women Say Yes to God to read first and it seems that each one of us is getting a lot out of it!

Lysa has written several best-selling books and is the president of Proverbs 31 Ministries.  In addition, she and her husband  adopted two boys from Liberia, which prompted many others to adopt children from that country, as well.  To read more about Lysa’s journey and what she does, check out her website bio.

Lysa, thanks for being such an inspiring woman and encouraging all of us to seek God’s will and lead an adventurous life!

Lysa TerKeurst

Saying Yes Equals Success (Part I)

16 Jun

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him and he will direct your paths.”  -Proverbs 3:5-6

I’m in the middle of reading some life-altering books right now and, no, I’m not exaggerating.  There’s no way that I can continue to be the same person after reading what these amazing authors have to share.  I have gained some special nuggets of wisdom to write about, but I have to break it down into more than one post because it will be an extremely lengthy one that no one will probably be up for tackling!

Back in November, I featured Katie Davis as that month’s featured Dreamer in the Spotlight.  I finally got around to reading her book, Kisses from Katie, and it is blowing me away!  For those of you who read that post, you may remember that she is the 22-year-old who is the mother to 13 Ugandan children.  Before I write anything else, let me just share an excerpt from her book that I just read yesterday.  (The whole book is worth highlighting, but this particular part jumped out at me.)

I was blessed.  It wasn’t because of anything I did; it was because I serve an unbelievably gracious God who will honor a willing and obedient heart.  My love for the people around me was not something I could muster up myself; it was God given, it came from the overflow of the love He had lavished on me.

I hadn’t come to Uganda with a degree in education; I wasn’t a nurse; and I certainly didn’t consider myself a missionary.  I had absolutely no idea what was involved in running a ministry and frankly did not possess the business knowledge or organizational skills required to do so.  I was in no way qualified, but I was available.

I have learned that something happens when one makes herself available to God:  He starts moving in ways no one could imagine.  God began doing things in me, around me, and through me as I offered myself to Him.  I began each day saying, “Okay, Lord, what would you have me do today?  Whom would you have me help today?”  And then I would allow Him to show me.  I would like to say that I had all kinds of great ideas about what I wanted to do and how I wanted to do it.  I would like to say my ministry was born out of a carefully thought-out plan.  These things simply aren’t true, though.  I was walking through life one moment at a time, blown away by what God could do through me if I simply said yes.” -Kisses from Katie, page 43

Maybe after reading this, you are thinking, “I thought the title of this post is Saying Yes Equals Success and that doesn’t sound like the kind of success I want.”  It can definitely seem overwhelming and scary to think of what God may ask of us if we are open to it, but imagine all of the joy and love that would be missed out on if we continue to aim for the worldly view of success.  We have to keep in mind that God wants what is best for us.  He gave us our gifts and He wants us to use them to fit into His perfect plan.

I recently heard a great quote while watching a television show (Women of Grace) on EWTN the other day.  Two men were being interviewed about their book, Journeying on Holy Ground —Christian Strategies to Reach your Personal, Professional, and Spiritual Destinyand one of the authors, Billy Arcement, quoted Fredrick Buechner’s book, Wishful Thinking: A Seeker’s ABC.  In it Buechner states, “…The place God calls you to is the place where deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”  How powerful is that statement?  Wow!  Basically, when we can use our God-given talents (passion) to help others, we have found our purpose!  Isn’t that what we all want to find in life?  Don’t we all want to believe that our lives have meaning?  What’s awesome is that each one of us has a special role to play in His masterfully-woven plan!

That’s probably enough to digest for now.  Thanks for hanging with me!  I’ll talk about the second book that I’m currently reading in Part II – What Happens When Women Say Yes to God by Lysa TerKeurst.  I’ll outline her five-step plan to discerning God’s voice.

above image courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net

May’s Dreamer in the Spotlight

30 May

From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.” -Luke 12:48 (NIV)

When many of us think about what we would do if we had a lot of money someday, starting a chartible foundation  may not be at the top of our list, but that is exactly what former San Antonio businessman Gordon Hartman did.  Hartman along with his wife, Maggie, started The Gordon Hartman Family Foundation to fund Morgan’s Wonderland, an amusement park that is catered to individuals with special needs.  Morgan’s Wonderland, which opened in 201o, was inspired by and named after the Hartmans’ daughter, Morgan, who has a cognitive disability.  Hartman wanted to develop a place where kids could play together without barriers.  The amusement park’s motto is, fittingly,”Where Everyone Can Play.”

Morgan’s Wonderland has also prompted other opportunities for the special-needs community.  In the fall of 2011, Monarch Academy, a specialized learning facility opened.  Hartman has also opened a soccer complex and started the San Antonio Scorpions soccer franchise in order to use profits to support Morgan’s Wonderland.  The Scorpions just debuted in the spring of this year, and according to the Morgan’s Wonderland website, “It’s the first team in pro sports history to be organized for the benefit of a non-profit dedicated to helping those with special needs.”

It’s definitely inspiring to see someone dream (and achieve) so big for the benefit of others in such a unique way!  Maybe everything really is bigger in Texas!

Thank you, Hartman Family, for motivating all of us to look closer at how we can use the gifts that God has given us to benefit others!

Photo courtesy of www.FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Renewed Hope: God Speaks through a New Friend

11 May
Days they force you
Back under those covers
Lazy mornings they multiply
But glory’s waiting
Outside your window
So wake on up from your slumber
And open up your eyes
Tongues are violent
Personal and focused
Tough to beat with
Your steady mind
But hearts are stronger after broken
So wake on up from your slumber
And open up your eyes
-“Slumber” by NEEDTOBREATHE
It’s so exciting when you KNOW that God is working through somebody in the moment that it is happening! Adam has had a couple meaningful conversations very recently with a fellow aspiring artist, Cora Zoan, who was introduced to him by Emma’s former manager (who is now working with Cora). Adam has been helping her record some new songs over the past couple weeks. Originally, Adam thought this would simply be a good way to make some extra money, but it has turned out to be something that had to have been destined by God – another “aha’ moment in Adam’s journey…
For those of you who have been reading my blog over the course of the past year, you know that Adam has been going through a sort of personal transformation. He has been asking himself tough questions and looking to God for the answers. For quite a while, though, Adam has continued to be his own worst enemy. Fear of failure and feelings of insecurity about his weight, combined with a lack of adequate “free” time has nearly paralyzed Adam from taking steps forward in his career; but, this past year has still been full of growth, priority-checking, and preparation for whatever is to come. Adam now has meaningful, amazing songs that he can’t wait to record and share.
Adam did have the opportunity to share some of these songs with Cora last week. She was able to see the relatability of his songs and personality. Now, before I go on about how God spoke through Cora to Adam, I do want to say that the first time they met the other week, God was using Adam to help her out with some things, but I don’t want to go into detail out of respect for her, especially since I haven’t even met her yet! From what Adam has told me, she is a very caring, direct, down-to-earth person who has gone through a lot of stuff that no one would ever be able to guess from the outside. I’m sorry to tease, but be assured it was non-coincidental that these two met at this time!
Now, where do I begin…?
I received a phone call from Adam the other night after their recording session. He was excitedly talking to me about their conversation and how God revealed the next step for him to be able to move forward. I can’t remember everything that Adam told me, but I’ll try to hit the highlights! Basically, Adam said that he sees how he allowed his “self-doubt and the doubt of others to become bigger than my passion.” Adam said that Cora told him some things that he really needed to hear from an objective person who is pursuing the same career. (What’s crazy is that a lot of these things have been discussed by Adam and I before, but we all know that what a spouse or family member says doesn’t “click” sometimes until an outside source makes the observation!)
Anyway, back to the conversation… First of all, Cora sincerely told Adam that he is the best singer that she has ever heard. She told him that he can make it and she would bring him along in any way that she could if she is given the opportunity. Somehow, Adam brought up that he thinks his weight is holding him back, but Cora stated that it will not prevent him from making it. She made the astute observation that it’s like Adam is sabotaging himself and giving himself an excuse if he doesn’t “make it”. She told him that he doesn’t need to lose weight to make it, unless he wants to do it for himself. Cora used to work at Gold’s Gym and offered him the advice of getting help and having someone to hold him accountable, since Adam has trouble with self-motivation. She also compared Adam to Garth Brooks as far as relatability and genuiness as an artist. This really touched Adam because he admires how Garth is so passionate and connects to his fans on such an intimate level.
Adam now feels that he has the “permission” he needs to put more energy into pursuing a successful music career, even while not being at his ideal weight. At the same time, though, Adam feels that now is the time to lose weight – not for anybody else – for himself and to be prepared for what God wants him to do. Adam feels strongly that this is the next big step for him. He plans to get a trainer again and figure out childcare, whether that means Grandma watches the girls or they go to the daycare at the gym while he works out. Adam has wasted too much time fretting over how he looks and how he’s not “good enough” yet. If you knew how much of a battle this has been for him, you’d understand what a big deal this is! I’ve been waiting for him to realize that he is his own biggest obstacle, but it all comes back to God’s timing. Adam is realizing that his self-sabotaging thoughts are not only preventing him from achieving his dream, but from fulfilling God’s will for his life. The devil would love for Adam to continue to be distracted and preoccupied with doubt. Fortunately, though, Adam’s passion and hope has been revived!
Here’s to the next step!

April’s Dreamer in the Spotlight

23 Apr

When I ran across a featured article on-line last week, I got goosebumps over how much faith this month’s featured dreamer, Curtis Masters, possesses.  Please read how one plumber in Texas is truly putting his career and his family’s well-being in God’s hands.  (There is also a short video clip at the bottom of this article. )

I love how he mentions that God “planted” this idea in him before finally agreeing to follow this path.  I think God is often planting seeds in our hearts and minds for the future.  His timing is perfect! 

Thank you for your faith and good works, Mr. Masters.  You are definitely an inspiration to all of us to have more trust and believe that God wants what is best for us!

Photo courtesy of thepathtraveler/FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Keeping It Real

7 Apr

It has been a good while since my last post. I’m not sure if it has been due to laziness, busy-ness, writer’s block, or just not wanting to waste anyone’s time with a less than average post – probably a combination of all of them! There have definitely been things on my mind but I haven’t come up with a way to put it all together yet, but I’ll give it a try now…

A lot has been going on the past few months – most of it NOT music related. There has been a lot of stress dealing with some serious issues with friends and family members regarding drug addiction, mental and physical health issues, and infidelity.  Add caring for two young girls and working most nights out of the week and there doesn’t leave too much time for music.  Adam has managed to write a handful of amazing songs in the past few months and several more are waiting to be finished.  He has been playing writers’ rounds a couple times a month, too, and his new songs have been getting some great responses!  He is currently preparing for his first official trio gig in town in about a week – April 16th! 

Back to more of what’s been going on outside of music… God has been working within us, and particularly Adam, on valuing what’s important in life and trusting His perfect plan and timing. I have seen my husband grow into a stronger, more confident man who is willing to speak up and be honest and not just “go along to get along.”  This challenge to be a more authentic person started a little less than a year ago (about the same time I started this blog).  My dad showed Adam a song called “Jerusalem” by a Hasidic Jew rapper named Matisyahu.  This song is basically about calling out Jews who have forgotten their history and traditions.  Within this song there is a line that made an impression on Adam: “If I forget the truth then my words won’t penetrate.”  Pretty poweful lyrics by a pretty unforgettable artist!  You may want to go back and read that line again!  This has kind of become Adam’s motto when focusing on who he wants to be, not only as an artist, but as a person.  I love that Adam is still the same empathatic, kind-hearted man but now has a newfound boldness.  His passion for “being real” is refreshing, especially in a town full of people that only say what you want to hear because one day they may need a favor from you… AND because we live in a society that goes along with whatever is popular in the media…

There have been two things that I have been reflecting on a lot in the past month or so – one is a verse and the other is a quote.  The bible verse that I’ve been obsessed with lately is “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart” (Psalm 37:4).  I think this fits the theme of my blog very well, don’t you?! 

Another saying that has been inspiring to me is the following quote by William Carey: “Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God.”  Enough said!

Happy Easter!  Have a wondeful day celebrating the greatest truth and gift of all!