Welcome back; we plan to use the gluttony of the holiday to motivate us to move fast and hard this week!  Today we start with memories, regrets, and lessons and throw another MJ Goat story of inspiration.  This MJ is a Fox, and his philanthropic efforts are only surpassed by his courage to fight. 

This can be tough for all kinds of reasons.  Our souls can tell us to take only the lesson given by regret, but our bodies can hold the scars leftover from the classes.  Before we get into Nick’s response to a question about his tattoo, we gathered a few stories of our own.

Job:                                Writer
Age when tattoo:          22
Age now:                       52

In my early 20s, I was already on my own, working several jobs and trying to figure out the next thing.  I worked in a bar, and one of the benefits of working in a bar is the advice you get and give.  A piece of advice I got from someone I worked with was not to take yourself too seriously.  I was getting ready to accept a corporate job that would mean suits and structure for a new adventure.  Before I started, I went out and got that tattoo; I only have one tattoo, and I do not regret it.  Anytime I feel myself getting too serious about anything, I grab my right shoulder with my left hand and remember who I am. 

Nick’s story is a little different; it is also an answer to someone asking if they should.  In Nick’s case, it was part of the scene and part of his suit, for lack of a better term.  We love the description of what it looks like now; a tattoo can be forever, age with the rest of your body, and show where you’ve been.  In Nick’s words:

Why do we ask why music is so essential to some of us? Why can we listen to the same song so often, and why does it seem different from other media forms?  One area we have looked at before is association, meaning you can attach or associate feelings and emotions with other senses. When the same stimulus triggers those senses, it can bring back the feelings.  This explains much music and when we are typically listening to music.

On the more scientific side, The Guardian talked about science with scientists.  The article was written by Susan Rogers, an actual audio engineer who has worked with; Prince and David Byrne.  Rogers brings the science and how the sauce is made to the table in this piece.  The most surprising and exciting part of the piece for some of us practicing musicians is the thought of musicians getting together after long hours in the studio, creating music to talk about more music.  That’s life!

Michael J. Fox (MJF) received the Jean Hersholt Humanitarian Award last week.  Fox was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease in his 20s.  He has been fighting the illness with grit and grace; this award is for the incredible work Fox has done with the Michael J. Fox Foundation.  In his speech, as tricky as it is to see what the disease continues to do to his body, his mind and spirit shine through.  He is as funny and sweet as he has ever been and lives in a way we can all look up to.

Visual Capitalist has an interesting infographic on artists with a billion streams on Spotify.  We are digging through information to understand Spotify best and how it has come to dominate the market over the last decade.  At the DIY Musicians Conference this summer, Spotify had several sessions for musicians that helped explain how to get your music heard.  The algorithm came up a lot… We are also watching the Netflix series on Spotify but haven’t got far enough into it to provide additional information. 

The musicians we talked to this summer said streaming revenues are the same as wealth in the U.S.; the top 1% get all the money.  We remember when Spotify first launched in 2011, Facebook was the only place it seemed you could listen to.  This is just the beginning of a long story we will continue researching.

Dr. Peter Attia interviews Dr. Arthur Brooks, Ph.D. and author of From Strength to Strength, and our big takeaway from the podcast and article is the meaning of happiness.  Brooks knocks it all the way down to the following:

Attia’s podcasts go deep into the subject matter; we find them wonderful companions when we are off doing other physical, non-thinking tasks.  Find your happiness!

[Music Notes]

The Punk Rock Bowling & Music Festival has revealed its 2023 lineup, which will be headlined by Rancid, Bad Religion, and Dropkick Murphys.

Bands that broke up or announced an upcoming breakup in 2022.

Jack White calling out Musk’s Danger Games.

A punk publication, or back in the 00s, was called a fanzine or zine. Creator Osa Atoe ultimately put together a brief but meaningful publication to promote the “Black Punk” scene.  Atoe was playing in punk bands at the same time she created Shotgun Seamstress.  We love to highlight people with hearts and guts.  Atoe also understands what true punk is.

Words | Music | Art | Unknown

Pick me up.

Click on the Apple Music image to listen to the song on Apple Music or on the Spotify Image to listen to Spotify.

Thank you for spending a few minutes with us!

With A Shout Team