Published: Tuesday - December 11, 2007
Words by Donny Goines
Blog by Donny Goines (Photo: Don Michaels)
Last night I got a message from my man Bigga, asking me what I was doing. Now mind you, it's about 1 in the morning and I'm exhausted right, but I hit him back and told him I was about to call it a night. He told me Dame Grease wanted me on a track and then asked how soon I could be there (side note: I live in the Harlem and the studio is all the way in Westchester) and I said I'll be there ASAP. I splashed some water on my face, hopped in a cab and made it there less than a hour.
This is a good example of why I don't have a 9 to 5, but more importantly, in this business I've learned that you have to be willing to travel anywhere, anytime, on any date at a moment's notice. It's really that simple. Some of my journeys have took me places as close as midtown, while others took me all the across the country. When people present you with opportunities, especially ones you might not have again you gotta to make moves. Job, wife, kids, whatever your responsibilities are, they sometimes have to become secondary and left behind temporarily. No one said this was gonna be easy people. If you don't understand this simple logic maybe this career isn't for you.
As I said before, you must take advantages of these opportunities at any cost, but I'll give you some tips that might help you a bit. If you need to keep a 9-5, try to find a job that's flexible and that understands your needs as an artist. Also you can try to work part time around you schedule or on-call (The latter is a good choice if you can swing it). If you have children, try to find a reliable babysitter that can watch the kids at the drop of a dime. Sometimes I've been called for shows two hours before show time (like the last show I did at S.O.B's). Last but not least, explain to your better half what he or she should expect and that your career is a 24/7 occupation. A good support system can really help you through these situations as well.
Well I'm still here at the studio 15 hours later, stranded actually (haha, spent my last on the cab), but it was well worth it. I got to work with a legendary producer, made some great music and had fun. I'll get back to Harlem somehow, but sometimes these are the type of things you have to do in order to make it. It is what it is.
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