Jesse Does Blog

It’s May already. It seems impossible when I say it out loud,...

Thu, 02 May 2013 00:33:35 -0400

It’s May already. It seems impossible when I say it out loud, but it’s a reality. In so many ways it seems like I just moved back to Virginia from Tennessee. Sometimes when I wake up I feel like I smell my old Nashville room: aged hardwood floor, easter blue bathroom tile, and the inside of a suitcase. The past year has been a blur of activity and academics. I wanted to post up some pictures in remembrance of the 13 months I’ve been back in Lynchburg.

Happy Easter!

Sun, 31 Mar 2013 12:21:54 -0400

Happy Easter!

I wish I could turn my unfinished blog posts into currency. There are enough of them to cover the...

Fri, 22 Mar 2013 00:10:08 -0400

I wish I could turn my unfinished blog posts into currency. There are enough of them to cover the gold reserves.

robertjohns: Here’s the full version! I really dig Tori’s...

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 02:12:02 -0400

robertjohns:

Here’s the full version!

I really dig Tori’s covers, but I always want to hear them with a full band. So, I decided just to go for it, with the help of some friends. Hope you like it.

Thanks for listening!

Special thanks to Carson Wagner and Jesse Phillips for helping me out with this.

Tori Kelly Cover I helped Robert Johns out with.

You've Got Mail

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 00:55:29 -0500

You've Got Mail

For the Session/Touring Musician: PART ONE.

Thu, 07 Feb 2013 22:43:53 -0500

These next 2 posts are geared specifically to those people wanting to be session and/or touring musicians. I’m not Dan Huff or anything, but I hope that my personal experience can help you obtain and maintain a gig that you’ll enjoy. Here’s Part One:

Most of my experience in the music world has involved auditions. It started in 2007 when I auditioned for Ministry Teams at Liberty University. I honestly went into the process just to gain experience and I didn’t expect for anything to come out of it. In fact, I didn’t even really know what I was auditioning for. But something I’ve come to learn over the years is that auditioning never hurts you. If you don’t get the gig at the end of it all, the world is not over. But you won’t know unless you step out and audition!

If you’re auditioning for a “well-known” band or singer, know their music forwards and backwards before you walk into the room. It will never hurt you to know every lick, every chord, and every different version that they may do of a song. This will help your confidence level when you step into that situation. Confidence is a big key. Over-confidence can hurt you, but knowing the music and being poised will set you apart from others.

If you don’t get a gig, don’t get bitter; get better. There are tons of reasons you may not be chosen to play for an artist, and a lot of that may have nothing to do with your ability. Musicians (and solid ones at that) can be a dime a dozen, so continue to practice your chops and stop being sensitive if people pass you by the first time. Practice strong and make it harder for people to pass on you the next time.

Desperation is something that I’ve seen in a lot of musicians. They want so badly to be playing with incredible artists all of the time. They rush into saying “yes” to things that may hurt their reputation or image in the future just for the exposure. NOTE: Sometimes this exposure is necessary to get your foot in a door, but make sure you are a stand-out instead of being blocked in with people that will hurt your reputation. I strongly recommend having a day job that will help you stay afloat financially. This will allow you to say yes to gigs that will benefit both you and an artist instead of being desperate to play with anyone and everyone just to make ends meat.

Lastly, don’t be obnoxious. This may seem like an obvious thing to say, but try not to posture yourself in a way that will make others resent you. People that are likeable are more hirable. Who wants to work with a jerk even if he or she is really good? I’ll talk about this more thoroughly in my second note, but evaluate yourself now and try to see how you might come across to others. Do you talk too much? Are you overly critical? What about you could be perceived as undesirable?

In Part 2 I’ll cover more ground, but for now I hope this helps you.

#campuschurch #libertyu #spiritualemphasisweek

Thu, 24 Jan 2013 18:41:39 -0500

#campuschurch #libertyu #spiritualemphasisweek

#SEW #LibertyU #campuschurch

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 16:50:09 -0500

#SEW #LibertyU #campuschurch

#batman sits upon my #krk monitors during tracking sessions. (at...

Mon, 10 Dec 2012 20:47:59 -0500

#batman sits upon my #krk monitors during tracking sessions. (at the stood)

Artist Branding

Mon, 03 Dec 2012 00:19:53 -0500

This post is for you if you are an artist, singer, session musician, or if you’re just curious about the music industry.

If you consider yourself to be an Artist of sorts, it is essential to tell you this right now: YOU ARE A BUSINESS. Your success as a business depends greatly on what product you’re selling. You can have an incredible product but still fail as a business if you do not sell it properly. Unfortunately, since you are the product yourself, your brand image can be advertised when you don’t want it to. A negative social media post or an unfriendly encounter with a fan directly reflects on you. Because of this here are just 3 things I’d suggest to you to keep in mind:

1.) Be very judicious about what you post on social media.

Social media is both an incredible launching pad as well as potential death bed. Saying something funny, personable, or pithy can be positive for your brand image, but on the flip side be careful not to litter others feeds with impulsive rants about things. This turns people off to you and, in turn, your product. In all honesty, who wants to work with a negative person? It would be much better to work with someone you enjoy spending time with. Post accordingly!

2.) Make sure to be professional.

Once you reach a certain point in your career you can afford to hire people to make professional business connections for you, but until then (and even afterwards) it is always best to make good impressions on people. This means being punctual to rehearsals, events, and even in responding to important e-mails. If people feel that you value them, they will be more inclined to value you as well.

3.) Be detail oriented.

If you’re not a details person, that’s not a bad thing, but come alongside someone who is. An input list, a contract, or a rider can be all the difference between having a good time at a venue and having an absolute nightmare on your hands. There should never be a moment when you arrive at a venue and are shocked by the accommodations or audio situation. Detailed communication is key.

I may post more about my thoughts on Artist branding and image soon. I’m reading a marketing book right now and all these concepts are just kind of swimming around in my head.

I’m excited to start recording guitar tracks for my buddy @bnmitchell’s EP. Check this...

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 11:00:13 -0500

I’m excited to start recording guitar tracks for my buddy @bnmitchell’s EP. Check this YouTube video out to watch a performance of one of the songs from the CD: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM6ppYZbnnM

Smile/Laugh

Thu, 29 Nov 2012 02:08:51 -0500

This is a poem I just wrote. It won’t win any poetry prizes, but it refused to let me sleep until it was written. So here it is:

I wish I didn’t have to know your face by memory alone.

Your smile.

Your laugh.

I feel like I’ve made these memories up.

Your smile.

Your laugh.

I’ve made you an idea instead of a reality.

Your smile.

Your laugh.

You tell jokes perfectly.

I smile.

I laugh.

Your mid-afternoon text just arrived.

I smile.

I laugh.

Your Skype profile picture just popped up.

I smile.

I laugh.

Seriously though: Why can’t you just live here?

Facebook Church

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:00:08 -0500

Today I get to do something I’ve never been able to do as a musician: play a live set on Facebook. Normally on Wednesday nights I play bass for Liberty’s in house worship band, but tonight we’re streaming it live on our facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LibertyCampusBand

If you’re around a computer at 7:30pm you should check it out! We’re playing a few songs up-front and then again after Johnnie Moore speaks.

Wow. #Lynchburg is gorgeous at night. #nofilter

Wed, 28 Nov 2012 01:51:10 -0500

Wow. #Lynchburg is gorgeous at night. #nofilter

Goofing off with Pro Tools and my Eleven Rack

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 20:00:12 -0500

Goofing off with Pro Tools and my Eleven Rack:

I’ve always felt like “Hummingbird Heartbeat” needed a guitar solo… so I put one in. Haha.

throughmykaleidoscopeeyes: @jessedeanrivero has converted me to...

Fri, 23 Nov 2012 19:51:29 -0500

throughmykaleidoscopeeyes:

@jessedeanrivero has converted me to Pop music that I used to strongly hate. This was my Black Friday purchase and will be my first Christmas music for the season. Thanks Jesse for the eye opener!

New Alarm Clock Song

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 23:42:42 -0500

New Alarm Clock Song

Playing near D.C. with Drew Miller and Co. // @robertjohns...

Sun, 18 Nov 2012 09:52:20 -0500

Playing near D.C. with Drew Miller and Co. // @robertjohns @iamtomjohnson

Updated Website.

Wed, 07 Nov 2012 03:10:22 -0500

Updated Website.:

Updated my music website tonight. Check it out or not.

At Brentwood rehearsal. I don’t play until the last chorus...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 20:09:26 -0400

At Brentwood rehearsal. I don’t play until the last chorus so here’s an Instagram.