FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK
by Dave Tough

With the recent “bailout mentality”of our nation, I want to make sure that my students understand the concept of personal responsibility. Some of the common excuses I hear from students are, “if only I had a better studio", "the real world is depressing", "if I only could get a record deal", "I am working too much to finish all these projects", or the classic Generation X disclaimer, “my parents messed me up!”

I try to remind my students that, now more than ever, musicians and music business types have the opportunity to achieve success and create their own destiny. Our weakened economy is ripe for new music business ideas and models to spawn and grow. Microsoft, FedEx and CNN were all started in economic downturns. These economic times are going to show each of us what we are made of.

We cannot hold students’ hands giving them our own type of "bailouts" and handouts. However, we can help them develop a roadmap to achieve the success they crave. Students must be given an educational opportunity (an internship lab, a motivational professor, etc) and resources (a computer with the internet) to obtain the help and information they need, without having it spoon fed to them by instructors. Students must be shown how to create a goal-map with short term, mid range and long term goals. They need to learn to plan for the future but also prepare for the potential setbacks.

In today’s music business landscape it is artist’s responsibility to develop themselves to the point where they’ve proven their persistence and ability to create a worthwhile product for the public. They must put on a show and create music that people love and are motivated to purchase. These core fundamentals, evident in most industries, are new and somewhat unexplored in the music industry. They must realize that record deals and jobs in the music business are anything but a "get rich quick" scheme as portrayed on VH1.

The website www.livestrong.com lists the following ways to get teens/young adults to accept personal responsibility:

* Seek out and to accept help for yourself.
* Be open to new ideas or concepts about life and the human condition.
* Refute irrational beliefs and overcome fears.
* Affirm yourself positively.
* Recognize that you are the sole determinant of the choices you make.
* Recognize that you choose your responses to the people, actions and events in your life.
* Let go of anger, fear, blame, mistrust and insecurity.
* Take risks and to become vulnerable to change and growth in your life.
* Take off the masks of behavior characteristics behind which you hide low self-esteem.
* Reorganize your priorities and goals.
* Realize that you are the party in charge of the direction your life takes.

As music supervisor Jennifer Yeko states, “"motivation and determination are 1000 times more potent than talent alone". True, we now have a new President who promises change. He does not, however, possess the sole power to change or fix what it is that our country needs fixed. This lies within each individual and their responsibility under God. Adversity does not make anyone a victim, it only makes us resourceful.

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