Music, Tribes, & Meatballs

I love this new changing world we live in. The opportunities seem limitless. It's as if our only limitation is our vision. Things are changing so fast that by this time next year things I can only dream of become a reality. I have been fascinated by the new avenues of marketing, networking and promotion. I recently read a book by Seth Godin, entitled Meatball Sundae. In his book Seth describes the struggle for businesses to change how they relate to customers through new media channels. The question he raises is, does the business model match the new environment?

I was talking to my friend Tim Scroggs about this very issue and both he and Seth seemed to recognize some of the same things. You see Tim is wrestling with the issues Seth describes in his book. Tim is a very talented musician/songwriter who wants to connect with an audience. I was fascinated by our discussion and have not stopped thinking about it for the past few months. Then I remembered that in Seth's book what he mentions about the power of being in a tribe. What makes people loyal to a band or musician? There are plenty of talented people on myspace but few sell enough to earn a living. They may have thousands of "friends", but no loyal listeners. Tim talked about the need to connect with the audience and develop a true following. Seth talked about more and new levels of interaction and communication. Seth also talked about the power of being a part of a tribe.

The reason the word tribe resonates with me is that I have a deep need for connection. The word almost seems foundational to society. This word tribe is so important now because now more than ever we have so many options it's like we are floating. What grounds us is our connections to people and relationships. The reason I love Tim's music is because I have connected with him and his music. I have become a loyal fan. So what is the point? My point is that we should not take the connections we have for granted, we should embrace them. Be loyal when loyalty is warranted. Allow yourself to be a part of a tribe or multiple tribes. We don't just have to sit back and watch any more we can contribute and engage.

So with all this opportunity and changing environment how will our world look in a few years? It is unclear, but I know that I choose to embrace the changes with excitement and expectation. I will look to be accessible and have something to offer.