S stands for SERVE!

How do you start a tennis match? You serve. A great teacher once said, "There is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving". What did he mean? The times you feel your best are when you've given that little bit more than was asked of you. Healing programs like AA have as one of their steps, the routine of daily secret service to someone else. How do you apply this? Well, generally, 'Stars' like Star Service. But can we try to give Star Service? Can we give a bit more at the gig, to the crew, to the management, to the patrons? The more you give back, the better you will feel about yourself. Besides, it gives you something to jump out of bed for!

U stands for UPBUILDING.

I used to run a Crew Hire Service. We supplied additional Road Crew for touring acts in our region. It never ceased to amaze me, that a crew would arrive, swear, park the truck, swear, get out of the truck, swear some more, start the load in and swear all the way through the set-up. Now I know the life of a roadie is rough, but is there something better we in the business can do? Negativity saps your energy. BE UPBUILDING! How? Well remember what Mother used to say: "If you've got nothing nice to say..say nothing!" Aren't Mums clever? Not only does negativity drive others away, but also in the long term it becomes a habit that lessens self-esteem.

Try to dwell on the positive in any given situation. It's hard sometimes, but amazingly, positive Musos notice eachother, and that's how great associations are formed. The more upbuilding you can be, the more you get the support of others when you need it.

S stands for STRETCH.

All athletes stretch. All singers should warm up before they perform. As a drummer I know the benefits of pre-warmed muscles. Have you ever watched a cat after a sleep? S-T-R-E-T-C-H. After a good sleep there's nothing better. Stretching done on a systematic, regular basis makes your muscles feel alive and ready for action.

How do I do that when I'm so busy/ on the road/ have no Gym membership? Here's a good one. After you carry your stage costumes into the venue, go back out and carry in a guitar or two. The stairs do wonders for legs that have traveled too far in a car. I'm sure you'll come up with others. Short audio / videotapes could have a place in your kit bag too. A couple I'd highly recommend are USANA's Get Lean Videos*, and Stretching Scientifically by Thomas Kurz (M.Sc.). The more you stretch your muscles, the better they respond to your will on stage.

T stands for TEACH.

All elite athletes have coaches, trainers and mentors. Recently I caught a special on the box about award-winning Writer/ Performer Kasey Chambers. Kasey was talking about how others had helped her along the way. She spoke affectionately about her friendship with Beccy Cole, and how the older Beccy had helped guide her, in a fun kind of way, through the Show Biz maze. I'm sure we've all been helped by someone.

What am I getting at?

Can you take someone under your wing? Share and it could really touch someone else's life. Could you tutor, mentor, or just watch out for someone just starting out? I've seen ex-students climb to the top levels in their field. It's a buzz! The more you teach, the more you share in someone else's success.

A stands for AIR.

A few short years ago there were no Smoke-Free gigs. I had occasion to work with the production crew for John Williamson and he was, at the time, a pioneer in the push for 'smoke free'. What a difference to leave a gig feeling jazzed by the music, with no ash tray cologne through the hair, clothes and lungs. Oxygen is not only essential for life; bad air is damaging to the human body. An athlete smoker is hard to take seriously. Why? Well obviously her body won't run as well on smoke as on oxygen.

What about Musicians then?

Same reasoning holds true. Have Musos started litigating because of the ill affects of smoke in their workplace yet? Bar workers have. How many musicians have died from cancer that you know of? How many concerts and tours have been cancelled because the Star had the 'flu or other bad throat condition.

Am I saying you shouldn't smoke?

Definitely! It will sabotage your career. QUIT programs are helping thousands to kick it. They only work though if you WANT to quit. My purpose is to help you want to.

From a reformed smoker's point of view, life really improves once you shake the monkey. (Spend the money you save on new stage clothes and claim it on your tax return!) Two fantastic books about the great effects of good peathing on your body are, peathing Free by Teresa Hale, and Instant Calm by Paul Wilson The more fresh air you get into yourself (water too- it's just fresh air in a drink!) the better you'll feel and perform.

I stands for INSPIRATION.

Musicians get their inspiration from a million places. I'm not here to tell you where to get yours. You will no doubt agree however, that it's easy to spot an inspired performer when you see one. Do you get times when you're just going through the motions?

How do you peak through?

Sadly many of us have tried the "Dutch Courage" method only to find it takes us away from our goals.

Strive to recognize what inspires you and keep that in focus. Sustaining inspiration can be found in the lives of people as diverse as Slim, Jesus or Neil Armstrong. For those times when you could use a lift, you could read books like: The Sky's the Limit by Dr. Wayne Dyer; The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey; or the writings of Dennis Waitley.

The more you focus on your inspiration, the more obvious it will be to your audience. People love success!

N stands for NUTRITION.

Tell me if I'm wrong, but we Musicians are in a job that makes us about as irregular with the intake of good fuel as any group could possibly be. We work late, we wake late, we skip meals, and those we do eat are, many times of poor quality. You know, burgers on the road, pizzas backstage, cl ub lunches that sat under glass since last time you did this gig. What does this lifestyle and that diet do to human bodies? IT STRESSES THEM OUT!

Cutting edge research shows that Oxidative Stress is responsible for a host of chronic illnesses that happen to Humans. Oxidative Stress is basically where your cells can't cope because of what our lifestyle does to them. Thus we get sick and tired, and look it as well!

What can I do to sustain myself then?

Good nutrition!

Where do I get it?

Many companies now claim to make high quality products that help your system's immunity cope with our lifestyle. I live with the effects of Chronic Fatigue. Playing drums and singing in high-energy bands with CF can be, to say the least, painful. I've done my due diligence trying to sort this out.

Personally, I recommend the USANA* Essentials which are made up of the 'Mega Antioxidants' and 'Multiminerals'. USANA's products, unlike most others are Pharmaceutical grade, so you get what you pay for in quality and results, (energy and a sense of well being). Olympic athletes, including the U.S. and Canadian speed skaters, and famous entertainers trust USANA to keep their bodies in peak shape. USANA are at the forefront of research and development in human nutrition. When something works this well you stay with it and you definitely DON'T want to keep it a secret!

As you know, we Musicians are in a position to thrill, entertain and inspire people with our talents. What a shame to see many of our gifted friends burn out long before their time.

My hope is that our seven points will give you a springboard into a sustain-able career, filled with countless dazzling and inspired performances.

NOW WHAT WERE THEY AGAIN? (You could put them in your wallet for regular reference.)

S for SERVE!

U for UPBUILDING.

S for STRETCH.

T for TEACH.

A for AIR.

I for INSPIRATION.

N for NUTRITION.

© Greg Nolan, 2002

Used with permission, © Musicstaff.com, 2002

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