Why YOU matter, and what it has to do with MUSIC.

Historic? That's your life. Memorable? That's what the powers that be IN your life and every other person's life WANT YOUR EXISTENCE TO BECOME in the books you'll be a part of...



Everyone's mind is like one of those books. We write our own. Every single day, is a chance to write the best chapter thus far. It's like your favorite artist in an interview; they really love what they're currently doing. But sometimes, people are so stuck on what they've one in the past. They don't realize that art is a constant, a constant change.

Fans get upset and say that this or that band or group ISN'T what they used to be. Well, that's exactly what they should be doing. If Led Zeppelin would've written 11 more songs, JUST like "Stairway to Heaven"...they wouldn't BE who they are today - in the fans/public eye, media, or even THEIR OWN personal history books.

That's why I'm such a huge supporter of musical journaling. It's art. And when it comes down to it. Everything we do, is art. It's our expression of what our hearts, minds, and other senses are taking in. And the reaction is different each time.

Here is my favorite all time quote about CHANGE:

"No man ever steps in the same river twice, for it's not the same river and he's not the same man."



— Heraclitus
 
Now, after reading for about 50 minutes on Philosophy, I've come to the conclusion that this man was very contradictory in his writings. Not that he was wrong, but that, he was even deeper, a thinker than me. Crazy right? HAHA!
 
So all in all, music is at constant odds and peace with the world. The world can be perceived as society or the media or angry parents, not liking what certain artists are saying. From Elvis' hip movement, to Kiss' stage antics, to Marilyn Manson's invention of his alter ego. The secret in this life is, how are we going to find peace. Some people's souls turn and gravitate to music and any for of the arts. (theater, dance, show tunes, acting, performing, DJing, etc.). Finding our personal bliss and calmness in this life is all we can do. Not that there are limited options or ways of going about doing that, but that - it's a gentle and delicate art. So, finding our peace can be an art-form too. 
 
PLEASE DO EXACTLY WHAT YOUR HEART TELLS YOU TO DO. BE WHO YOU CHOOSE TO BE. CHANGE YOURSELF TO BECOME THE BEST YOU, THAT YOU CAN CREATE. AGE DOESN'T MATTER IN THIS VENTURE. :o) 

"For the Love of Bees" by Troy D. Morgan Jr. :o)

I've always been a writer and a fan of words. Especially the cool ones like "Twitterpated" (Thumper from Disney's Bambi). So a few months ago and coworker and I decided to enter into a contect and a pinky promise that we'd enter our cute little poems as kid's stories.

Cheerio's has had a blossoming opportunity for up-and-coming writers and artists called, "Spoonfuls of Stories". Matter of fact, i just got a hold of a book (from 2007) that someone was going to throw out but gave to me instead called, "When Dinosaurs Came With Everything".

My book is a slim 320 words (characters) long but i think it packs a powerful heartfelt punch.

I hope you enjoy reading this (soon to your children too) as much as I had fun writing it for everyone:

======================================================================================================
There, once was a Bee named Cheery.
Her name was as bright as the sun!
The honey that she made was glorious,
And her cheeks when she worked were like a bright, red, plum!

This bee, was way much more than ordinary.
She had heart strings like spiders spin webs!
You might just hear her secret now,
If you jump right in your bed.

“Honey boy, Honey boy,” a mama called her son.
Still looking at Cheery as he held his gaze too long.
Son said “over here!” as hyper as they come.
Smiling as he traveled home, and singing his own song.

“Mom, I met a talking bee, she’s got a great big smile.
“Her voice is soft and pretty yet her colors are in style!”
“Mom, she’s not just any bee, her mind is polished and she’s smart”.
It’s not just where she comes from but she shares right from her heart!

“Really?” asked his mommy, I wonder, what’s her name?
“Cheery”, beamed the 12 year old, “I think your smiles are the same!”



“Mom, I’ve come to realize that life is not just one big game.
It’s special and it’s rare, and nothing is the same”
“Love is love and new is new, the kind of heart I gave to you;
the way I make my daddy proud, when I tie each shoe.
The kind of people working hard to find the cure for flu.
Create a little brighter light, that’s exactly what we do!

“Oh,” said Mom “You’ve grown so fast! I think I’ll kiss your cheek”.
“Faster, Faster, Faster now as a young teen falls asleep”.
Birthdays are really every day, if you make each day your best.
Sundays we can grow our minds, for all life’s greatest tests.



Now you know a family story that was plain as Jane and Pete.
But when you wake, remember this - you’re awesome as, everyone you meet!
======================================================================================================

Who Would We Be if We Let Our Dreams Run Free? (CLICK TO FIND OUT)

The title of this blog is taken from a lyric from a song i wrote a few years back in technical schooling for my career, and it still rings true in my mind and heart:

I have a question. When? WHEN was the exact moment when we gave up on wanting to be what we wanted to be?

Was it the lie that we have to work as a bean-counter or paper-filer forever - until we either saved up enough money to never have to work again or died?

This isn't a blog about money or financial IQ but if you're interested in taking care of that part of your life, visit and fully digest this:

http://www.richdad.com/RichDad/RichContent.aspx?cpid=5

Ultimate, by taking care of the money matters in your life, whether you're 14 or you were born in 1914, it will help you to pursue whatever your heart desires. it sounds like something out of Alladin but it's cliche for a reason - what's true, is true - IS TRUE.

The minute you set a structured path (usually in your mind before anywhere else. then write it in your musical journals, FINALLY tell as many people as you can about it), the sooner your financial freedom can help you to buy that dream guitar or jam with your favorite guitar hero.

To those that might be saying, "yeah right Troy, like i'm gonna come across an opportunity to play acoustic guitar with Jewel, Santana, The Killers or Pat Metheny" well, what's really stopping you? the only thing that i see is a little bit lacking imagination towards the possibilities and maybe a low push for personal and professional networking. I'm sure Jewel's Mother's neiece knows Jewel, VERY WELL. And i'll rest that point a bit. heheh. ;)

The main, "Take It To The Bank" point is that things are possible. Just like it's possible to take however many notes are humanly possible for the ear to hear, and then taking silence and creating a beautiful hard hitting masterpiece that a radiostation is begging you to allow them to have some airplay!!!

LOVE YOU GUYS and KEEP on KEEPIN' on!

Video Lessons

Check out my Youtube account for mini teaser lessons! Subscribe to my channel and check back often...I put up new stuff all the time! If you have any questions about what I teach, feel free to email me - troyinlasvegas@gmail.com!!

Guitars = Money + fact + True Story

QUESTION: if money wasn't an issue, what guitar would you buy?

ME: a Rainsong Black Ice (then I'd paint it all white!)




You know, money really isn't the issue. i think sometimes, we have to get to a certain point in the love we feel for music and playing our instruments before we can blow a thousand bucks on a piece of wood. Because, ultimately - that's what it comes down to until the perceived value of that guitar goes up.

AKA, you've gotta make it past the learning curve on any instrument to get to a place where you can save for anything over $300.00!

Also, you've got to see the magic and blessings associated with your cultivated gift to understand the value that the guitar will be at - when it blesses other's lives. Especially your family and friends.

How amazing would it be to play at a party that one of your friends is having, get 2 hours worth of cover songs, gently insert some original songs of yours in each setlist, and finally - to express yourself in the way you perform them?

OBVIOUSLY you've thought about how cool it would be to play one of your favorite songs, but did you know that about 7/10 times, someone else has already done the hardest part of the song-covering process?

go to www.ultimate-guitar.com & search for your top TEN absolute favorite songs, then email me here for more help on making those songs, pages in your cover song binder!!!: troyinlasvegas@gmail.com

To Collaborate or NOT to collaborate...that's a Darn Good Question

One fact that is immensely true is that, YOU are the only person who can translate the music inside your head, to a CD through writing it out, TAB-ing it, or scribbling down the chord diagrams.

 It's up to you! Nobody can act on behalf of your musical voice and presence. You are you.

These affirmational statistics about the real creating power you hold are innately a part of you as a human-being. Even if you don't play an instrument yet - there is music living inside of you.

Ultimately, I know this because of my personal and positive musical attributes: healthy Beliefs, strong moral Values, personal Identity and personally created Reality have been helped by one book in particular, "Zen Guitar" by Philip Toshio Sudo. Check his book out and have fun with the lessons because it's one of those lifetime books! Inside it covers the reasoning behind the authors purpose for writing it. Philip says, "In the Zen Guitar Dojo, we're not so much concerned with the how of guitar-playing as we are the why". So this is the key focus for your efforts as a new guitarist. A popular Zen phrase says, from one principle learned, you'll be able to learn a thousand. That's the same with guitar; as you get better at guitar, you'll be learning how to sing as an accompaniment.

Check out my link to the left on discovering the "why" of guitar-playing. In my opinion, it's a really fun and interesting read that every guitarist should experience. To me, books really engage YOUR specific brain. There aren't any "cliff notes" for the gifts you'll receive by "taking your brain by the hand" and helping it "try on" these ideas and ways of thinking about guitar playing & music writing.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, VISIT: www.zenguitar.com

Buying Used Guitars

Alright! You've decided to buy a used guitar. Sweet.

There are a lot of used guitars out there in Las Vegas & even if you're not from Nevada, there are usually at least a dozen guitars in each pawn shop in your city. For the most part, these guitars aren't in the best condition & the prices are somewhat marked up. Yep, pawn shops are trying to make their money too! They're almost as sneaky as a used car salesperson.

So! If you're looking for something to help you get past the "learning curve", take a friend that definitely knows how to pick out a quality guitar - that way you don't end up with a totally crappy hunk of wood. It might "look" good (i.e. the paint job or design) but it's what's inside and how well it's been maintained over the years/since it was first made that counts.

Usually, the strings on these used pawn shop guitars are beyond dead - meaning...you can't even tune the strings to see if the guitar itself is worth the money they're asking. So it's a really tough battle to find a "keeper". The old saying that, "it's like trying to find a needle in a haystack..." - i can somewhat be applied here.

Your best option would be to buy from a small or large music store. One that has consignments or "used gear". If they don't have it advertised, try getting to know the owners or the people who make the calls & decisions like that. It's vital to form a good solid relationship with musicians in your community. that's how "success" is "found". From here, you can let them know what you're looking for so they can keep an eye out for your new, errr....used guitar. heheh. ;)

Ultimately, it comes down to caring. If you care about the people you interact with, genuinely want them to success as much or more than you - it can only help you in the world of music. Whether you want to just learn cover songs for yourself & family - or, you want to get "Oprah Rich", no one has ever gotten anywhere of worth by cutting corners. There has to be value in whatever you're doing or buying. And if it's not worth it, it's just NOT worth it. Trust me.

About 2 weeks ago i found Washburn acoustic guitar at the Summerlin Guitar Center. It was marked $99, no joke. I put it on layaway & was puzzled why it was so inexpensive. Well, after getting it home & getting new D' Addarrio strings put on it, i found out that the bolt on the 4th string's tuning peg was stripped and wouldn't tighten against the headstock of the guitar. Also, the holes on the bridge looked like they had been super-glued to keep the string pegs from slipping out. CRAZY.

So you see, even what seemed like a great used gear deal - was in fact, not as great of a "score" as i had thought. I'll probably have to invest in some new tuning keys/machineheads for the acoustic but i really like the tone of the guitar & it has a "root beer" color to it! All in all, not to bad of a find. It's just really easy to get stuck with a crappy guitar. The better route would be to save up for at least a $3-600 acoustic electric guitar or try a fully electric guitar for around $125-200.

The main point that has to be understood is that - buying a guitar, is an investment. It's kind of like buying a Harley Davidson motorcycle - they only APPRECIATE in value over the years. And when it comes down to it, when you meet the right guitar for you... YOU'LL KNOW IT.