I realized that on October 2, I forgot to write an article and submit it for the FANTASTIC October issue (and I hope that you’ve all read the articles and gotten some new tips, tricks, inspiration, etc..). I figured an explanation was in order as to my absence, and it’s the day job. As of July 1, I stepped into the job of Asst Manager of Marketing and Social Media at GHS Strings and Rocktron.

Aside from giggling at the opportunity I’m afforded every day by talking gear with fellow musicians, making demos of strings, and representing GHS on forums, it really was a long term plan that was set in motion by taking a chance. And I bring this up in an effort for anyone reading to realize that every little action WILL have benefits/consequences, and it’s how we handle those that will set the next step in motion.

When I say this started a long time ago, I mean a LONG time. Prior to writing for BMM, I would talk and share my experience and knowledge on many a forum and even a BBS back in the day (and I’m probably dating myself then). When the “Age of the Blogger” came about, I jumped on the bandwagon, figuring that if I could share my knowledge on forums, writing it and keeping it for posterity on a blog would be easier. It wasn’t. Writing for a blog takes a considerable amount of time and planning to find current & relevant subject matter, let alone write it in a way to keep it fun and engaging. Because while I enjoy reading a very techie article about string tension (and as an aside, I’ve spent three months working on GHS’ bass string tension charts), it doesn’t make for good casual reading.

Believe it or not, but people read my blog posts, commented on occasion and even shared it online through various social media channels. And when I saw a chance to send in an article for consideration on a very cool bass-centric online magazine, I figured this was a natural progression from my regular blogging and took that chance. But it didn’t stop there.

While reading about music gear is cool, watching a YouTube video about the same piece of gear is even better. The problem that I ran into multiple times was that the demos I was watching were lacking; bad audio, bad video, the demo focusing more on the player than the gear, etc.. It was another issue that I thought I could easily remedy, because I had ideas and a video camera. Again, it took a lot of trial and error, listening to people giving constructive and destructive criticism on forums, adapting and evolving. However, 2013 gave me some tremendous opportunities to provide video content for the likes of Dr. Scientist, Pigtronix, and Creation Audio.

Fast forward to March of 2013; I’m sitting in a Mexican restaurant with Chris, the Artist Rep at GHS Strings and a taco connoisseur. While talking about work and how things were going, he mentioned they were looking for a new social media guy. I jumped at it for a number of reasons, but the driving force was “I do the Twitter with my personal account, so how hard can it be?” An interview and a couple phone conversations later, and here we are.

So, what’s the underlying theme? Taking that chance. Figuring that since it can’t be that hard from what you’re already doing, giving it a shot is something anyone can do. This entire journey was not without its bumps and bruises (and trust me, the first time you deal with an angry customer online is a biiiiiig bump), but the rewards far outweigh anything else. I encourage you, whether it’s in your musical endeavors or in any aspect of your life, when there comes an opportunity that you’re not sure of, take that chance and ask yourself “How hard can it be?”

And then figure out how to make it happen.