Managing Expectations

Last week I was hired by a band to record a demo for them. I spoke with them so that I knew what their goals were, and I communicated what my fees would be for the service of recording them. Their initial goals were that they wanted to record 5 songs to aid in the search of a singer for their group. I inquired about the bands sound, how many people were playing, and what instrumentation was involved. After receiving the answers to these questions, I decided what the best way to capture the music would be.

I arrived at the bands practice space with recording gear in hand, and the recording session went fine. They did lean a little on the long side and it took them about 5 hours to record five songs. In between songs, I let them listen to what had been captured and the overall response was quite positive. The recording session was complete at 1am and I headed home to get some sleep while they went out on the town to celebrate.

The next day I started to receive pressuring phone calls asking when a mix would be available. I looked at my schedule and decided that I would have time to have a rough mix by the following Tuesday evening. I made sure to tell them that the process would be that I supply them with a mix, and they should then give me notes on what their thoughts were about the songs.

I rushed through the first set of mixes and I borrowed heavily from track to track. Usually, I treat each song as its own, but in this case there was no time to approach the project in that manner. Overall, I spent 5 hours coming up with the first draft of mixes which means that I like the band was averaging one song per hour.

I was able to deliver on my original deadline and handed off three disks for the band to listen to on Tuesday evening. I told them that they were a little bass heavy and their original response was that they understood that they were just a rough draft. At this point I thought that they were happy with the way that it sounded. I was only able to get the response from the band member who I gave the mixes to. I sat down and listened to each song with him and I was able to get his initial reaction as to how everything sounded from his stereo. He walked me out to my car and heard more of the songs from my car stereo where he replied that it sounded great in the car.

I started to worry a little when he mentioned that he knew that the guitar player wanted to re-record some of his guitar parts. In an effort to not get worried, I told him that the band should listen together and make decisions on what specific things were good and what needed to be changed.

My phone rang 3 or 4 hours later and it was my friend giving me the bad news. The guitar player wanted me to record all of his guitar tracks again. When I asked the reason the response was that he didn't sound the way he is used to sounding. I assumed this was a volume or mix issue. I knew that I had compressed the guitars more than I wanted to, and they weren't the focus of the mixes. The musician uses a large number of effects when he plays, and his set up included a full pedal board and a multiprocessor. Without having a master volume or a compressor to control all of these effects, there was a significant level change when distortions were cycled through or when simply changing between different effects. I hadn't had the chance to use automation in the mix, and therefore I leveled out the guitars with compression.

The drummer had supplied the following feedback for the session..."I want to tweak the drum sound some." As you can no doubt tell, these guys are quite articulate. When I asked more questions about that situation I got no response.

I do realize that the topic of this post is managing expectations. I also realize that at this point you are probably wondering where I am going with this. Here it is. How would you have handled the situation differently? I know that one thing I would have done is make sure that I have the contact info. for all members so that I could talk to them directly instead of through one individual. What else would you change?

I Wanna Do Over!

Lately I have heard from a number of friends who wish that they had the chance to relive a moment and make a different decision. It seems that it is very typical for most of us to wish at some point that we can have a do over. The concept makes me think of the Choose Your Own Adventure books that I was such a huge fan of when I was young.

Just in case someone is unfamiliar with the concept, the books would follow a story line that required you to make decisions while reading. Depending on your decision, the book would prompt you to go to a specific page in the book. The outcome could be anything from fortune to sudden death. As a child, I learned quickly that the best way to read these books was to keep my finger where I was before I made the decision. Reading in this manner meant that I could then decide if I liked the outcome and either continue or return to a part of the story before the incorrect decision was made. As time passed and the books seemingly became more complicated, I would have to keep my fingers in a few places in the books to ensure that I didn’t have to start over at the beginning of the book. Laziness is the only answer I can come up with to the question as to why I didn’t just use bookmarks.

It seems that many of us wish that we could have this same power in our lives. Whenever I am tempted by this fantasy, I always remind myself that even if I could go back, I wouldn’t have any more knowledge than I do now on my current path. More importantly, there is no guarantee that I would be any better off. In fact, it is quite reasonable to assume that I would be worse off given the opportunity to explore the other decision. It is our mistakes that make us grow, and it is our actions and experiences that have made us who we are today. A wish to change is a wish to be a different person. Just remember that the clock keeps ticking forward and that tomorrow always delivers on the promise of a new day.

Hogan's Heroes

I have been watching Hogan's Heroes for a long time. When I was a child I would watch the show when I was home sick. It has forever been imprinted in my mind that Hogan's Heroes is what you watch when you deserve a break. On that note, I have never watched the conclusion of the series. To tell the truth I have been scared to. When you have been watching a television show for a long time, it can be hard to finish it. I have owned the final season of the show on dvd for a few years.

I have literally been watching this show off and on for 20 years now. When I was in high school, my girlfriend would set her vcr so that it would record HH episodes when they played during the day. Once she had filled a cassette, she would give me the cassette filled with episodes.

Today I finally set down and watched the final disc of the final season of the series. Needless to say, I had built this up in my mind for some time. I was really excited and even a little nervous as the episodes came and went. Before I knew it, I was ready to watch the last episode. I considered procrastinating until another day, but eventually I decided to watch it and get it over with.

I won't spoil it for those of you who have watched this show, but some of you have probably watched the final episode without even knowing it. There was no conclusion. It was just like any other episode of the show. I haven't researched it because I didn't want to ruin the surprise, but I am quesioning as to whether they knew it was the end of the show.

There is a lesson to be learned here. Delaying happiness can increase the intensity of emotion, but you better be prepared for disappointment just in case. I think that this applies to all areas of life and not just entertainment. If you have something that makes you happy, do it. Don't wait until it is too late to follow your dreams.

Fun With Razors

After I returned from the Goat Cave Preserve, I decided it was time to shave my beard. I had interviews coming up and I thought that shaving might work in my favor. I also thought that it might be fun to play with the razor. Here is the before picture.



Here is my Spinal Tap facial hair.



Here is my used car salesman look..."Trust Me!"


I miss my beard. The best part is that my interview on Monday was total crap and a waste of my time. Such is Life...

Goat Cave Preserve

While driving in South Austin this weekend, I stumbled upon a sign that was just too intriguing to ignore. The sign said Goat Cave Preserve. At first I thought that I must have read it wrong because my mind said that there is no instance in which those three words should ever be used together. I was in an exploring spirit, so I parked the car to see what I could find. The sign explained that there was a collection of sink-holes and caves i this area of Austin. Off I went to see these wonders.



Once I got to the cave, I was greeted with a sign that explained that while there were once 30,000 bats living in this cave, they had left and not returned. There is a fence surrounding Goat Cave that keeps you from getting too close. They posted a phone number that you can call for more information. I called it, and have not received more information about why the City of Austin has paid money to create a preserve for a cave that you are not allowed to visit... Such is Life. It was a fun adventure and although it was a little anti-climatic it was a fun time.

Your Message Lacks Sincerity

For the past few months a number of companies have tried to get on the social media bandwagon. There have been scandals like the Domino's pizza scandal and many missteps along the way. One of the most important tools that you can have in Social Media is your personality. If you are insincere, it will come across in your message. People can tell if you are truly passionate about your subject matter.

Keeping the importance of online personality in mind, many companies choose to use a PR firm to manage their Social Media presence. For many, this is a bad idea. It is always best to have someone who knows and understands your products writing and responding to your followers. Along the same line of thought, some companies have decided that an Intern is the solution to this Social Media Craze. Unless you are including the Intern in your organization, this will not translate well. There is no incentive for the Intern to manage your information and their lack of initiative will translate into poor posts.

Each account should have one person who posts. If there are multiple people sharing the same Twitter handle, they need to have different signatures. Otherwise, there can be confusion resulting from multiple personalities being expressed from the same account. A good example of how to do this is @GuyKawasaki. His ghost writers are AC and LF. They simply post these initials at the end of the tweet so that you know who wrote it. Another successful attempt at differentiation that I have seen is a local company called DO512.com. On their twitter each employee has a separate accounts. An example of this is @Do512_Kristin

Finally I would suggest that you avoid the programs that allow you to automatically follow those who mention your brand. First off, it's just creepy that when you mention a company like OLPC that you are being followed the next day. More importantly is the fact that you cannot pay attention to all of the posts that would result from following so many people. To make your presence on Twitter more successful, you should only follow those people who are posting information relevant to you. Use tools like search.twitter.com to search for what people are saying about you instead of following them all.

Delayed Message with Social Media

One of the common reasons that cause companies to fail with social media is the delay in message delivery. Twitter thrives on immediacy. If your organization requires approval from legal for each message that you deliver, you will not be effective with social media tools like Twitter. If you cannot deliver your message in a timely manner, don't bother entering the realm of social media. If you insist on using Twitter and other social media tools unsuccessfully, you will be placing your brand at risk. It would be better to avoid the space altogether than to have a mediocre presence.

Twitter was designed to allow people to communicate freely and to aid in disseminating messages quickly and easily. If you are protecting your updates, you are limiting the ability of your message. It is possible to succeed while protecting your updates, but be sure that you have a strong brand that people want to receive information from before you use this approach. For the majority of companies, protect your updates could easily be the kiss of death. If it is not easy to receive your message, most people will not be willing to listen.

Many people have approached Twitter as a one-way conversation. While this can be successful for some organizations, the majority will find it necessary to follow at least some of their followers. The organizations that can thrive without following others are typically short lived relationships like concerts and festivals. These accounts are only interested in building buzz for a short period of time. If your goal is to use Twitter to communicate with your customers, you must respond to your followers. One easy way to track what others say about you is to create an RSS feed based on search terms. For those of you who are unfamiliar with this concept click here. One of the best ways to build brand loyalty is to respond to your followers when they talk about you. Be supportive and always thank them for retweeting your message.

Back in ATX

Sometimes it all just falls into place. A friend got me on the list to go see Animal Collective upon my return to Austin. During the show I was offered my first VIP pass to Stubb's. I had secretly been hoping that I would be able to get on the deck for the show, but was unwilling to ask for the pass when I had already asked to get into a sold out show. While on the deck, I realized that I had been taking too many pictures from my phone and the battery was about to die. I was able to send out a few last text messages updating the poeple that I knew who were in attendance at the show, and those that I thought would be downtown to set up a meeting after the show at Creekside. At first I was worried about being downtown without a mobile. It's funny how attached we get to these things. The anxiety quickly passed as I was able to receive confirmation from my friends that we would all meet up at Creekside later in the evening. The show was amazing, and being able to enjoy the view from the VIP deck made it even better.

After making it to Creekside, I ran into other groups of friends that I hadn't seen in a while. These included ex-girlfirends and their groups of friends, and old friends that I have been neglecting while in graduate school. A good time was had by all, and I got to experience one of those rare instances when a number of your worlds collide and everything works out just fine. The only moment of anxiety left was that my friend had still not arrived. She was working at Stubb's and so I didn't expect her to get out immediately, but I did start to feel concern as the hours passed. My friends had left the bar, I had no phone (that was functional, anyway), and I decided to walk the bar one more time before closing out my tab. As I closed out, the bartender handed me my card and told me to have a great evening, no charge. I turned around and my friend had just found me and was ready for her ride home. You really can't ask for a more perfect evening. I didn't spend any money and I enjoyed a concert complete with VIP treatment and a free bar tab. Sometimes it all just falls into place.

Last night in NOLA

To celebrate my last evening in New Orleans Maki, Court and I went to a restaurant called Wolfe's to enjoy some excellent cocktails and food. Earlier in the week Maki and I met the bartender for this establishment and after we started asking around it was highly recommended by those who were aware of it. Scotty, the bartender started off the evening by making what he referred to as a redemption cocktail. This was a martini glass full of chartreuse that was then coocked down and I have no idea what was added after that. The final ingredient was white pepper. The presentation was excellent, which you can see from the photo. That is Amber our waitress in the background.


As you can see, at this point the drink is still being prepared and the Chartreuse is burning off. Here is the finished product.

Anyway, it was a perfect end to an almost perfect week. We enjoyed some of the best drinks in the city and we followed them up with some excellent food. I would recommend anyone who visits or lives in NOLA to go visit Wolfe's. It appears to be a relatively unkown gem in the heart of the city. In typical New Orleans fashion, I went out with a bang. After dinner, we went to the Maple Leaf and watched Rebirth Brass Band do their thing. What a long strange trip it was. It was an amazing time.

Finally the rains came

A storm has arrived and the rains are purifying the city. I can feel my sins be washed down into the sewers, joining the ever present stench of blood, urine, and vomit down on bourbon street. I just enjoyed a barqs root beer from the bottle accompanied by the best oyster poboy I have ever eaten (pics at the bottom). Domilise's is a must the next time I come! Now the only question is whether or not to go see Rebirth Brass Band tonight.

Roadfood.com Review

Sunday Night Special

Sunday, in celebration of this freakshow that has been my life for the past week, we went to one-eyed jack's to see a local band called Bingo! For those of you who have never been to oej it has the vibe of a converted movie theatre and always reminds me of the Ritz in Austin, before it was returned to its original status as movie theatre. The evening began with a tour through the French Quarter that was called the Haunted History Tour. A good time was had by all, mainly because of the vibrant and at times ridiculous history of this city. Of course, the fact that we were allowed to bring drinks didn't hurt one bit. The tour guide was even kind enough to allow us a pit-stop during the tour so that I could refill my empty glass with another excellent gin and tonic. As the tour came to a close and the laughs faded into the recesses of the memory, we made our way to the Bingo! show.

After a few days of over-consumption in New Orleans, it is commonplace to forget the things that others take for granted. Th

ese tasks can range from the mundane to the complete boring necessities of life. On this particular evening it wasn't showering or changing clothes that fell through the cracks, it was this tradition that most of us enjoyingly refer to as dinner. With stomachs that were filled with booze and little else, we marched into the converted movie theatre with little knowledge as to what lay ahead. Our host had merely described the band as a freak show that reminded him of a circus from hell.

Upon entering, we continued to imbibe with a thirst that could rival any other. The gin flew off of the shelf and into our depraved bodies. After paying the cover charge we were allowed into the second chamber where the festivities were about to take place. The band took the stage, some dressed as barkers, and others like some demented clowns bent on some sort of dark mission. The band raged through the night offering their own special entertainment. There was an intermission in which the audience is invited to play bingo and watch strange movies on the screen. Who knows what the winner receives from this group of misfits. All that I can report is that the remaining freaks in attendance are rewarded with one of the greatest shows I have ever witnessed. My thoughts drifted to the memory that our host had imparted. Last year these guys played a show opening up for the Butthole Surfers. That must have been some combination. I would be surprised if anyone left with their sanity intact.

Throughout the evening, I was blessed with many truly great surprises. I ran into old friends that I didn't know were back in the city. Christy, an old acquaintance, had

last been seen 6 years ago in this same venue celebrating her birthday. During the show I turned around and there she was, looking exactly the same as she did then. Once I overcame the shock and decided that she was not an apparition, we exchanged numbers and decided to meet up after the show. We danced, we laughed and we sang the night away. Somehow after the show we made new friends, tested the effectiveness of child locks on and adult male, and won money at the casino. It was a truly great evening.

Surprise

Somehow, there has been a break in the pace. Inertia had not taken the hold that I originally considered. Today has been absolutely dry. After dropping of JC at the airport, Maki and I picked up some food and returned to the house. It was the beginning of a day long hermitage. Our food was devoured immediately. The consumption was of the ferocity that can only exist in the world of a drunkard. Until then I had not realized that the intoxication had not passed in the night. Still reeling from the alcohol, sandwiches and chips disappeared at a rapid rate. There was no consideration for the food, and there was no thought. Only desire existed, and it was focused on nourishment. After the food was attacked and there was little evidence of a meal remaining, the TV was introduced into my consciousness. Soon afterwards I returned to the reality that can only be experienced in sleep.

While sleeping a fever took over my body. I awoke many times to dreams of being lost in the desert. My body hot and my tongue swollen. Today was like being in a tomb. There is a city of the dead backing up to the property in which I have enjoyed residence for the last week. I felt as if I was in one of those final resting places. My body being cooked under the New Orleans sun. They will come back to find me in one year and one day and all that will be left is the ashes and the memories of others. Night has arrived and the fight with insomnia has begun. The burning heat replaced with the thick evening air of the dirty south.

Unbelievable

The fact that we have made it this far without police intervention is unfathomable. Every night we push the limits harder and harder. So far there has been no pushback so it's obvious that when it comes, the trouble will be of epic proportions. Life has become a confusing fog mixed with an alcoholic bliss. There is no turning back at this point. We better push forward and see what the universe offers us next. JC has been successfully delivered to the airport in a haze of fuzzy tongues and deep horse voices congratulating him on reaching the end of this adventure. Where is this all going? Only time will tell.