Education Backwards...

Thanks to social networking sites, I've recently reconnected with classmates that I haven't see or heard from in years!!! As we reminisced about "simpler times," I couldn't help but think about our backwards education system. How come you work so hard to do well in school, only to find yourself in debt when you get out??? How come so many people don't work in the field they have a degree in??? Whats wrong with this picture???

!st - From elementary to high school, I was taught to do my work, and not to disrupt the other students. If I had a question, ask the teacher....if I asked one of my classmates, especially during test time, it was considered CHEATING!!! Then as I got older, everything was about TEAM building. We'd have workshops where we'd break into SMALL GROUPS to complete the task at hand. Working together in the professional world wasn't considered cheating, it was encouraged!!! BACKWARDS

2nd - After grade school, I was encouraged to go to college. At a university, you pay anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 a year to get a degree that validates your skill level. Now understand, college freshman are a PRIMARY target for credit card companies, not to metion department store charge cards are especially attractive to students!!! So let's say you weren't the best student in school, but you open up a credit line (and a charge card) anywhere between $250 to $500. You pay the minimum balance on each your cards for the next 4 years you are in school, and you come out with a decent credit score somewhere in the 600s. You shouldn't have a problem getting an apartment or a car after school, you just have to worry about the next 3 to 6 years it might take you to pay off your $40,ooo to $120,000 in student loans. However, you're in better shape than your STAR classmate who got a scholarship, but never opened any credit lines...they'll have trouble finding an apartment and/or purchasing a car without a co-signer, because they don't have a history of credit...BACKWARDS

3rd - At minimum, we spend 12 years taking core classes in grade school (English, Science, Math, etc), but spend very little time building financial intelligence. A high school senior can do Algebra & Calculus, but does he/she know the difference between a W-2 and a W-9??? If they aspire to be a entrepreneur, do they know the difference between a S Corp, a C Corp, & a LLC. They study hard to get a good paying job, but do they know that this country operates on currency & not money??? That our currency IS NOT backed up by gold & sliver, so the value of a US dollar is less than $0.70??? Think about it, your prepared to get job, but if our banking system goes haywire one day, instead of money, you'll receive an I.O.U!!! How come students aren't prepared for this when they walk across that stage and get their diploma??? Say it with me this time....BACKWARDS

Sadly, non of this will change anytime soon, but the good news we live in the Information Age. Our forefathers died trying to get this kind of information, in an effort to create a better future for all of us!!! So in their honor, lets not take it for granted. Turn the TV off every now and then, and increase your own financial IQ. As u talk to your kids about safe sex and good grades, talk to them about IRA's, taxes, and retirement plans. Theres an old saying "If u wanna hide something from someone, put it in a book and place it the library where they can get it for free!!!" BACKWARDS

Get Started...

I remember someone asking me..."Are u a finisher or a starter??" Honestly, at that time, I was neither!!! I was working ALl THE TIME. From gigs to church, then back to the studio, I was running like crazy, making money, but getting NOTHING done!!! Yes, I was able to pay bills, & and provide for my new born son, but STILL had nothing tangible to show for all my hard work. I moved to ATL to become a recording artist, but I was surrounded around people who constantly said "not now" or "your not ready yet." From an industry perspective, the neo-soul movement hadn't happened yet, so there wasn't a viable market for what I do. Then from a personal perspective, I didn't have any extra money to play with, so how would I pay singers & musicians??? Book the studio??? Etc...

Then I began reading the Rich Dad, Poor Dad series, and Robert Kiyosaki told the Bill Gates story in a way I'd never heard it before. Microsoft puts out updates ALL THE TIME, but he didn't wait until it was PERFECT to release Windows into the marketplace!!! He's constantly perfecting his product EVERY year, and making money in the process (so much for my lack of capital excuse). My perspective started to change. I started booking sessions, calling musicians, and EVEN found a production partner. Once I got started, I ran into some bumps in the road. I quit the church I was working at & the club I'd played in every weekend for the last TWO years had closed. I felt kinda stupid actually, but it didn't stop me!!! I kept writing songs, singing horn arrangements into my phone, and recording demos. I found a NEW church job that had offered me a salary including benefits. In addition to the club hits, I was getting from production calls from artists, & every extra dime I had went into paying for SOMETHING for this project, because "quality" was my main concern...

Long story short, that new born I had is now 7 years old, and my EP is JUST coming out!!! So...whatever that idea or goal is that you've been putting off for WHATEVER reason, stop what your doing, and Get Started!!! Silence every "I don't have...," & every "I'll just wait until..." and motivate yourself to dedicate AT LEAST 5 min out of every day for your destiny. If that seems unreasonable or too difficult, then I'm sad to say, you're not really serious about what u wanna do. Personally, I feel like I haven't scratched the surface of my dream, but I'm proud to say I've graduated to becoming a starter, striving to be a finisher...

When Tragedy Becomes Reality...

It's been a tough last few days for the Mo'nique cast & crew, as we mourn the tragic loss of our co-worker Maureen Allaben. i remember she told me once..."You really look like you're having good time behind that keyboard!!!" Tho I didn't know what may have been going on with her behind closed doors, it's good to know that my energy shined a light within her while she was here with us...

That got me thinking...we're always promoting self motivation, self esteem, and the belief that if you change your mind, you can change their reality...but what about people whose reality has already turned into tragedy?? What about the kids who've never left their neighborhood, or never even seen a highway, and no one's there to tell them there's a WHOLE WORLD OUT THERE beyond their block??? Or the wife beaten every time she steps foot in a church??? People have lost they're jobs, homes, children, etc...and I believe we have to have more to offer them than "hang in there" or "if u can see your life differently, it will become different!!" Don't get me wrong, hope is NECESSARY, but even tho hope in itself may keep u from sticking a needle in your arm or pulling the trigger, people STILL wanna feel like they're not in in by themselves!!!

So whats the solution??? At some point, our conversation has to move from self esteem & self motivation, to us becoming a COMMUNITY again!!! Dr. Martin Luther King once spoke of his dream of hope, but it takes a community to continue to carry out his vision. In this world WE ALL have a small piece of a HUGE pie, but it's gonna take us working together to make it happen!!! We must connect again despite our generational differences!!! We must be concerned about other peoples children and not just our own!!! Smile at people, say thank you the next time someone holds the door for you. Remember your waiter's name when you go to a restaurant, and give them a GOOD tip!!! Don't wait till the teacher has to call your house, go meet them, and offer your support while NOTHING is wrong. Offer to go to the next AA meeting with your close friend. Even if they say no out of shame, the fact that you offered shows that you care!!!

Bottom line, our time on earth is short, and you'd be surprise how a random act of kindness may shine a light in a VERY dark place in someone else's life....RIP Maureen

How do I get in the music business???

Hello everyone...I've finally decided to start blogging as a way to share my thoughts with u, & respond to some commonly asked questions!!! Be sure to subscribe, as I will be posting my blogs on a weekly basis...

So people always DM me on facebook & twitter about getting into the music business. I always hear..."man, I see u doing your thing on Monique every night...how'd u get that gig??" or "You're ALWAYS on the road" or "How do I get my songs placed on other artists??" My answer is simple...if u wanna get into the music business, then GET INTO THE MUSIC BUSINESS!!! There's no formula to it...no right or wrong way...the current is constantly moving, but its up to YOU to jump in watert!!!

I've been "doing" music all my life, but I've been in the "music biz" since I was 11, cause that's when I started getting paid for it...lol. Then when I moved to Atlanta, I was played in church for $300 a week, gigged on the weekends for $100 a night, then went BACK to the studio (where I practically lived) writing songs (which, by the way, took me 2 years to get my 1st placement). But HERE's THE KEY, whether I was at the local jam session making $100, or playing behind a major artist making $1500.. or.whether I was working with an indie artist, or a major icon...I ALWAYS GAVE THE SAME ENERGY & ATTENTION TO EVERYTHING I DID, cuz I KNEW one gig ALWAYS leads to the next!!!

So what am I saying??? GET STARTED!!! Capitalize on EVERY opportunity!!! Network, find out when the local jam sessions & church musicals are, sign up with BMI or ASCAP, and go to the industry functions...WHATEVER IT TAKES!!! And most importantly, NEVER DOWNPLAY ANY OPPORTUNITY, cause u NEVER KNOW when that person that can get u to the next step is watching you from afar....