The Whole Musician Workshop: Podcasts

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Where does great music come from and why are some artists quite good while others are undeniably great?

When I think of some of the great musicians of our time, Ray Charles often comes to mind. I remember listening to Brother Ray being interviewed on the radio when I was a kid, probably around the age of eleven. He said "I never wanted to be famous, I just wanted to be great."

To be honest, I didn't really know what he meant, but I started saying it myself just for fun and to test out how my parents, friends, and relatives might react..."I don't want to be famous, I just want to be great..."

A few decades later, I have found myself wondering...what is greatness and how does one move from being good (in whatever their chosen field) to being truly great? How do you leave behind what is familiar and step into what is fantastic?

If beauty is in the eye of the beholder, then an artist's greatness must ultimately be in the ears of their audience. Conversely, to recognize greatness in another is to awaken it in yourself.

So what does being great mean to you? What does it sound like? Look like? Feel like? How might attaining greatness in one area of your life influence all of the others?

Listen to this SOS episode as JP explores musical, personal, and professional greatness and outlines three ways to cultivate the extraordinary in your own process:

1. Play to your strengths
2. Get specific in everything you do, and
3. Clarify the purpose behind every decision