I finally completed my list of New Year's Resolutions for 2024. Last week, I gave you a sneak peek at Item #1. In this episode, I'll bring you Item #2, which is in the form of a confession. Why the confession? Maybe because it's good for the soul.
I'm Ken Boone and this is my Podcast, “MUCH MORE TO SAY” This is my 49th episode of the year. We've already crushed the previous record of 36 episodes set in 2022, and we still have one more to go for this year. I'm hoping to publish another 50 episodes in 2024. And I'm hoping to use my list of resolutions to drive the creative process. As I mentioned several times, the list of resolutions for 2024 will only be three items long, so I need to be efficient. Although I shared them with you last episode, I only elaborated on Item #1. Today, I'll dive deeper into Item #2. But as just a reminder, here are my three New Year's Resolutions for 2024:
In my introduction to this episode, I told you that I needed to make a confession. For those who've known me for a while, and can see through the façade, it should come as no surprise. But I still feel the need to get it off my chest. Keeping it to myself has stifled my creativity more than anything else. Since I was in my teens, I considered myself a musician who was a better than average pianist. My specialty was Gospel music, but I could fake it at playing several different genres. But the truth is that I was only half correct in my claim. While I am a better than average musician, when it comes to playing piano, I can barely play my way out of a paper bag. And the truth is that every time I sat down at the piano, I was faking it. How do I know that? By counting the number of times, I bombed on stage. My musicianship prevented most of those flops from being noticed by members of the audience. But I knew, and it drove me crazy. That's because I thought I was stuck in a place where the only way to be involved with music was to be on stage. Success behind the scenes didn't seem like a viable option. It wasn't until I was almost 50 years old, when I met my friend Pete, that I realized that it was possible to fit this square peg into a square hole. He taught me that a person's ears are musical instruments, and that he used his ears, as well as his business acumen, to earn a very good living in an industry that he loves. Although he taught me that lesson around 15 years ago, I resisted putting it into practice until recently. In fact, as recently as this year, I included the playing of musical instrument on my list of resolutions. Of course, I failed promptly and in spectacular fashion. It wasn't until a few months ago when I noticed increased social media activity from “The Philly 3”, that I found my new voice. These gifted jazz musicians are now reaping the rewards for their generosity during the COVID pandemic. Vocalist Maci Miller released her latest album titled “Nine” to glowing reviews. She's maintaining a busy schedule of live performance dates in the Greater Philadelphia area and beyond. Guitarist Larry Tamanini was a featured artist at the prestigious Rocky Mountain Archtop Festival in Colorado. He's also gigging heavily, as well as enjoying a growing number of listeners and subscribers to his YouTube channel. And I'm probably proudest of my brother Mike, on the release of his amazing album titled “Enjoying the View”, which takes me back to the music we grew up absorbing in our childhood neighborhood of East Harlem in New York City. The old Ken would have been a little envious of their accomplishments, without taking into consideration all the hard work, along with God-given talent, needed to bring their music to life. I probably would have tried to duplicate what they are doing, with disastrous results. The new, saner version of Ken celebrates their accomplishments. He also knows what his true talents are and is willing to use this platform to amplify the great works of others. This Ken knows that he doesn't have to bring others down to lift himself up. Parting Shots For 2024, I hope to find other people out there in need of someone to trumpet their praises. And it doesn't have to been in music, but that's the area I can speak to with the greatest level of comfort. There you have it. Resolution Number 2 for 2024 is now stated and set in stone. Next week, I'll publish a year-end podcast episode on Wednesday, December 27th, followed by a year-end blog post on Friday, December 29th. We're nearly at the end of another productive year. I'd like to express to you my heartfelt gratitude for all your support this year. Every time you listen, like, and share one of my episodes, you’re advocating for me. Now, I have a favor to ask of you. Please keep doing that so I can continue to advocate for you! Today's Quote “I alone cannot change the world, but I can cast a stone across the waters to create many ripples.” - Mother Teresa
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About the HostKenneth E. Boone, Sr. is a writer, podcaster, music lover, sports enthusiast, and retired accountant. Archives
April 2024
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