What If You're Just Not Good Enough?

It’s a question no one likes to face. But perhaps we all have at some point in our lives.

What if you’re just not good enough?

What I mean by that is, what if you simply don’t have the skills, the knowledge, the talent, or the acumen to do what it is that you are really passionate about?

To clarify, I’m not talking about those things that you feel God has “called” you to do. As far as I’m concerned, if God calls you to do something, you do it. Whether you’re terrible at it or not. That’s an obedience issue.

No, I’m talking about something different. I’m talking about that one thing that you’re passionate about. That one thing you want to do more than anything else in the world. (Yes, sometimes “calling” and “desire” intersect, and it's a beautiful thing when they do. But that's not what I'm referring to here.) What if you are simply not good enough to do what you love to do?

I wrestle with this question a lot. As most of you know, I’ve been passionate about making music for over 20 years now. I’ve recorded four albums in my life and a handful of singles. One could say I’m “successful” at music solely by the amount I’ve been able to create. But let’s be honest. I’m not topping any charts. No, let’s be even more honest. I’m not even ON any charts. Sometimes it seems I can't even give my music away. Does that mean I stink at it? I honestly don’t know. Maybe my music doesn’t sell because my friends don’t see me as a musician. Maybe they see it as my hobby and who wants to pour money into someone else’s hobby? Maybe I’m not on the radio airwaves because I don’t have the right “connections”, don’t grease the right palms or have a famous uncle to promote me. Or maybe, just maybe, it’s because I’m not as good at it as I’d like to think I am.

Maybe my passion and my talent aren’t equal.

What do you do then?

And how do you comfort someone who has a desire to do something with their life when they just don’t have it? You’ve known that person. You know the girl in church who thinks she can sing but she honestly can’t carry a tune in a bucket. Or the boss who loves being the boss but is a terrible people manager. The wannabe dancer with clumsy feet and no coordination. The young man who dreams of being a professional athlete but just doesn’t have the physicality. You know him. You know her. How do you encourage those people?

True, success is about more than being on charts, getting a hit single or a record deal. I know that. I'm not simply talking about worldly success, I'm talking about affirmation. I'm talking about the ability to do what you really love and make a life out of it. Not having to tuck it away to an occasional weekend because your "real job" has to pay the bills. I have a lot of musician friends in this same position, by the way. Those who would love to make a living at it but just haven't been able to.

Is it supposed to be enough to say you've "stayed true" to your passion regardless of your ability to make a living at it?

Let me be clear: I’m not writing this looking for people to respond and say, “Tim, you’re a great songwriter.” That’s not what I’m looking for here. I’ve already come to terms with the possibility that I may not be very good at this. And I’m okay with that. To some extent. But what I wrestle with is why the passion doesn’t subside when it becomes evident that the ability to fulfill it isn’t there.

Have you ever wrestled with this? Is there something you have always wanted to do or be but you just don’t have it? How do you deal with it?

One More Track

Hi gang!

Tonight, we will record the last track for the So Human album...a guitar track that my co-songwriter, good friend and amazing guitarist Brian will be laying down.

That means that, after this weekend, all that's left to do is mix the album! That will likely take a few weekends...into mid/late June. Once the album is mixed and mastered, it will have to be sent out for printing and duplication. That's another three weeks. So it's possible we could have the project in hand by the end of July!

:fingers crossed:

What Type of Song Are You?

Last night, as I was watching one of my favorite TV shows, Scrubs, one of the characters, JD, described himself by saying what type of song he is. He described himself as an 80's pop song. I think of myself more as a pop/rock song. A little edgy, but with a predictable hook...that keeps repeating itself. (Or in this case, who keeps making the same mistakes in life over and over again!) Maybe I'm like a Nickelback song. They're a pop band that sounds like a rock band. Ya know what I mean? They have a good rock sound, but if you analyze their songs, you realize they are more pop than anything else. I think I'm like that. I'm a rock song on the outside with pop on the inside. Ha! I tend to put up the front of a hard-nosed guy who would rather spend life alone than with a crowd, but inside I'm a bit of a softie who quite honestly wants to be accepted and needs interaction with other human beings from time to time. Wow. That was a lot more revealing than I cared to be. What type of song are you?

Music City

I'm in Nashville right now...at a broadcaster's conference. I get to come to Music City once or twice a year and I always enjoy it. There's something about the atmosphere...the energy. As you walk along the sidewalk down Broadway, you can hear a lively cocktail of blues, country, rock and jazz spilling out into the streets from the various night clubs and bars. It's a music lover's paradise. Obviously I love music. But many folks are suprised to hear that I like country music. Actually, I like just about every kind of music. In my opinion--a good song is a good song--whether it's rap, rock, pop, jazz, blues, opera...or yes, even country. So imagine how stoked I was today when I was invited to an event at the Grand Ole Opry House. There were about 200 of us who gathered to eat lunch on the stage...the actual stage where legends like Minnie Pearl, Little jimmy Dickens, Hank Williams and a whole slew of other superstars performed. I walked through the hallways and saw the old black and white photographs of artists who were the foundation of American country music. Photos of them singing into bulky old microphones, playing simple acoustic guitars and banjos...on the very same floor where I was now eating my Tuscan Grilled Chicken and mashed potatoes. How cool is that? Actually, most of those performers were part of the Grand Ole Opry back when it was in the Ryman Auditorium. But when the G.O.O. moved to the newer building in 1974 they took a section of the wooden floor from the Ryman stage and put it onto the new stage. So today's performers are standing on the same section of floor that artists like Loretta Lynn, George Jones and Roy Acuff all sang on. One thing I noticed about those old photos. There were a lot of older performers at that time. It seemed almost odd to see artists like Granpa Jones on stage. I remember when I turned 30. I was talking to a record label rep who told me I was "too old" for a label to take a chance on me. Too old at 30! But that's the business today, isn't it? So much of it centers around a "marketable face" over music. Back then, it was all about the music. Sure, there were marketable personalities, but they didn't get anywhere if they didn't have the songs. And my, what songs they were! Songs that meant something. Songs that told stories of heartbreak, love, addiction. There was something so pure about those old days of country music. And it was one of the highlights of my life to be there today. As a bonus...our group sang worship songs together. So now I can say I've sung on stage at the Grand Ole Opry! :) Ahhhhhh....I love Music City!

Album Update

I've been making quite a bit of progress on my album, So Human, lately. This has been the longest it's ever taken me to produce an album. August of 2005 was when we started the process. Whew! Of course a lot happened during that time--job changes, my drummer moving to Texas and oh yeah--having a baby!

Tonight, Gail Knoepfle, a background vocalist will be in the studio to cut her final tracks. Then, all that's left is:

• -Re-do some lead vocal parts on two songs.
• -Re-do a bass track on one song.
• -Bring in John Donovan to add a male background vocal on two songs.

Then we start mixing!

It's been a long process and I'm glad that we're getting this close. If you'd like to hear some "rough mixes" of some of the songs, (some with background vocals, some without), scroll down a bit and check out the music player on this page.

To find out more about the project, you can always check out my music website.

A Little Family Pride...

You know, usually when someone tells you they have a family member that's "really talented", you might think, "Yeah, yeah...whatever." Well, at the risk of falling into that category, I do want to tell you about my 15-year old neice, Shayne. I didn't even know was interested in music, but last week, she recorded her first song with a friend...and in my opinion, it's pretty good. She shows really good vocal technique and the hook is pretty strong. Good writing. I love good writing. I know it may sound silly, but I'd love it if you would at least listen to her song on myspace and leave her a comment. Trust me, it would go a long way for her. Check it out! Thank you so much!

Of Escalators and Roller Coasters

Typically, I love the old hymns. But there's one I just flat out don't agree with. It goes "Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before..." I find that to be a bunch of bull. You see, I think a lot of people get turned off to Christianity because that's the bill of goods they're often sold. Many well-meaning believers paint this picture of Christianity as an "escalator to God." We just keep moving up, in our spirituality, in our happiness, and each step is higher and more rewarding than the one before. When this doesn't happen for new believers, they get discouraged. They believe they've failed...or worse yet, they start to doubt God altogether. I don't know about you, but I've had some rough days in my life since accepting Christ. My spiritual journey is more like a roller coaster than an escalator. That's why I'm writing this new album I'm working on, So Human. It's a look at a real human journey. There are songs for those peak moments, when you feel like you could reach out and touch God...and there are songs representing the valleys where you feel like He couldn't hear you if you shouted at the top of your lungs (and I often do at those times.) It's sad, but you won't find much of that in Christian music today. Heck, it's rare that you even hear that kind of talk from the pulpit either. Artists who dare to write about such things quickly learn that radio isn't interested. "Happy, happy, joy joy" songs only! In real life, not every chapter has a happy ending. Every day isn't sweeter than the one before. There are days that are downright terrible...almost unbearable. Here's the deal, though: Although there are bad days, as believers we know how it all works out in the end. So you have to look at the whole book, instead of one chapter. Take for instance Adam and Eve. If you stop reading after chapter 3 of Genesis, you'd think: "Wow, God has cursed mankind for eternity." If you only read the first 3 chapters of Job, you'd think "What a cruel and unjust God. He completely abandoned a faithful servant." But you have to read the whole book to find out that God's plan is for peace after the suffering...for healing after the hurt. That's exactly what I'm trying to achieve with my music ministry. I want my music to be a real reflection of who I am...how I see God and relate to Him. So, So Human is a reflection of my spiritual journey. If you only listen to the first few songs, you might think God has left me parched, dying, broken. But continue through the album and you find the restoration that Christ offers. If someone tells you that their religion promises nothing but happiness and a fulfilling life with no sorrow, run away. Because that's not what God planned for us in this life. It IS what He has planned for us AFTER this life. But only if we commit to Him. Only if we say "I know there will be peaks and valleys but I will worship you anyway, because you are my Creator. You hold the master plan. You are my savior and it's only through you, Jesus, that I can taste eternity." When we all get to heaven (now that's a great hymn!), we should be worn out from this journey. It's a walk that requires participation, not standing idly as God moves us up the escalator. We must run, walk, climb, fall, scratch and claw to the end. That's the So Human journey. That's the whole story...not just a chapter. That's what my music is all about. For more information on Tim Glenn, go to www.timglennmusic.com tim glenn