Performing In Thailand With Dia!
I'm always amazed when Dia picks me to perform with her around the world. I know it seems like a given that she should choose me because we are sisters and we have a long history together. I know that she thinks of me first as a guitar player and wants me to share the cool experiences with her, but still it's pretty cool to me when she asks me to come when there are so many incredible musicians out there that she could choose instead.
I recently spoke to Chad Jeffers, Carrie Underwood's slide guitar player, over Skype about being a musician. The first thing he said was, "This is a crazy industry. There's no rhyme or reason to who becomes successful and who doesn't. I have a whole bunch of friends here in Nashville who are incredible musicians, but for one reason or another, they just never made it. I also have a lot of musician friends who honestly aren't that great, yet they get amazing gigs! A lot of it comes down to luck."
Of course, I'm striving to improve my licks every day. I diligently run my scales and practice Buddy Guy riffs and John Mayer strum patters. Well, that's what I used to do any way. Those songs have been switched out with Dia Frampton songs since I am preparing for our gig with her in Thailand in March. (I don't even think that she has announced the news yet. It might be a little early for me to be saying this show is happening, but that's what you get when you read my blog. You hear things first! So don't hold me to it, if this show gets canceled for some reason.) Even though I'm practicing all the time, there are other kids are practicing longer and harder and in their sleep. There will always be someone better, and there will always be someone worse, but that doesn't mean that opportunities won't happen for you even when you don't feel quite ready yet.
This is why I think that it is so important to have a positive attitude and be pleasant and professional. (In my case, doesn't hurt to be nice to your little sister!) Don't focus so much on the competition and who might be more qualified for whatever it is you are setting out to do, whether that's a job interview or a gig. Never hurts to try. You might be picked because you're the funniest person alive and make road trips with the band easier, or maybe you're really great at keeping business meetings lively and focused. Meg and Dia used to work with a tour manager who was really adept at being a professional tour manager, but I'm sure there were managers that were more intelligent than him, or better organized, but he is so positive and funny and energetic, we never thought to look for other options.
So whether Dia picked me because we came from the same wonderful asian women or because of my sparkling personality, the fact remains that she did pick me. Of course when Dia asked me if I would perform in Thailand with her I immediately said "Yes, I would love to!" I've had a nice long break from touring and I'm really ready to perform and travel again. I'm also super excited because Nick's coming too! I think it's incredible to perform with my boyfriend and share the excitement I feel on stage with him. We can talk to each other about how the show went and know exactly what each of us is referring to. Plus, for the flight over there, I'm lucky I can lay my head on his shoulder instead of accidentally falling asleep on some stranger. Yikes!
I hope I'll get to do this on our trip over there! (Well, not quite like that, but you know what I mean:)
Honestly, Meg