therobmorgan

[therobmorgan]

Dear “I Wanna Dance With Somebody,” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ You’ve got one of my favorite bass lines of all time but, maybe even more importantly, you taught me grow a pair and play synth bass live without training wheels. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I used to stay in my comfort zone for the longest time, only bringing out a synth when I could lean on whole notes saying crap like, “Oh yeah… I mainly love synth bass for it’s sustain and tone.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Get my damn fingers in shape? Learn to use a mod wheel? Play through a key-change without using the transpose button? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ None of that happened before @randyjackson recorded your bass track that I loved so much, I couldn’t help but play it the way it was meant to. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ That said, it’s one thing to PLAY parts like this, it’s another to WRITE parts like this, no? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Yours in oscillation, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -rob ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #LettersToSongs (at Minneapolis, Minnesota) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKxHyc5nBIy/?igshid=mg2p7qtfcxeq

[therobmorgan]

Dear Social-Media Positivists, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Nobody gives a damn what you think if they don’t think you give a damn about them. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’m NOT saying to not post about your convictions. Please, stand in your own truth! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But maybe consider thinking of this as a walkie-talkie instead of a megaphone. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Nothing is more painful than seeing someone say something important, in a way that demonizes those that need to hear it most. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Yours in this great social experiment, ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -Rob (at Minneapolis, Minnesota) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKp1PBPD_N5/?igshid=xg31aiq7k3j4

[therobmorgan]

New Podcast🎙Can you bullet-proof yourself against failure? (feat. Some brilliant thoughts from Tim Ferriss) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My entire life seems to have been frustration after frustration, trying to figure out what the “next right thing” to focus on should be. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What if that project, album, relationship, instrument I’m practicing, song I’m writing, Game Stop stock I purchased ;) doesn’t end up working out? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ No matter what industry you’re in, chances are, you’re like me and constantly trying to be intentional about what your time is best spent focused on. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Well… I stumbled on a short talk by @timferriss that brought a ton of clarity to the way I think about all of that so, I thought I’d share with you on the podcast. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ [Available Everywhere Today] (at Minneapolis, Minnesota) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKonY0rj-ck/?igshid=1fhcefn98wivp

[therobmorgan]

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A mentor of mine passed away this weekend. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He was 87 and possibly the most curious person of all time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He made a living by talking, but would constantly tell me things like, “I never learn a thing while I’m talking. I realize every morning that nothing I say today will teach me anything, so if I’m going to learn a lot today, I’ll have to do it by listening.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ He changed my life in more ways than one and he’s the reason I had the confidence to start my podcast, but here’s the strangest part about our relationship… ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I never met the man. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “THE KING IS DEAD… LONG LIVE THE KING!” (12 Things I learned from @larrykingnow that changed my life.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (New Podcast Out Today!) (at Minneapolis, Minnesota) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKjfiFhHr4r/?igshid=14uwbflgbj1xm

[therobmorgan]

Did you know you can adjust your Mac volume in micro increments? (I’m looking at you, music friends running tracks from your laptop.) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Just hold Shift+Option, and when you tap your volume button up and down, it’ll adjust in smaller fractions. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (Yes, this works on the new touch bars but you have to have your volume set up so it’s buttons not a slider) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Not something you need every day, but when you do, it’s good to know you have the option. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Side note, the fact that running backing tracks now typically falls on drummer’s shoulders is fascinating to me. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I remember back in 2005, as technology became more accessible, it was originally my touring keyboardist friends who were doing that. Anyone know any info on how that transition started or what drummers led the way? That would be fascinating. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Either way, in honor of the Lords of the Tracks, here are some frames mid-set of drummer friends over the past couple years. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (📷 those that I’m not in are mine, but if you took one of the two photos that I’m in, DM me so I can give ya credit and make sure you get into all future shows for free.) (at Minneapolis, Minnesota) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKRUvXOjmNe/?igshid=egwqtuifl9m8

[therobmorgan]

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Ideas are so damn delicate, no? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ESPECIALLY when it comes to collaboration. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Neil Young once likened songwriting to trying to catch a rabbit. They’re easily scared, you want to be gentile with it at first, you don’t want to chase them, you want to give them space to come to you. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “…The idea is, he’s free to come, free to go. Who would want to intimidate or disrespect the source of the rabbit?” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The thing about collaboration is, inevitably, someone will suddenly see’s a rabbit peaking its head out of a hole you don’t even see. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My favorite artists and musicians to hunt with are the ones willing to set their ego aside and be willing to give space to someone else’s rabbit. I mean… sometimes you don’t even see it until the other person has already caught it! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ That’s some serious trust. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What the pro’s know, is that nobody gives a damn who saw it first. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If it goes in the stew, everybody eats. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ——— ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Cheers to @michaelshynes for signing his new record deal this week!!!! Man, I love hunting rabbits with this guy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is his tune #MisfitToys (available everywhere) and when I was tracking bass on it, I saw this tiny rabbit out of the corner of my eye. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “Ok, hear me out… what if, on this super vibey bridge, we throw a slap bass line, wash it out with a space reverb, and a little delay. But get this… we’ll chop two measures out of the middle of the line and reverse the wave-form.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Michael’s reply: “Catch that rabbit!” (at Minneapolis, Minnesota) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKO0928HZEF/?igshid=57w4nz6gb1sy

[therobmorgan]

Friends, I recently discovered an rare audio recording of Dr Martin Luther King Jr reading his “Letter From Birmingham Jail” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Reading it has always been moving. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Hearing him read it with his own voice? Well... I’m just happy to pass it on to you via the podcast. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Enjoy. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (The link is in my bio but I just finally had the chance to hit publish on it now so, it may be a few min before it’s on iTunes & Spotify. It’s on the website immediately though) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -rob (at Birmingham City Jail) https://www.instagram.com/p/CKNSPbJnArW/?igshid=1x5g1uu028ze0

[therobmorgan]

For the curious.... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ This is THE most unknown yet useful key command, second only to copy/paste. I only discovered it a few weeks ago and it changed my writing life 5 seconds at a time! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you ever... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Copied (⌘C) some useful text and then... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Pasted (⌘V) it into a document or note that you’re working in, only to find it... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ℂ𝕠𝕡𝕚𝕖𝕕 𝕥𝕙𝕖 𝕠𝕣𝕚𝕘𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝 𝕥𝕖𝕩𝕥’𝕤 𝕗𝕣𝕠𝕟𝕥 𝕒𝕟𝕕 𝕥𝕖𝕩𝕥 𝕤𝕚𝕫𝕖! 𝕊𝕆 ℕ𝕆𝕎 𝕐𝕆𝕌 ℍ𝔸𝕍𝔼 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝔸ℕℕ𝕆𝕐𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕄𝕀ℂℝ𝕆𝕋𝔸𝕊𝕂 𝕆𝔽 ℍ𝕀𝔾ℍ𝕃𝕀𝔾ℍ𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕋ℍ𝔼 𝕋𝔼𝕏𝕋 𝔸ℕ𝔻 ℂℍ𝔸ℕ𝔾𝕀ℕ𝔾 𝕀𝕋 𝕋𝕆 𝕐𝕆𝕌ℝ ℂ𝕌ℝℝ𝔼ℕ𝕋 𝔻𝕆ℂ’𝕊 𝔽𝕆ℝ𝕄𝔸𝕋𝕋𝕀ℕ𝔾! Simply put, this is the key command for Pasting your Copied text into the format/font/size of your current doc. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “A FOUR FINGERED COMMAND? WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK I AM???” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Trust me, if you spent a significant amount of time writing, teaching your right hand to reach for that ⇧⌥ whenever your left goes for the ⌘V is well worth your time when you need it. https://www.instagram.com/p/CKMLbKDDjFd/?igshid=1c1mwhslvn348

[therobmorgan]

Last night I walked to Coronado Beach with @thesarahcaitlin and I lost one of our cats at a shopping mall. (After which the cops found him and took him away) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ “You had one job. Just hold onto him while I use the mall bathroom... that was all I asked.” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Spending drinking coffee, hearing about what I did in Sarah’s dreams last night and... of course... asking for forgiveness of said dream-irresponsibility. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsV1O-KghVe/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=or3h5fxnzp9s

[therobmorgan]

“Give Us This Day Our Daily @guinness ” - DAY 5 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Germany has a winter tradition of brewing a dark-strong beer called an "Eisbock"🍺 (pronounced Ice-Bock. Yes... Ice is actually involved)❄️❄️ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But here's what’s fascinating: Tradition is to heat up an iron rod till it gets red hot and 'poke' your beer by sticking it in for a split second. The reaction is an instant boiling frothy head, a toasty aroma and the rest of the beer stays cold. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I've never seen it done in person, so when Sarah found out Joel Scott, headbrewer at @northboundsmokehousebrewpub in South Minneapolis, was doing it this afternoon... we had to check it out. 🍻❄️🔥 🎧Link In Bio @therobmorgan 🎧 (at Northbound Smokehouse & Brewpub) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsTGC50AksR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=br03oqslsrbs

[therobmorgan]

🎧New Podcast🎧 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Question 49 // Hey, how much underwear did you bring? (feat. @ianmartinallison ) A couple months ago, my friend Ian Allison posted an Instagram story while on tour with Eric Hutchinson explaining how he decided to fit everything he brought IN ONE FREAKIN BACKPACK! He broke down the bag he used, showing some of the things he brought with him, how he did it, and explained the freedom it brought. (Go click on his profile highlights and watch it!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The only thing is… I had more questions. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Personal questions. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Like… let’s talk minimalism travel ideology… Let’s talk the business of underwear and socks. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Recording Location: Phone Convo with Ian from his home in Minneapolis. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ (Link In Bio: @therobmorgan) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsQm6WcAjgE/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1rboiriawu358

[therobmorgan]

“Give Us This Day Our Daily Guinness” - Day 2 (Jan 2, 2019) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Non-stop day yesterday so I ended up recording it at 1:30am ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Is this just a big mistake? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Is this the dumbest idea I've ever had? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ How can I learn to recognize resistance and trust the process? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Maybe I'll set my Guinness down and look through my book shelf in my studio for inspiration. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🎧 Link In Bio: @therobmorgan 🎧 https://www.instagram.com/p/BsLzMNkAgbl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1kx2igvekly0p

[therobmorgan]

Some questions just don’t seem to go away until you act on them... What if... everyday in 2019... I sat down with a pint of @guinness and turned the microphones on with the hopes of making curiosity & listening a lifestyle while learning to ask better questions? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What would that look like? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ EVERY day? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Is that even possible? ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I guess there’s only one way to find out... ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 🎧 Link In Bio: @therobmorgan 🎧 ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ 📷: @narratestudios https://www.instagram.com/p/BsIybqzgqPp/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1t7trkxuiir7g

[therobmorgan]

My feed seems to be full of a new trend of posting collages of pics that got the most likes with captions saying, “I got # of likes this past year, Wow! Thanks for all the likes!” The music equivalent seems to be posting pictures of Spotify recaps showing total # of streams. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Now, I’m not saying we shouldn’t look back in gratitude and thank friends & fans (but let’s be real, we don’t actually post numbers like that thinking it will make others feel apart of some community or something. I usually translate that as someone saying, “Hey, I’m pumped about these numbers! Come celebrate with me!”) I’m all about it! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What I’m saying is: a New Year is a great reminder to assess the positives and negatives of our past and to then step intentionally into the future. The danger, however, is the temptation to define a ‘successful’ year only by numbers. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We’re living in an unprecedented age of online consumption. Likes and streams are a poor representation of the true depth/impact your art has made on others. The fact is, you may never know how your work is impacting others on a nuclear level for good. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ KEEP WRITING! KEEP LISTENING! KEEP ASKING MORE QUESTIONS! KEEP LOOKING FOR WAYS TO ADD VALUE TO THOSE AROUND YOU! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If your numbers are smaller than what you had hoped, remember: NUMBERS DON’T QUANTIFY A SUCCESSFUL YEAR! KEEP CREATING! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If your numbers are more than what you could have ever imagined… CELEBRATE! But also remember: NUMBERS DON’T QUANTIFY A SUCCESSFUL YEAR! KEEP CREATING! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The most important journey we can take is to shift from finding our drive and validation externally, to it being found completely internally within ourselves. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ So, at the end of this year, may we look back in gratitude, look forward in curiosity, and look deep within to find more grit and strength than we could have ever imagined. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ -RM ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ PS: If anyone’s looking for inspiration on how to conduct a “past year review” I’ll attach a link in my bio from @timferriss that I’ve found extremely valuable. https://www.instagram.com/p/BsD09FYAZGR/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1lmif41viyp1q

[therobmorgan]

Artists & Musicians: There’s a weird trend this year on social media I’m noticing for the first time. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ My feed seems to be full of people posting collages of photos from their feed this past year that got the most likes or were the most ‘popular’ with captions saying, “I got # of likes this past year, Wow! Thanks everyone for all the likes this past year!” ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The music equivalent seems to be posting pictures of their Spotify 2018 recap showing their total # of downloads and streams. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Now, hear me out: If this was you, I’m not trying to call you out for this. I’m not saying numbers aren’t important to making a career as an artist, we do need them for sustainability and knowing where the location and demographics of your audience can be valuable. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ I’m also not saying we shouldn’t look back on a year and thank the people and fans that showed us their support and made it all happen. (there’s nothing more gross than an artist who doesn’t approach their fans with anything less than massive amounts of gratitude, but let’s be real, we don’t actually post numbers like that to show genuine gratitude as if showing people how many listeners we have will make others feel some sort of solidarity as if they’re apart of some community or something. At least, that’s not why I’ve done stuff like that in the past. ;) I’m not saying it’s gross or egotistical either, I usually translate that as someone saying, “Hey, I’m pumped about these numbers! I’d love you to enter into my excitement and celebrate with me!” I’m all about it!) ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ What I am saying is: a New Year is a helpful reminder to take a breath and look back over our past year to assess the positives and negatives and to then step intentionally into the future. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The danger, however, is the temptation to take the cheap and easy way out by defining a ‘successful’ year by numbers. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ We’re living in an unprecedented age of online content consumption. Likes and streams cost someone nothing and are a poor representation of the true depth of impact your art or work has made on the world around you. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ The fact is, you may never know how your work is impacting others o https://www.instagram.com/p/BsDx9FKgvH8/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1wb8ifnghqwvn

[therobmorgan]

For anyone wondering if having your December wedding... OUTSIDE... in the Minnesota snow, would be sparkly and romantic... IT WILL BE! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’re also wondering if having live music serenading you and your guests would make it EVEN MORE romantic... IT WILL! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ If you’re wondering if telling a musician at the last moment that this is going down, if frozen fingers on ice cold strings feel like razor blades, and by doing so you’ll potentially make someone question every single life decision they ever made wanting to become a musician... IT WILL!! #imnotcryingmyeyesalwayshaveiciclesunderthem . . . . . #blackandwhite #blackandwhitephotography #monochromatic #fujifilmusa #fujix #fujifilm_xseries #fujifilm #x100t #fuji #music #musician #musicians #wedding #weddingband #outdoorwedding #minnesota #minnesotawinter (at Loring Park) https://www.instagram.com/p/BsBaggIAYl0/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=14qvxf8pytl4v

[therobmorgan]

Doing some last min song charting at home before tonight’s gig and I’m thinking someone’s a little needy since I’ve been gone most of the month... https://www.instagram.com/p/Br_EMj_AuEm/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1jolrm2dvugm7