So let's get to it!

One definition of Twang: to resound with a sharp, vibrating sound.

This is often associated to guitar playing. As Fredrik Silfverberg and I wrote in our song Give Me Some Twang on the Still Crazy album, "Son, you know the deal...you ain't got a thing 'less you got the twang!"...Twang is a certain sound you get when you pluck and bend the guitar strings in a certain way. 

I'll be using the word Twang more metaphorically in this blog. It's a really cool word, and for me it encompasses not only a guitar playing style, but also an attitude. So from here on, you can relate you Twang as who we are, how we see things, and how we act.

Here is a guy with Twang, on guitar and in life. I'll explain more in future posts. His name is Johan Engström. The photo was taken when we played at show at Blåbåten in Malmö last spring.

Since I was a kid, growing up in Golden in the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia, I have always been a bit of a "go-getter". But I want to take you back to where Twang became my focus for real. It was in 1995. I was attending a Dale Carnegie Course in communication, human relations & leadership. I had heard about the course for many years through different people that I met, and in ´95 I was given the opportunity to participate in the program through the radio station I was working at in Penticton, called 800AM EZ Rock. Why was I taking this program? Well - long story short, I wanted to learn how to communicate with my radio audience better, understand people better in the workplace, overcome my general fear of speaking in public, and primarily learn how to properly set goals for myself. I felt as if I was standing still, and I don't do well when I stand still. What I have learned since that time about myself, people, fear and courage, has been astounding.

Reminder: this blog is written to inspire.

It's not about me. It's coming from me, but it's about what I have learned from others along the way since 1995 and "how" I came to be doing what I am doing. In itself, what I am doing is not a big deal at all in comparison with others pursuant of success in music. Some may even read this and think, "Who is this guy? I've never heard of him. What's his rant all about? And what right does he have to be spouting off ways of thinking, ways of working, ways of making good things happen?". Comparison with anyone other than ourselves, I think, is irrelevant. Analyizing what others are doing & using what we learn to apply to ourselves is far more useful. I feel I have evolved tremendously, especially over the past 15 years.

We are headed into 2011. What are you most inspired by? What are you passionate about? What is one big hairy audacious goal that you have? How do you plan to access these things and take your own world by storm to bring out the best you for you & your family's sake? Some thoughts to ponder until my next post...

Me? Well, I am in a planning phase. This is dangerously inspiring when you go about it in a certain way (yes, for certain, I will share some thoughts around this). One very clear outcome that I want to generate in Spring 2011 is to get the song Springtime in Nebraska into as many Nebraska households as possible for the tornado season (by the way, if you can help me with this in any way, please don't be shy - get in touch!).

If you are intrigued to follow - hit the follow button 3rd down in the left-hand column. At the bottom of this post is a small e-mail icon. If this is something you feel may be interesting to a friend or friends, family etc. forward this blog to them!  

//E