Simon S. Tam's Blog, page 2
March 30, 2020
On Milestones and Birthdays
Today is my birthday.
Im not doing anything huge mostly spending the day with my partner and doing some work. In the past, Ive usually been on tour. In fact, Facebook Memories reminds me that I was in Taiwan with The Slants just four years ago (we even made a tour documentary on it, available free via Amazon Prime). But today, Im just enjoying the rest. Instead of asking for gifts, Im requesting folks to support local restaurants and independent artists. I might be biased, but this one is my...
March 10, 2020
How to Write a Book
It’s easy to write a book, a song, direct a film or to start a business. Everyone with a pen or smartphone can do so. It’s much harder to create something that is meaningful and can shift the culture. The difference between those two extremes seems stark: one seems like it could be mundane, rejected, and not even worth the effort. The other has the capacity to be enduring, to spread, and impact others. However, the latter isn’t possible without the former – it simply requires a person to...
February 27, 2020
Unexpected Nuance
About this time last year, I had an impactful (and surprising) discussion around race. Here’s how it went…
Them: “…I grew up here in the South in an Irish and Catholic family, it was really bad”
Me: “Indeed, Irish immigrants were treated very poorly.”
Them: “Yes, we were treated just as bad as black families”
Me: “Well, I wouldn’t say that…”
(at this point, I thought, “Here we go…”)
Them: “And I don’t know where all this hate comes from, that’s not how we bring people up in this country.”
...
February 20, 2020
On Moving to Nashville for Music
When I reconnect with old contacts and tell them that I moved to Nashville, TN, I almost always get asked, “Did you move to Nashville for your music career?”
The answer of course, is no. I moved to Nashville because my partner and I wanted to live here (it was more affordable and diverse than the Pacific Northwest, the homes are beautiful, and the pace of living is nice). If anything, I moved to Nashville to help retire from music – at least performing live.
I do see this question come up all...
February 19, 2020
Justice is not a destination
What is it that causes otherwise kind and gentle people to become villainous beings? What is it drives people to compromise their moral code, to distort their constitution? It’s uncertainty. Fear is the thing that breaks us.
Fear “is a unique political force. Its ebbs and flows through American political history have pulled on elections, reordering and destabilizing the electoral landscape” (Molly Ball). But why is it so effective at doing this? I believe that one of the primary reasons has...
February 12, 2020
On Hustles, Networking Groups, and College
When you think about groups of people that you are connected to in some way, be it a networking group, a church of volunteer organization, or a school, do you stop and reflect on what your purpose is? Often, people attend out of obligation, desire for status, or to gain something (education, fulfillment, clients, etc.). What are you really there for?
I took an unconventional path when it came to education: when I was about to graduate with a double major on a full-ride scholarship, I chose to...
February 11, 2020
Scaling Up
Tonight, I’m doing a new presentation in Nashville, TN about scaling up in the music business. It’s based on an idea I’ve been developing for a new book. I believe that many artists get stuck in a rut and find themselves unable to achieve more (in terms of income, new fans, opportunities, or otherwise) because they haven’t built a music business that is scalable. Of course, this isn’t just something that musicians struggle with.
Whether it is a nonprofit trying to expand its services, a...
February 5, 2020
Unmasking Our True Fears
It’s hard to find a news source that isn’t reporting about the coronavirus at the moment. Despite the fact that death and infection rates are fairly low (nearly 500 deaths at the time of this writing, compared to the 60,000 who died from the flu last year), fears over this disease are leading to a global shortage on face masks.
In many places right now, wearing a mask is considered a requirement. Even if the State isn’t enforcing it as law, there’s enough social pressure for people to feel...
January 17, 2020
The Tic Tac Toe Hustle
As a kid, I spent most evenings and weekends at my parents’ restaurant, House of Canton in San Diego, CA. Before my 10th birthday, I was already taking orders over the phone, seating customers, and some basic prep work like hauling buckets of ice to the bar. Most of the time, I was bored. Other than homework, my form of entertainment was walking to the library to get books or a nearby gas station to buy candy and play the new Street Fighter 2 game. Of course, I preferred the latter…but that...
January 3, 2020
Oh, the Contradiction
It’s not surprising to find contradictions in our ideas, values, and beliefs.
For example, many who are pro-life also support the death penalty and military intervention that includes swift, violent retribution or the assignation of others. Or, those who say they believe in freedom of speech… at least until they find speech that they find offensive themselves. Of course, those who hold these values ideas believe that they can do so because they themselves hold final judgement as to who...
