Music Before the Money

Everyone has seen music videos in which the stereotypical band vehicle- usually a brand-new MCI coach with customized interior- pulls up to the back door of a club and disgorges the boys in the band, their roadies, a couple of girlfriends and a dog. (Willie Nelson’s “Honeysuckle Rose” was a perfect example but Willie used an old early 60’s bus.)

Although buses aren’t new to the music business they weren’t the only mode of conveyance at first. They became popular as roads became more prominent across North America - and coincided with the demise of the Big Band Era when trains carried almost everything. When the followers of Jack Kerouac and TV’s “Route 66″ began their own voyages on the roads more and more bands - ones which basically haunted local venues - began to tour, school bus-type coaches began to appear. (Jefferson Airplane is the perfect example of a group that, according to Grace Slick, was happy to stay in California and record. But they were the exception.)

The band bus was brought to folklore by the TV show, “The Partridge Family,” where the fictional family painted up an old school bus in cute colors and used it to truck their gear, and themselves, around. This, however, was not the first such useage. If you watch then opening of “Woodstock” you’ll see a school bus packed with concert goers plodding onto Yasgur’s farm.

The real truth about bands using school buses was that they were cheap to buy. Why? In essence, school boards got rid of them when it was no longer financially wise to keep repairing them. But this did not deter many bandsmen - and women. So, in the 70’s and ’80’s, it was not unusual to see one broken down on the road - any road.

And the cost for repairs? Big bus tires, even retreads, were more expensive than ordinary car tires and there were more of them. What about brakes? Way more expensive. Broken axles. The list goes on-and-on.

And not to mention that, even when gas was cheap, school buses were as aerodynamic as a brick.

There are many books on “The Laws of Attraction.” Some authors in the self-awareness genre write that “the universe” has laws that are automatically geared to our thought processes. Now I don’t want to sound like a “New Age” proponent (not that there’s anything wrong with that) but I have noticed a few things in my life that work out in a similar vein to many of their writings. My adage has always been: “Based on results, this works” . . . . or doesn’t work.

The creation of anything works in a similar fashion. First, the idea comes, then there is the struggle to get it off the ground and, finally, the reward appears (if the instigator perserveres). This is an over-simplification of the process but sometimes a block diagram works better than a long-winded, scholastic explanation. The biographies of Edison, Bell, et al. mirror these views.

Want to try this out? You can by practising a very simple method of attraction that my father taught me called, “Creating Parking Spaces.” Since parking spaces are almost impossible to find in any downtown area during business hours this is a good way to see if this law works. It is very simple. As you are driving to your destination picture in your mind the front of the building in which you want to visit - or the park where you will be relaxing . (This can be accomplished without rear-ending the person’s car directly in front of you!) Now, be specific. Imagine your car turning the corner and seeing this beautiful void between two cars, one more than large enough to fit your vehicle.

In order for this process to work you must practice it. My dad said he had to “open up a channel to Universe to let it know what I want otherwise it will get all confused with bulls_t.” So, this may not work at first but if you consciously practice it you may be amazed at the spaces which will appear closer and closer to your goal. Then, one day, you’ll start a string of “hits” because your subconscious mind will be trained to find them for you. Try it. What have you got to lose?

Base on my results - I am a believer.