Be Professional....Please

Hey honeys.  Many of you know that I went to Florida last week during my birthday time and had a blast.  Now, it was just a coincidence that I went for my birthday.  The whole motivation for going was to shoot a video.  A fellow Full Sailor reached out to me back in July.  He thought one of my songs was dope and wanted to do the video for free.  I was excited and said as soon as I could come to Florida, we could do it.  Well, he reached out to me in November and said to come if I could because he had a crew that could do the video.  I told him I could come the week of my birthday.  He said that's fine we can shoot the video then.  We agreed to talk on the 7th to iron out the details.  I called him that night because I hadn't heard from him only to hear that we couldn't do the video because the crew would be on vacation.  I feel that he could've been way more professional about the whole thing.  If you offer a service and you can't deliver, the customer shouldn't have to call you to find that out.  You should let the customer know and work out a way to reschedule something.  Also, at one of the shows I did while I was there, an artist was on the stage.  He gets mad because the crowd wasn't feeling him.  Then, I guess they started arguing outside, so everyone leaves to go outside.  This leaves me with about 2 handfuls of people inside the club to sing to.  I did my thing, and they liked it.  That artist was very unprofessional.  I understand that I'm a new artist who has to build a following.  Unfortunately, part of the building process includes performing at weird shows where it seems like no one is receptive.  So, to sum everything up, music, film, modeling, promoting, etc....are all forms of business.  Act professional at all times and always remember that the show (song, photo, runway, etc...) must go on!

Don't Settle!

Many of us want happy, successful relationships.  I'll be the first to say one day I want to get married, have children, and live happily ever after.  Nowadays, tradition, for the most part, seems to be a thing of the past.  I find a lot of my friends and family just settling for anything to be with someone.  So, I decided to write a song.  It's about wanting to be more than a jumpoff to someone.  I just want to encourage everyone not to settle.  If there is a certain type of man or woman you want, don't just settle for less than to have something.  For instance, you may want an attractive man that's single.  Don't just settle for an attractive, attached man in order to have a man.  There's a single, attractive man out there for you.  Maybe you want a woman that's attractive and conservative.  You don't have to settle for that attractive, promiscuous woman.  On the other hand, you may have found someone that fits the majority of your list.  Maybe that someone doesn't want a commitment.  He or she just wants to have sex with you when y'all are in the same city or town.  Don't just settle for that just to be with that someone.  Stick with your standards.  Your Mr. or Mrs. Right is still out there.  I promise!

Autism Speaks

There are many diseases and injuries that affect us around the world.  I learned about one, specifically traumatic brain injuries, in 2009 through my brother.  Since his car accident, my brother's life and mine has dramatically changed.  Unlike my brother, some lives begin with change.  Parents are affected when they're child is born with something like Autism.  Some of my friends know this first hand, and I've been asked to perform at an event in Atlanta, Night of Awareness: Autism Speaks Because of this, I've been able to learn more about this disorder and how it affects our population.  Recent studies have estimated the lifetime cost of an autistic individual to roughly be $3.2 million.  Parents with an Autistic child have a 2-8% chance of having a second child that's affected.  These disorders, are 4 to 5 times, on average, more likely to occur in boys than in girls.  These are just a few of the statistics.  Well, I'm a very optimistic person.  I don't focus on statistics too much.  I focus on what can be done to change them.  Honeys, we can attend this event and donate to help improve someone's life.  With a $25 ticket donation, you can do just that.  So, RSVP now at Autism Speaks.  Let's come together and fight Autism!

The Dating Game - Unpublished Rules

I count it a blessing to have grown up in a two parent home as the only daughter with an older and younger brother.  I learned so much about boys and men.  My parents taught me certain things about dating that serve as my relationship foundation.  

1. A man interested in you won't mind taking you out on a date and paying for it. 
2. The chances are slim to none that he'll respect you if you sleep with him on the first night.
3. It's best to wait until marriage to have children. 
4. Men like smart women.
5. Men don't mind if a woman takes care of herself.
6. There's nothing wrong with keeping yourself up before, during, and after the relationship.

The list could continue, but these serve the purpose for our digital conversation.  Somewhere in my 20 years on Earth, these rules have been changed.  The new rules are somewhere unpublished and unknown to me.  

1. It's common practice for a man to send naked pics or adult videos of himself.
2. A woman has to sleep with a man first before he takes her out on a date. 
3. If a man pays for a date she's a gold digger. 
4. Something is wrong with a woman if she has children.
5. So what if a woman is smart?! 
6. If a woman takes care of herself, she's bourgeois.

The above unpublished rules are ones that I refuse to follow, but it's amazing how these rules are becoming heavily practiced.  What's up with the pics and videos from these nasty men?  Now, honestly, I can see if y'all are together and you want to spice things up.  If not, women, of a certain standard, are less concerned about this type of behavior.  A nice picture of a man's smile or him in a nice suit is the better choice.  While pictures of this kind may do it for a man, they typically don't for women.  I think I speak for the majority when I say we're action creatures.  When did my Applebee's dinner become contingent upon me sleeping with you first?  I just used that restaurant as an example, but I hope women aren't putting a price tag on sex.  In addition, when did men stop wanting to take women on dates to get to know them better?  Furthermore, why am I gold digger because my dad and grandfather taught me that men pay on dates?  Once we've been dating for a while, I don't think there's anything wrong with the man and woman bearing the financial burden of dating; however, until exclusivity is established, I was taught that the man takes some sort of pride in paying.  This has to be the number 1 point that raises my temperature.  Because most women my age have children, I have to as well? Because I don't, there's something wrong with me!  LOL.  I missed that rule blatantly.  I've learned from my friends' and family experiences.  I'd rather wait until after marriage.  My brothers constantly deal with unnecessary baby mamma drama.  I don't want to turn into baby mamma, and I'd prefer to have a husband as the father of my children.  If there's something wrong with that, I'm at a loss for words.  Finally, I refuse to believe that taking care of myself lands me in the bourgeois category.  There have been several times in my life where I couldn't afford to look a certain way, but when God allows me to, I'm going to look the best my financials will allow me to.  I like getting my hair, nails, eyebrows, and pedicures done.  Why would a man not want that?  So, if these are the new dating rules, I QUIT.  Otherwise, I'll stick to what mamma and daddy taught me!  

Getting to Know You

I pray that one day I will get married.  Until that day, I have to put up with some things that I'm not happy about.  One of them is the getting to know someone process.  I thought this was the process:  I see him.  We're attracted to each other.  We get to know one another.  We like each other.  We spend time.  We become exclusive to each other.  We become engaged.  We get married.  We live happily ever after.  Right?  Not that easy, especially in my case.  Because of what I've been through, this getting to know process is one that I can't stand.  Reason being is because too much change happens.  For instance, the conversations are magnetic at first.  At least with me, they last for hours, and normally, I don't want to stop talking.  Then, as time goes by,the conversation frequency decreases, and they drastically shorten to minutes.  Another change that happens is the attention paid to me.  Initially, attention is shown to me like I'm the only thing on Earth that matters.  That is so beautiful.  As time goes on, other things become important.  So, when we're talking, I'm sharing attention with the computer, radio, and everything else.  This part of the process really sucks.  So, I encourage each one of you reading to do better.  Make him or her feel special during the communication process.  If they're not that special to you anymore, then make a change.  These changes hurt, and as a woman, I think I can speak for us all when I say consistency is key.

Facebook Etiquette

Facebook has gone through quite a few changes this year.  We all know that change is constant.  It's a rare occasion when something stays the same.  Surprisingly, some things do.  Etiquette is one of them.  So, I took upon myself to come up with some Facebook Etiquette for everyone that uses Facebook, whether for business or personal use.

1. When you walk into someone's house, you speak first, at least that's how I was raised.  The chat messages are the same.  Don't just send out a mass chat without speaking.  You get more bees with honey.
2. If someone requests you as a friend for networking, when you accept, post or message a thank you.   A thank you goes a long way.  You never know who that person knows or what value they can bring to you.
3. Stay in touch.  If it's a producer, potential customer, designer, blogger, etc....Send a message every now and again and keep the communication open.  This will remind them of who you are and what you do.  
4. Monitor your Facebook account for spam.  There's a lot of spam going around facebook, ie those shoe advertisements.  Keep your profile clean, if you can.
5. Your status updates should be personable, but draw a line.  Beating breast cancer is great and worth the read.  Getting over a yeast infection is something that should be kept to yourself.  A promotion at the job is great and worth the celebration.  You firing someone because of embezzlement doesn't put your brand or company in the best light.
6. Facebook isn't Twitter.  Hash tags are twitter language.  Wordy statuses are apart of Facebook's language.  
7. Don't send repetitious invites to an event.  If someone declined, then they declined.  Sending the invite several times doesn't guarantee a change in the outcome.  

That's all I can think of right now.  I hope this helps you utilize Facebook better.  As always, connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Reverbnation, Youtube, and Myspace.  I don't just sing....I'm a nerd too....LOL.

@T_RayBiz

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Lung Transplant

I am blessed to still have my mother alive.  She gets on my nerves sometimes.  But what mother doesn't do that to her child?  LOL.  There's nothing like a mother though.  If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be able to share my voice with the world.  Well, yesterday while I was watching football, I learned that one of my childhood friend and her mother are facing a difficult hurdle.  Her mother was diagnosed with sarcoidosis a little while ago.  Unfortunately, they don't have enough money to cover the cost of a lung transplant.  Well, if I had my grammy awards and millions in the bank, I would just cut a check for the cost and call it a day.  I don't have any of that yet.  What I do have is my debut single, "From Your Love."  Now, this song was originally written in reference to a relationship.  After I listened to the words again, the song could be about anyone you love.  So, I can imagine that my friend feels this way about her mother.  Anyway, any proceeds from Downloads between now-until (TBD) will go towards her surgery.  I'm not doing this for fame or fortune.  I'm doing it in the name of Life.  So, if you believe in Life, Download "From Your Love" at http://vibedeck.com/t-ray and help keep a life.

Read the mother's story at http://www.transplants.org/donate/beverlyjohnson

1 Starts a Crowd

Being a singer is such an adventure.  You have no choice but to do as many shows as you can.  In my perfect world, there would be 1,000,000 people at each show.  Unfortunately, I live in an imperfect world; therefore, I have shows where there are only 20, or less sometimes, in the crowd.  My last show was at Club Throbacks in Atlanta.  Now, this venue has a nice size, with pool tables in the my back.  I honestly think it has a nice setup.  The sound system is annoying, but it's still cool.  So, this particular night, I had to work the door for K-Rock Entertainment, @MsKrock on twitter.  SN:  I was so happy about working the door.  That was something I always wanted to do!  Anyway, I ended up going on last. I wasn't too happy about that because the band and I are were getting restless, plus we all had been up all day.  Well, I get up there, the mic that the band needed to use wasn't working.  So, they're upset about that, but they still sang as if it worked.  Anyway, I sang a little acapella to get the crowd's attention.  Once I had them, we sang our songs.  While singing, one person came up to the stage as if he was hypnotized by my vocals.  I'm not exaggerating.  You can certainly do your research on that...LOL.  After he came up to the stage, a female came up and gave me $5.  By the end of the song, everyone was clapping and happy, into the music.  So, at the beginning of the next song, the owner of the club came and sat in the front of the stage.  You know I worked that to my advantage and made that thang all about him....LOL.  While I was on stage, I figured out something very important.  1 person came up to the stage first.  1 person was the first person to pay their money, show their id, and go through security to come in.  Before you have 1,000,000 people at a show, or a packed house at a smaller venue, 1 person has to come and start the crowd.  Satisfy at least one fan or one person, and you begin to grow your fan base.  Don't focus on the size of the crowd, the amount of money you're getting, or the recognition you feel you don't get.  Focus on connecting with at least one person.  That starts a successful career!  

Musically Networking

I've done a few shows and met a few people.  I surely understand the power of networking.  Sadly, some artists and music industry participants don't.  It baffles me at the number of people who perform and don't meet the other artists at the show.  Well, I want to shed light on why we artists should network.  As you all may know, I just relocated to Atlanta, GA.  It's a new market involving new players that I have to meet.  Studio, photographer, producer, manager, etc....These are among the few things that I seek.  So, when I meet an artist, I may, in the midst of conversation, mention one of those.  That artist may be able to link me up with someone.  That person may have a full schedule, charge a lot, or just genuinely be unavailable.  Once I mention the person that made the referral or suggestion, that can make all the difference.  That is a perfect example of why artists should network.  Also, I know the most important thing I need right now is more shows.  Networking with other artists connects me to more promoters, event planners, and shows.  I recently read an article on Mashable by Nellie Akalp.  Here are seven networking tips she suggests.

1. Remind yourself:  You're there to give, not get.  Although my above examples highlight my needs, I always let other artists know if I can do anything help I will.  Mostly, I lend my knowledge that I acquired from Full Sail University.
2. Don't Appear Desperate.  People are turned off by neediness.  Find a way to push that aside while networking.
3. Have sincere conversations.  We all need support.  Be sure to have genuine conversations with people.  You get more bees with honey.....
4. Ask open-ended questions.  Eliminate the small talk by asking these type of questions.  "Why" questions typically generate interesting answers and conversations.
5. Limit your drinking.  I'm aware this is hard, as most of the early parts of the career involve performing at clubs.  You can't really get the most out of networking if you're too drunk to carry on a conversation.  So, be easy with the drinking.
6. Connect with everyone.  Never look over anyone's shoulder.  You never know who someone may know.  Don't limit your network with this mistake.  Don't look at the rest of the room while speaking with someone.  Rude......
7. Practice.  I'm better at dealing with my nervousness because I practice before a show.  It's the same in networking.  Some people are more comfortable on a stage in front of a crowd versus being in front of one person.  Become more comfortable through practice. 

We can all succeed.  Learn all you can and apply it.  

Life is so Funny

Hey.  I haven't blogged in quite some time.  So, I'll try to condense everything that happened and explain different events that show life is so funny.  I GRADUATED....LOL.  I'm so happy to be done.  Going to college and finishing is a difficult process.  Life does everything in its power to keep you from reaching your goal.  Roommates that don't pay, jobs that don't care about education, and a passion for music that has no respect are just a few of the things life through my way.  Then, I had an arranged transportation plan to leave Winter Park, FL that weekend and go back to Atlanta, GA.  At the last minute, the ride cancelled on me.  I had no money.  Luckily, good friends of mine rescheduled for me to leave the following week.  So, I arrived in Atlanta, GA and learned that the employers here don't favor candidates with multiple degrees.  I finally found what I thought would be a great employment opportunity; however, I managed to get fired for reading a book....LOL.  Luckily, I landed two internships that lead me to a part time administrative position.  So, I am still searching for full time employment as we speak....LOL.  On the music side, I tried to build a band only to end up with 4 background singers, a drummer, and a keyboard player....LOL.  It's more than what I started with.  I had my first show here in Atlanta, and that led me to 4 more shows.  So, this journey that I pursue gets more and more interesting everyday.  So, that's why I say, "Life is so Funny!"

As always, come to Twitter and follow me @T_RayBiz
Fan me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/officialT.Ray
Play me on http://www.reverbnation.com/teeraybiz

Check out music from T-Ray

"From Your Love" Video: Process Part 1

First, my apologies for not writing a blog post in over a month.  School, work, and music has taken up 99% of my time.  So, I wanted to provide you with a look into the independent music video process.  Now, everyone's story is different, but here's mine so far.  The only names that will be mentioned are those who I'd like to get recognition.  Charles Heureaux (http://www.charlesheureaux.com) is renaissance man I met through a mutual friend, Kenneth J Thompson (http://www.heartprintsentertainment.com).  He heard my music and contacted me about doing a video.  I was so excited.  So, I rounded up all of my homies, Ellease, Brodrick, Jamision (http://www.reverbnation.com/jaima), for a meeting to discuss ideas and concepts.  The meeting lasted for about an hour or two.  At the close, we had tentative dates and locations down.  As the dates became closer and closer, things began to get a little difficult.  The original person I wanted for the main video man became unavailable.  So, I had to choose a plan B.  One of the locations couldn't be solidified.  The makeup artist didn't work out.  The dates and times became inopportune for everyone.  I was getting very disappointed.  Charles assured me not to worry.  So, Caitlyn, a former coworker, happened to be an excellent makeup artist.  One day, I asked her if she'd be interested in do my makeup for the video.  She was instantly excited and told me to give her the dates in advance.  That boosted me up a little bit.  Later that week, I found out the club location had been cancelled because the venue overbooked their weekend.  Luckily, one of the crew members has a friend interested in being a film producer.  So, he booked a room at the The Bohemian Hotel in Orlando, FL.  Might I say what a gorgeous place!  The crew and I get checked in and ready to shoot.  We go up to the roof and find a sexy, intimate place on the roof.  It was beautiful, with white drapery.  When we asked for cups for the beverages, the lady brought a cup full of trouble...LOL!  The manager comes up and says we have to cease shooting because we weren't granted a permit.  So, we find somewhere else to shoot.  The lead guy in the video was late to the shoot.  On top of all that, the cameraman was only available that day.  So, Charles thought he failed me, but he didn't.  He taught me the video process, and helped me learn a valuable lesson about what comes along with free work.  So, when I relocate to Atlanta, I will work hard to create a budget to complete the official video for the debut single, "From Your Love" available now on:

Reverbnation
Amazon
iTunes

Go Download your copy today... 

"From Your Love" Written by T-Ray, Produced by Gabriel "Radikal Productions" Orengo

I'm currently a student at Full Sail University majoring in Music Business.  Back in August, I had to take a leave of absence to find a job.  I found one, started back at school, and then, got fired.  (The irony...LOL)  So, I was all distraught.  In addition, I was in an unofficial relationship with someone.  We were broken up, but still together.  Anyway, one day I was looking on my school's communication portal (it's a website for student and faculty).  I looked in discussions and found a fellow student who was looking for artists to work with as he produces music.  So, I responded casually.  I didn't think I would hear anything back.  To my surprise, he responded.  He introduced himself, Gabriel "Radikal Productions" Orengo.  We broke the ice and set a date for us to meet up.  We met, and I wanted him to redo a GarageBand production created by yours truly....LOL!  So, he did a phenomenal job.  We recorded, and the chemistry was excellent.  Well, we scheduled another day to meet up.  In this particular session, we finished the first song.  Then, Radikal let me hear a new production he was working on.  Instantly, I loved it.  So, I asked him to loop 8 bars.  I began to think about my unofficial relationship.  Although there were problems, I began to think about when we first met, challenges we overcame, laughing together, etc.  I realized that I couldn't stay away from their love.  Frantically, I began penning the lyrics.  All the while, Radikal hadn't fully completed the production.  He and I both wrote and produced this song in about 1.5 hours.  

This is the story behind "From Your Love."  During the writing process, I was going through so much.  My stress and frustrations birthed my Debut Single.  In life, you never know what's going to happen.  The happening isn't as important as the reaction.  My reaction is music!!!  "From Your Love" will be available soon...It will only be available as a digital download unless the fans demand other forms.  Thanks for the support!

Sellaband - T-Ray - Hey all. Sorry for the absence. School, work, and music adds to the fatigue!!! The grind never stops!!!

Sellaband - T-Ray - Hey all. Sorry for the absence. School, work, and music adds to the fatigue!!! The grind never stops!!!

Employee/Volunteer Satisfaction=Customer/Fan Satisfaction

The various intricacies of a business are interesting.  I love how departments are unknowingly intertwined very closely.  One thing that bothers me heavily is the lack of focus on the customer.  Specifically, I loathe the perception of customer service departments.  Paying attention to the customer service department is paying attention the customer.  Every other department needs this fact beat into their heads.  Consequently, when the customer service representatives are happy, the customers are happy.  In the music world, when volunteers or employees are happy, fans are happy.  Let's look at the corporate structure first.

Scenario 1:  Customer service representative loves her job for various reasons.  Her managers are understanding, flexible, resourceful, and supportive.  She constantly gets emails sent, on her behalf, to her manager about her excellent customer service.  The shipping department willingly assist her with customer orders.  Marketing gives creative approaches to educate consumers on new products and services.  She LOVES her job.  Her managers appreciate work, and she's rewarded.  This is when the corporate structure works accordingly.

Scenario 2:  Customer service representative hates his job for various reasons.  His managers don't allow him to interact with his coworkers. He never gets the answers he needs to service his customers.  The managers talk down to him like he's the scum of the earth.  He is frustrated and displays poor communication when speaking to the customers.  Why?  He HATES his job.  The managers treat him like gum that's stuck on the ground or cement.  This is when the corporate structure works incorrectly, which is typically the case.

The bottom line is the customer service representative is, in the customer's eyes, THE COMPANY.  The way the experience is with them will dictate how your revenue providers will view your products and services.  So, stop treating them horribly.  Train the other departments to view Customer Service as the blood of the company.  Doing this will increase employee retention, customer retention, and profits.

Now, let's look at the fun side.  When you begin a career in the music industry, money isn't in abundance.  If you have a dedicated team that's offering pro bono services, do what you can to show that they're appreciated.  Buy them a card, make them a card, write a song or poem about them, etc.  If they feel valued and appreciated, they will make sure that your fans are valued as well.  Your volunteers will go the extra 110% on your marketing, promotion, sales, branding, etc.  The fans will in turn transfer that satisfaction into sales or revenue for your musical career. 

Tale of the Haters

If you're doing something productive and positive, having haters is a consequence.  Think about every person you admire or look up to.  You've heard several negative things about them, in spite of their success.  For those of you who don't know, a hater spends an excessive amount of time speaking negatively about you.  They hope to look bigger and better than they really are.  In addition, they tell everyone they know about you.  This can definitely be quite nerve wrecking.  No fear!!!  I've developed a list of the top 3 pros and cons of haters.

Pros

1.  Promotion- You are getting free promotion.  The hater isn't smart enough to know that the majority of the people they speak to see right through them.  These people will do their research on you to gain their own opinion.  In terms of music, you are getting potential fans.  Fans turn into money!!!

2.  Confirmation- Your haters tend to be more active and the amount you have grows when you're obtaining success.  Your success is the topic of their conversation.  The more you succeed, the more in depth their conversations will be.


3.  Entertainment- This would probably be my favorite one.  The things they do are hilarious.  Personally, one of mine contacted one of my bff's to get to me.  Hilarious!  If this hater would devote the same amount of time to education, music, and self improvement, their success level would exponentially increase.

Cons

1.  Annoying- They are very annoying.  They pop up at the most inopportune times.  Their actions and words aren't educated.  In other words, they remind me of roaches or flies.

2.  Lack of common sense- Common sense isn't very common.  If it were, your haters would know that their actions don't stop anything.  In most cases, the more they hate, the more successful you become.  If I were a hater and didn't see effects of my hatred, I may choose another occupation.  Unfortunately, this type of thinking requires COMMON SENSE!!!

3.  Insecurity- Your haters don't like themselves.  The primary reason is because they're not you.  They don't act, walk, talk, or look like you.  The old saying, "Misery loves company" is very true.  Because of the way they see themselves, they must direct attention away from them.  A hater thinks that people will see them in a better light if they darken yours.  If the hater was comfortable with themselves, then they wouldn't wear the title of HATER!

So, embrace your haters.  Use them as a catalyst!  Continue to be successful!

Vlog 2: Esteemed Savor

Check out music from T-Ray

Self Esteem

Self esteem is a very selfish concept.  It doesn't involve a crowd of people.  Your friends need not take part.  Your family isn't included either.  This is all about you.  Unfortunately, many of us suffer from a significantly low level of self esteem.  We allow people to tell us how we look, what we think, how we feel.  If it were important to go by their views of you, then it would be called people esteem.  In addition, other people have motives, whether good or bad.  People will tell you things for a reason.  If they want you to feel good and positive, words will be geared to provoke those feelings.  On the contrary, if the wanted feelings are negative, then the necessary words will be used.  If you're one of the many people who suffer from low self esteem, then do something about it.  People feel the way they do about you because of how you feel about you.  So, change the way you feel and behave.  Begin everyday by looking in the mirror and telling yourself what you are.  Some examples are:  "I'm beautiful."  "I'm sexy."  "I'm successful."  "I'm smart."  "I'm attractive."  "I'm determined."  You get the drift.  In addition, begin to walk with your head up.  Even if life isn't going as easy as you liked, make sure you stop walking around with your head down.  You already know what grass looks like!!!  LOL.  Seriously, begin to do these things and your life will change forever!