 The four Cs of Great Solo Careers
Music Ministry Millennia's-Generation Y
The Generation Y-millennia's have reached the Music venues across America. This is Generation Y, a force of as many as 70 million, and the first wave is just now embarking on their music careers — taking their place in an increasingly multigenerational workplace. The American Idols is evidence of citizens of generation Y.
The dilemma in this new age is that generation Y will not need to reference characteristics of previous solo giants. Generation Y s priorities are shaped by their observations of the previous generations. There is no consensus over the exact birth dates that define Gen Y, also known by some as echo boomers and millennials. But the broadest definition generally includes the more than 70 million Americans born 1977 to 2002. Generation X was born roughly 1965 to 1976. Narrower definitions put Gen Yers as those ages 16 to 27, born from 1978 to 1989. This narrower view is based on the thinking that as the pace of change in society accelerates, the time frame of a generation gets shorter. Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking
Generation Y Music Ministry soloist have:
1. High expectations of self: They aim to work faster and better than other workers.Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking
2. High expectations of employers: They want fair and direct managers who are highly engaged in their professional development.Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking
3. Ongoing learning: They seek out creative challenges and view colleagues as vast resources from whom to gain knowledge.
4. Immediate responsibility: They want to make an important impact on Day
5. Goal-oriented: They want small goals with tight deadlines so they can build up ownership of tasks. Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking
6. They have financial smarts.They care about such benefits as 401(k) retirement plans."We are willing and not afraid to challenge the status quo," she says. "An environment where creativity and independent thinking are looked upon as a positive is appealing to people my age. We're very independent and tech savvy."
7. Work-life balance isn't just a buzz word "My generation is much more realistic. We were in college when we saw the whole dot-com bust."Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking
8. Change, change, change. Generation Yers don't expect to stay in a job, or even a career, for too long — they've seen the scandals that imploded Enron and Arthur Andersen, and they're skeptical when it comes to such concepts as employee loyalty, Tulgan says.Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking
9. Conflicts over casual dress workplace flexibility and other qualities generally attractive to Gen Y. At Abbott Laboratories in Chicago, recruiters are reaching out to college students by telling them about company benefits such as flexible work schedules, telecommuting, full tuition reimbursement and an online mentoring tool.Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking
10. Perks and recruitment-Aflac, an insurer based in Columbus, Ga., is highlighting such perks as time off given as awards, flexible work schedules and recognition.Source: Bruce Tulgan of RainmakerThinking
There are potential conflicts between the competing generations. The chitlin' circuit of previous generations will not be a common experience between the generation Y and previous generations.
The "chitlin' circuit" was the collective name given to the string of venues throughout the eastern and southern United States, such as the Cotton Club and Victory Grill, that were safe and acceptable for African American musicians, comedians, and other entertainers to perform at during the age of racial segregation in the United States. The starting place of entertainers such as Cab Calloway, Duke Ellington, Ray Charles, The Supremes, Ike & Tina Turner, George Benson, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Patti LaBelle, Jimi Hendrix, Gladys Knight & the Pips, Otis Redding, The Isley Brothers, and The Jackson 5, the chitlin' circuit (which derives its name from the soul food item chitterlings: boiled pig intestines) was the main way of seeing many popular black acts before the days of integration. Chitlin' circuit - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Generation Y will not have to reference Rev. James Cleveland, Bobby Jones, or Kirk Franklin in order to be successful church soloist. Yet this generation Y is destined doomed to make some some of the same errors in their generation. Analysis of the past will teach generation may lessons.
What are the attributes of a successful solo career?
The four Cs of Great Solo Careers
Compatibility Character, Competent, & Comedy
The purpose of your solo gift is to give God pleasure. The solo gift of God brings Him joy. God will exchange His please with a gift to us. His presence is His gift to us. The presence of God brings us Joy. Every soloist that has dedicated their gift to God has benefited from the gift of His presence.
Your goal for your solo career is to finish your career without showing scars. 2 Timothy 4:7-8 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. 6-8You take over. I'm about to die, my life an offering on God's altar. This is the only race worth running. I've run hard right to the finish, believed all the way. All that's left now is the shouting—God's applause! Depend on it, he's an honest judge. He'll do right not only by me, but by everyone eager for his coming.
Ethel Waters, Soloist, Billy Graham crusade 1955
1) Your soloist distinction is found in
a) Ownership-the soloist gift belongs to God
b) Pleasing and pleasuring God
c) Your differences from any other singer
d) Your worship of God
e) Your intimacy with God
1. Tony Bennett says: ….Mimi Speer on 52nd Street taught me popular music and taught me to imitate musicians rather than other singers so I wouldn't sound like somebody else and be one of the chorus of some famous star. She said, "You listen to the musicians on 52nd Street and pick out." I liked Art Tatum on piano and then Stan Getz. He had a beautiful honey sound. And Lester Young. Those three artists really gave me my start. Bennett: Well, the singers -- you know, Frank Sinatra was the rage in those days and his big competition was a guy called Dick Haynes and then there was Billy Eckstine. They were so popular that she said, "If you just sing like they do and imitate their voices, you're going to sound like one of the chorus because everybody's doing that". She said, "To be an individual, listen to musicians and listen to what they're doing and imitate musicians rather than the singers." It was a very creative teacher that told me what to do about just being myself. When you listen -- like Billie Holiday was singing on that street. There would always be sold-out houses whenever she sang. When you listen to her, you realize that she's not doing anybody else but Billie. You listen to Billie and that's it. Because she was herself and that's what makes you different. In those days, if you were different, you got a good shot at becoming successful, but you just got to be yourself.
There is a downside to every solo gift. Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread Till you return to the ground, For out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return.” The ground will sprout thorns and weeds, you'll get your food the hard way, Planting and tilling and harvesting, sweating in the fields from dawn to dusk, Until you return to that ground yourself, dead and buried; you started out as dirt, you'll end up dirt."
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