Adventures #38: All the pieces matter
Saturdays in the record store, circa 1999.
On a cold Monday evening in early January, I was in my kitchen idly stirring a risotto. To pass the time, I idly scrolled through my Twitter feed.
Suddenly, something stopped me in my tracks.
I had to read it three times before it made sense. It felt incongruous, an error, some kind of awful meme.
Somebody I knew had passed away, far too young.
We hadn’t spoken for years, but over the following couple of days it really hit me.
My mind went back there again and again; nearly 20 years in the past to the record store where we worked together.
I’d always recognised that chapter as part of my origin story, but it was only now I saw the missing pieces… the missing people. Without him and his rare blend of enthusiasm, humour, generosity, and patience, it’s unlikely I would have built the confidence to go out and follow the path I did.
The path that led me to diving into new musical discoveries, to entrepreneurship, to like minds in music and beyond.
The path that even led me to my wife: the one asking me what’s wrong as the risotto burns in the pan and I stare into the middle distance, suddenly realising it was something to be thankful for, and that I now cannot ever thank him.
All this is to say: sometimes the pieces that matter most are those we may not even realise are pieces in the first place.
All the pieces matter.
Thanks for reading, and always I'd love to hear what's got your attention right now.
Howard
www.howardgray.net | @howardgray
// CAREER FUEL
I always railed against traditional education - long lectures, campus cliques, and storied alumni. Today there are some new flavours of alumni, and they're leveling the playing field too.
> Read more
How to get rich without getting lucky
Here's the full version of Naval Ravikant's popular Twitter thread and podcast series on how to get rich without getting lucky.
> Read more
Also:
> Here's a snapshot of me riffing on Hidden Networks at Comcast HQ in Philadelphia. Drop me a note if you want the full deck.
> Opening Credits: figuring out how to position ourselves in and around our work.
> The 4 Workshop Mindsets: how to set yourself up for workshop success.
// MEDIA & ENTERTAINMENT
The man spending $1bn to own every pop song
I ran a music publishing company for a bit - it's a fascinating business but still has a lot of opacity issues and a steep learning curve for the uninitiated.
As well as betting on writers, part of Merck Mercuriadis' move is to reframe the business as 'song management'. Smart rebranding can go a long way.
> Read more
5 ways music changed in the 2010s
Shorter songs, the resurgence of the Denbow rhythm, the anti-chorus, and more.
I reckon the authors are spot-on about their prediction for this decade - we'll see more attempts to forge closer connections via the spoken word.
> Read more
Also: As Disney officially takes over 20th Century Fox, here's the story of Fox's founder. Perhaps they should make it into a movie...
// JUKEBOX
Cause4Concern - White Widow
The person I wrote about at the top of this edition was called Edd Holmes, and he was a very accomplished music producer.
Here's my favourite bit from him and his drum&bass production crew C4C: a slice of underground future funk called White Widow.
Turn it up, and watch that bassline.
> Listen
> Spread the word: Who are 2 smart and curious people you know who would find this email interesting? I'd be delighted if you could forward it on to them.
// FOOTNOTES
Other things I've been up to this month:
- Kicking off the Workshop Creator cohort: We have people across 3 continents leveling up their skills in content design, facilitation and presentation skills, and all supporting a bunch of nonprofits while they're at it. I've learnt a ton already.
- Spending some time in Madrid & Seville (I miss you, Europe!), and making a new friend on the way back to Madrid airport.
- Doing our tax returns. Nuff said.
This is an email digest from me - Howard. I'm an educator, coach and project builder based in NYC.
This monthly dispatch collates a few of the things I've found interesting across education, entrepreneurship, and entertainment.
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