"But I don't have any fans"

By Vidas Pinkevicius (get free updates of new posts here)​​​​​​

I could not believe it. She was looking at me with the expression of helplessness in her eyes.

It was around 10 am on Friday morning in our church. I was just finishing broadcasting my practice of BWV 548 (we did the same with Ausra's BWV 552 later in the afternoon).

Before I even stopped playing, this live broadcast was viewed more than 150 times.

That's not a lot, in pop music standards where any video can go viral to millions of people. But to me it was significant.

And I wanted to share this experience so that others could apply in their work too.

In front of me was this student with her professor ready to have a lesson on our organ.

I showed them my laptop with the video replay on Facebook and told how fast the audience is growing from the live video.

I explained them that they too could record their practice and/or performance and build their tribe this way.

This girl only said, "But I don't have any fans."

Of course she doesn't.

I didn't have them too when I started this blog back in December of 2011.

​I started from scratch.

The first ten subscribers came on December 5, 7, 8, 9, 14, 15, 15, 17, 18, and 19.

At first one a day, then 2, then 3 and so on.

With time, generosity, commitment, connection and persistence anyone can do it.

But will they?

A lot of people will choose to wait until somebody would pick them. Waiting for the phone to ring.

If only I had 1000 true fans...

I'm sorry but it doesn't work this way anymore.

So this student who is just at the start of her organ experience has the same chance to succeed as 10000 other organists.

Whom would you call, if you were in charge, if you had to offer recital opportunities?

If two people had approximately the same level of skill, training and talent in organ playing, would you pick the one who is waiting and hiding behind her excuses?

Or would you choose someone who is constantly putting herself on the line, failing, trying, succeeding and failing again all in front of the eyes of many people whom she's not even met physically?

The one who says to herself, "I'm not talented/trained/rich/young/beautiful/insert your excuse/ enough?"

Or the one who is showing up day after day, helping, leading and empowering people?

Anyway, enough for today, we're off to the church for BACH-322 recital tonight to continue building our tribe.