MASTER ONE THING! - PART 1 (OF 2)

Feb 20, 2008 - 17:20 PM PST

In Quincy Jones’s autobiography he writes, “Master one thing and it will take you around the world.” I love Quincy, and I love this quote! For young artists at the beginning of their creative journey, his words couldn’t be more inspiring or relevant!

When Quincy encourages us to master one thing, he’s not suggesting that we lock ourselves in a closet and tune out the rest of the world. He is, rather, encouraging us to commit to the development of a core competency, or skill base.

One of the barriers to this kind of competency is the sheer volume of avenues and options available to you. If you are one of those people who have the talent to do many different things, be careful. The ability to learn new skills without much effort could work against you in the long run. Don’t be a “jack of all trades, master of none.”

I’ve worked with more musicians than I can begin to count. Many are really, really good. Few are great! The difference between good and great is focus. That’s the thread that all the best of the best hold in common: Charlie Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, Keith Moon, Aretha Franklin, Bob Marley, Peter Gabriel, etc. Each found one thing for which they had passion, and then drove that passion further than anyone else was willing to go. That’s the difference!

Quincy was a good trumpet player. When he committed to mastering arrangements and compositions he became great. With greatness comes opportunity! In Quincy’s case, he became one of the most influential music producers of all time; he was the first African American to be awarded an executive position at a major label; he testified as an expert before congress; and he raised millions of dollars as a philanthropist. All of this because he remained committed to mastering one thing.

I believe at the heart of every person is the desire to make an impact. Mastering one thing is truly the ticket to the rest of the world. To get there, you must stay focused, practice intelligently and most of all have fun! And, as I heard Quincy say at a graduation ceremony a few years back, “Don’t let anybody give you #*%$!”

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