I call this blog “On The Road” because it chronicles our experiences out here. There are good times, rough times, challenges with venues and moving equipment across the country. The fact is, Life goes on out here – people get sick; mechanical problems happen; clothes need to be washed; hair needs to be cut; bills have to be paid, etc. And that’s just out here. Life at home still goes on as well, even when we’re not there – mail has to be picked up; appointments have to be made; house maintainance must be done; connection with friends needs to be developed, etc. This is our life and it’s not for everyone.
What most people don’t think about is the fact that, when we’re on the road, we are doing more than only performing. That’s the smallest part of what we do! In order to pull together a tour, routing is incredibly important to make it profitable. THAT requires lots of work well in advance.
Everyone on our team has responsibilities apart from “acutal performing.” Wayne attempts to maintain the office while we are gone but there are many things that each of us have to do. Each show has to be “advanced” so they are ready when we arrive; newspaper, radio and television interviews have to be arranged and coordinated so get maximum exposure for the show; illusions have to be maintained because they are constantly being used; marketing materials have to be designed and printed; music has to be edited and loaded into the computers (this is NOT a one time thing but a constant update to the show); phone calls and emails have to be answered; and so much more. And that’s just the SHOW! We also have to deal with all the “normal” things in our personal lives – friends, family, bills, appointments, etc.
Because we are a completely self-contained operation, everything in the business is handled “in house” and I like it that way. Call me a control freak but I want to know about everything that’s going on with this business.
In addition to actually traveling and performing the shows in our 05/06 tour, I am busy returning phone calls and emails (hundreds of them sometimes) to potential sponsors of our show for 06/07. We are especially blessed because we book our shows 12-18 months in advance but that requires a lot of planning. Currently I am wrapping up our bookings for next year – a tour that will take us across the U.S. in the fall, back to Asia in the winter, across the U.S. again in the spring and end in Australia in early summer.
My day generally starts out the same, whether on the road or at home. I’m up early and spend some time reading and meditating on the things that are important to me – my faith, my wife, my family, my friends, my job – and how I can improve each of these to have a positive impact.
Each of us make sacrifices to be out here. Our personal lives take the biggest hit because it’s difficult to build deep friendships with people when you’re gone most of the time. That’s one of the reasons why the “team” dynamic is so important. We are co-workers, friends and family. This is our life – in a nutshell.