Derek Jordan's Blog

What is the most anticipated follow up album right now? (example: Muse's follow up to "Resistance")

2011-05-21T14:55:00.001-07:00

What is the most anticipated follow up album right now? (example: Muse's follow up to "Resistance")

Answer here

Name a bad habit you've been able to kick.

2011-05-05T01:13:00.001-07:00

Name a bad habit you've been able to kick.

Answer here

New WebFest Tour Video! Put Your Hands UP!

2011-01-25T15:00:00.000-08:00

Everyone starts somewhere. Video of Muse Playing Battle of the Bands in 1994!

2011-01-25T14:00:00.000-08:00

Music of Creed Saves Boy from Wolf Attack

2011-01-25T11:20:00.000-08:00

Pulled from http://exploremusic.com/wtf/music-of-creed-saves-boy-from-wolve-attack/

Last week, a 13 year-old Norwegian boy named Walter Eikrem was walking home from school in the town of Rakkesad when four wolves crossed his path. This is the last thing you want to see.

But rather than run away or use his cell phone to call for help, Walter merely unplugged his headphones, turned the volume way up and sprayed the wolves with Creed’s “Overcome” at full blast. (Some reports insist it was Megadeth, but the Creed story is funnier. Let’s go with that.)

The wolves looked at each other—and then just walked away. They didn’t seemed scared or anything. It was more like “This kid likes Creed. Bad taste probably equals tastes bad.”

No comment from Creed. I wonder if their music works on bears?

Coachella 2011 Lineup Announced!

2011-01-19T10:00:00.000-08:00

Track Your New Year's Resolutions

2011-01-06T10:00:00.000-08:00

43 Things is a really cool website I came across a couple years ago. I forgot about it until now. You can post and share your resolutions and update your progress for others to read. Check the site out here http://www.43things.com/ Give it a try!

Which person are you: Someone that loves to win or hates to lose?

2010-10-18T01:23:00.001-07:00

Which person are you: Someone that loves to win or hates to lose?

Answer here

What emotion motivates you more than anything else?

2010-10-17T19:38:00.001-07:00

What emotion motivates you more than anything else?

Answer here

What is the most inspiring movie of all-time?

2010-09-25T13:30:00.001-07:00

What is the most inspiring movie of all-time?

Answer here

Three names U go by ?

2010-09-20T22:31:00.001-07:00

Besides Derek: DJ, DRock, & DEagle (which only a few people know about)

Ask me anything

What inspires you to make your music?

2010-09-16T21:58:00.001-07:00

Many things! Mostly the way people think. I write a lot about how people's minds are wired, how they are fixated and can't bend. In a World where you are told what to think, I believe in freedom of thought. Beauty, history, and triumph also inspire me to write a lot.

Thanks for the question : )

Ask me anything

What's your favorite drink?

2010-08-04T23:00:00.001-07:00

Lobster juice

Ask me anything

What video game have you played the most?

2010-08-02T01:18:00.001-07:00

Ninja Turtles II

Ask me anything

2010-07-13T21:46:00.001-07:00

"The world is a dangerous place, not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing." - Einstein

Lyrics to new song due out next week!

2010-05-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

These are the lyrics to a new song I'm releasing next week called "Conquer the Night". The song is one I'm very excited to share next week. It is about the peaceful stars looking upon us and wondering how a little blue dot can contain so much strife. Only members of my mailing list will be able to download it for free. If you want to be a member, sign up at www.derekjordanmusic.com.

Conquer the Night

Constellations
Watch our nations
Make mistakes year after year

Nothing is empty
Blackholes breathe you
Big or small you attract it all

Stars don’t fight
Over space real estate
They don’t cry
They conquer the night

Looks like a blue dot
Sometimes its red hot
Fights like the eye of Jupiter

Polax and Castro
Balance the skyline
When night falls, they conquer it all

Stars don’t fight
Over space real estate
They don’t cry
They conquer the night

They don't fight
They conquer the night
They don't fight
They conquer the night

Stars don’t fight
Over space real estate
They don’t cry
They conquer the night

What I Believe In

2010-05-03T22:33:00.000-07:00

I believe in dreams
I believe in pushing yourself
I believe in hope
I believe in destiny
I believe in love
I believe in freedom of thought
I believe in making your own choices
I believe in music as the universal language
I believe in working as a team
I believe in self reflection
I believe in equality
I believe in change
I believe in sacrifice
I believe in being bigger than our bodies
I believe in compassion
I believe in passion
I believe in humanity
I believe in identity
I believe in myself
I believe in you
I believe in miracles
I believe in living life to the fullest
I believe in never undermining yourself
I believe in practice
I believe in The Secret
I believe in significance
I believe in determination
I believe in all disputes coming from lack of clear communication
I believe in The Four Agreements
I believe in time travel
I believe in gratitude
I believe in God
I believe in knowledge
I believe in laughter
I believe in smiles
I believe in taking chances
I believe in uncertainty
I believe in treasures
I believe in pirates
I believe in liberation

30 Seconds to Mars - Beautiful Lie (Derek Jordan)

2010-04-21T01:11:00.000-07:00

This is a cover to Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds to Mars. I claim no rights to it : )

Pictures from my "Humanist" CD Release Show!!

2010-04-17T15:35:00.000-07:00

The Humanist CD Release Show was Amazing!! I uploaded the pictures here http://tinyurl.com/y8x5by5

Download Full New EP, "Humanist", for Free!

2010-03-28T23:07:00.000-07:00

Good evening Planet Earth (and Jupiter),

My new EP, "Humanist", is free for everyone to download in full! Get it while its hot....tssss (sizzling sound)!

Timeline of Revolutions

2010-03-16T22:36:00.000-07:00

2010-03-15T20:21:00.001-07:00

Never thought I'd say this, but I'm going to cut down on my coffee intake.

2010-03-15T17:22:00.001-07:00

Read my new interview with @musicgoat! http://ping.fm/K0N9Q

2010-03-12T18:16:00.001-08:00

my girlfriend asked me, "what would you do without my brain?". my reply, "I'd be a lot smarter."

2010-03-11T09:20:00.001-08:00

a highschool prom was cancelled because a girl was going to bring her girlfriend dressed in a tuxedo. what a stupid school for cancelling.

2010-03-10T14:30:00.001-08:00

who writes in cursive anymore?

Favorite Blog of the Week: music is art

2010-03-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

music is art is an awesome blog that showcases beautiful, inspiring music and captivating, powerful pictures. The site is dedicated to spreading passion and meaning through the arts. Definitely my kind of blog because there is an intellectual and loving personal element to it, including shared thoughts on depression and toxic people.

Check it out music is art

2010-03-09T14:45:00.001-08:00

If you go there in the mind, you'll go there in the body.

2010-03-07T19:37:00.001-08:00

as you watch the oscars, take note of how many first time winners talk about a dream come true. they started out like me and you.

Don't Lose Hope - I won't let you

2010-03-07T12:31:00.000-08:00

We were brought up in this world thinking that life would wait for us. We felt that time could sit still and we could put things off. This is what we were taught. We've realized, we were wrong. Time does not sit still and life's moments flash in rapid succession. We were dreamers without a dream. High School was boring but safe. College was fun but scary. Now where are you? Is this where you thought you would be? It is never too late to change but always too late to wait. I want to push you my friends. I want you to build your own life, and not let it build you by strapping together mismatched pieces.

My God, this gift is for us. The gift is life. LIFE. The ability to breathe and live. To dream and become. I don't want to see any more tears because you are scared. I don't want to see you hopeless when you feel all hope is lost. I don't want you to feel that safety is the only option. Please, I beg you, don't let this life go abandoned. Sure you've collected dust, lost your mind, we all have. I know how you constantly try to get back the things you were, but we can't relive the past. Everything is now. Take the steps to ensure that now is right with you and how you always envisioned it would be. It cannot wait. Don't put it off to 2011. Don't put it off to 2012. Now is all that exists.

2010-03-04T12:09:00.001-08:00

if a girl can where their hair at any length than a guy should be able to as well

2010-03-04T09:38:00.001-08:00

apparently NO ONE in LA knows about safety and doorknob

2010-03-03T23:22:00.001-08:00

I will not let you settle for less than you are

2010-03-03T11:59:00.001-08:00

I dont hide things back. I'm comfortable to talk about anything.

2010-03-03T10:57:00.001-08:00

well the capitals are looking extremely deep by adding walker and belanger now. hopefully pens wont have to face them in the playoffs

2010-03-02T23:20:00.001-08:00

if its been done before its not rocket science

8 Led Zeppelin riffs in less than 1 Minute - Derek Jordan

2010-02-28T13:57:00.001-08:00

2010-02-25T17:36:00.001-08:00

here's a question for you: why do we turn on those closest to us when we are faced with conflict?

We Love Celebrity Death

2010-02-22T21:22:00.000-08:00

It is so lame how much we care about celebrity babies. How they're dressed and their names. Why do we need to stay "up-to-date" on these things? You see them on the front cover of People Magazine and go gaga-gewgew over it. Do you want to know what makes us go even crazier?? When the celebrity babies are too much of a responsibility for the celebrity parents i.e. Brittany Spears. Then everyone really eats it up. In general, we love to see celebrities hardships and failures. Why? I think its because it makes us feel better about ourselves and our lives. BUT...when a celebrity dies, the whole celebrity-loving world cries, as if they loved them all along. The best example of this is Michael Jackson. How many people ridiculed him on his looks and loved to read about the newest scandals surrounding him? Then when he died, all of sudden everyone who initially made fun of him acted like they loved and supported him all along. This is nonsense.

My new song, "Until We Fall", is about just that: We cry, when someone completely falls, but ridicule him on his way down. I think you'll enjoy the song. Listen below and download it for free.

New EP "Humanist" released! Get two songs free...Now!

2010-02-21T20:48:00.000-08:00

WE NEED A CHANGE from polished pop, reality tv, and slaving away in corporate offices! No where in the sky is there a blackboard that says what you can and can not be and do in life. Through growing up, pop culture, and the media, we are told what to think and expect. Derek Jordan's music fights to change all of this nonsense. With the influences of Pearl Jam, Nirvana, and Muse, he is a true leader of cultural revolution and wants you to have his music for free.

The moment you've been waiting for, the new EP "Humanist" by Derek Jordan has arrived. Staying true to Derek's passion for social psychological change, "Humanist" pushes your buttons even more. He challenges your beliefs and encourages your dreams.

Songs "Liberate You" and "Worry About Your Own" are true anthems for today's fighters for change. Walls of rock guitars and powerful vocals, lead you feeling the depth and ambitions of every song on the EP, each crafted and orchestrated to serve the purpose of uniting humanity.

Stay connected and be a part of Derek Jordan's quest in spreading a liberated society, where you can be and do anything you want. When you sign up for his monthly newsletter below, you will gain access to four free songs...Instantly!

2010-02-18T10:25:00.001-08:00

I'm giving away music today! www.derekjordanmusic.com/freedownloads

Will You Be A Leader?

2010-02-13T17:57:00.000-08:00

This video by Seth Godin about leading a movement by challenging the status quo and creating a tribe of believers through leadership is brilliant!

The Doors - People Are Strange (Derek Jordan)

2010-02-02T01:44:00.000-08:00

NEW EP Racing to the Finish Line

2010-01-20T23:05:00.000-08:00

TIME: 11:07 PM PT
LOCATION: TOP SECRET

We are doing the final mixing touches to my new EP, "Humanist", as I type this! The final bounces are taking place and will be sent off to be mastered in the next hour. Extremely looking forward to finishing and sharing these 5 new songs with everyone! I've spent the last three months recording the songs. I'm deciding on a LA venue for the cd release show. Any suggestions??

We have a Voice

2009-11-16T22:52:00.000-08:00

The times are changing. I can feel it. Not the type of change that is political or economical, but the type that deals with social revolution. We want to be heard. We want a voice in our lives. We are tired of being told what to do and how to think. We are tired of being taught the rights, wrongs, guidelines, and rules in life. This is a change of independence. Not from country or religion, but from our upbringing and social environment.

Actually, its more like social "evolution". We are evolving. We no longer think like one entity. We are evolving to think for ourselves. Its kind of like modern enlightenment. Today's social medias like Facebook, Twitter, etc. have definitely helped create this. We are able to read everyone's own opinions instead of those pushed upon us by current trends illustrated by conventional media or the households, cities, states, and classrooms we were raised in. Trends do catch on quicker due to online media but I believe they will become less and less culturally dominating as we better understand ourselves and what we are here to do with our lives.

We are at a crossroads, where many feel uncertain of who they want to be and what they want to do. But this is changing. I want it to change. I want everyone to know who they are and what they want to do. I see too many people unhappy with where they are in life. There can be a time where everyone knows exactly what they are doing, the reasons and the purposes. No one should feel lost, mislead, or betrayed if they lead themselves and not follow the footprints that lead nowhere. We don't want to dread Monday's anymore. We don't want TV shows to be the highlight of our week anymore. We don't want to only have two days off a week for the rest of our lives. We don't want to look back and ask ourselves, "Where did the time go?" We don't want to be told what we can and can't wear. We don't want to have to learn what doesn't interest us. We want to do what WE WANT TO DO!

At the end of your life, nothing else will matter except knowing that you did everything the way you wanted. At that point, you'll realize there is no beginning or end to life. The way you lived is eternal.

In honor of Halloween, free download of Dancing Vampires!

2009-10-31T13:22:00.000-07:00

Need some Halloween-esque rock music to pump you up as you get ready to go out tonight? Go to www.derekjordanmusic.com/music to grab a free download of Dancing Vampires!

Top 10 Halloween Costumes 2009

2009-10-31T11:33:00.000-07:00

Video on the top 10 Halloween pop culture costumes for this year. We can expect to see a lot of these tonight.

Happy Halloween!

Why Derek Jordan Treats His Fans Better Than Anyone...

2009-10-23T18:20:00.000-07:00

Roll out the red carpets.....introducing the "Derek Jordan Deal"!!

Da da da da!

Everyone that goes to one of my shows gets a free sticker, but........

*If you bring 1 friend that has never been to one of my shows before, you get a free sticker plus a free song download card.

*If you bring 2 friends that has never been to one of my shows before, you get a free sticker, free song download card, and a free full lenth cd!

*If you bring 3 friends that has never been to one of my shows before, you get a free sticker, free song download card, free full length cd, and a free t-shirt!!

*If you bring 4 friends that has never been to one of my shows before, you get The Ultimate Fan Package!! Which includes a free sticker, free song download card, free full length cd, free t-shirt, guitar pick used on stage, autographed flyer, and a picture with you and me to be put on my myspace, blog and website!!!

2009-10-13T14:48:00.001-07:00

Have 100 pgs left to read in Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol and shit is going down!

2009-10-12T22:05:00.001-07:00

in the studio with @seanrockcity working on the beast

2009-10-12T18:30:00.001-07:00

if the prophecy of 2012 comes true will health care still matter to you?

2009-10-12T11:50:00.001-07:00

apparently there's a Dr. Nelson giving sick ederly patients my phone number. I get messages from them everyday.

2009-10-12T11:42:00.001-07:00

first rain I've felt in Los Angeles since April. A drizzle but exciting!

2009-10-11T23:09:00.001-07:00

If Ben Harper and Jack Black came out with an album together, would you buy it?

2009-10-11T23:03:00.001-07:00

watching Jack Black play with Ben Harper on Jay Leno

2009-10-11T22:30:00.001-07:00

"As we bomb the moon in search for water." never thought I'd hear those words in my lifetime.

2009-10-10T20:34:00.001-07:00

My radio visit with ISGOODRADIO.com was awesome today! Missed it? U can hear the whole performance & interview @ http://tinyurl.com/yko7vfe.

2009-10-10T16:41:00.001-07:00

Busy like a bee making honey

2009-10-10T15:41:00.001-07:00

A little behind, but watching the MTV VMA's 2009. Pink you rock SO hard! If you haven't seen http://ping.fm/y0z9Y

2009-09-28T01:46:00.001-07:00

Holy crap! Two of my songs are on the Official Ballot for the 2010 Grammy Awards! Dead serious.

Does Space have Limits?

2009-09-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

So I was watching the show "10 Ways to Destroy the Earth" on the History Channel and it got me thinking about space, which happens to boggle my mind more than anything else. As humans, we can't imagine anything without limits. Space has no limits. It doesn't end. If it did, than what is beyond it? It can't just be white space or nothing, it has to be something. But how does it go forever? How does it never end? And what did it start from and begin?

This led to even a more unfathomable question. How old is space? Does space have an age? If you think about space being there forever, how is that possible? You feel like it had to start sometime. But if it did start sometime, what was there before space? How can it just exist out of nothing?

It is impossible for us to imagine something with no beginning and no end. This is something that just can't be explained. We try to make reason out of everything. This cannot be explained and if its something we don't know how to explain but exists, doesn't that change the way you approach others things in life?

2009-09-15T23:11:00.001-07:00

Audio of President Obama calling Kanye a 'Jackass' http://bit.ly/16mqkl

Jesus does not walk with Kanye West

2009-09-14T02:08:00.000-07:00

I usually don't rat on someone, because, frankly, it isn't worth my time or energy, but Kanye West is completely disrespectful. What he did to Taylor Swift during the VMAs was absurd and uncalled for. The story of Taylor Swift is moving and inspiring. The story of Kanye West is laughable. This is a young, talented girl that dreamed of the very moment to accept a MTV award like all of us musicians do. I guarantee she has envisioned giving an acceptance speech countless times. This Kanye joke stripped her from that moment. If anyone had done that to him, I can assure you he'd NEVER live it down.

He left Taylor defeated on stage. When you ruin someone else's dreams at the expense of your own, you fail. You fail to understand the essence of dreams. You fail to understand life. You fail to realize that life is bigger than you and that when you don't serve others, no one will serve you.

This guy, Kanye, has no talent, just watch his poor SNL performance. He can't hit a note above an tugboat horn. He can't play an instrument. He can't even write a decent song.

Look, I have a big ego, but my ego cares for people, a compassionate ego that is fueled by helping and encouraging others. Kanyesmuck's ego is completely full of himself, and those types don't last long. Chad Johnson, Terrel Owens, Clownface West, they all struggle for acceptance. They continue to cry that no one gives them respect. Gee, I wonder why! Because you respect no one else!

Let's put this guy in his place and all agree not to buy a single one of his songs. Once everyone discontinues to buy his songs, he'll be apologizing to everyone and begging for love. Jesus would be ashamed of you Kanye. You should be ashamed of yourself. You don't belong in the music industry. You don't deserve my words.

2009-09-14T00:35:00.001-07:00

ANNOUNCEMENT: Download my album "Identity" for a mere one dollar only until September 30 and only at www.derekjordanmusic.com/music

Mighty Morphin Power Ranger to fight in MMA

2009-09-02T21:38:00.000-07:00

You guys remember the Green Ranger, right? Tommy. He was bad, only to have his brain control from Lord Zed uplifted by the other rangers, and then turned good! Yea that guy. No more puddies for him. Now he'll be doing the real thing, MMA style!

When interviewed about morphin' into MMA material, he said, "I know I have a target on my back. Everyone is going to want to beat up the Green Ranger."

Here's the music video to the Power Ranger theme song. Hilarious! Was this guy also the White Ranger?

2009-08-30T13:19:00.001-07:00

Fires are submissive. Firefighters are relentless.

2009-08-30T13:09:00.001-07:00

The Battle of Los Angeles is ragging in the hills. Next time you feel too lazy to get off the couch, think about these firefighters!

2009-08-30T11:02:00.001-07:00

I can see a wildfire from my apartment. Like 3 miles away.

2009-08-29T17:16:00.001-07:00

Derek Jordan - Halloween theme song on guitar http://ping.fm/BH9hz

Right vs. Wrong

2009-08-17T18:58:00.000-07:00

Once upon a time, man walked the Earth with no preconception of "right" or "wrong". He did what he wanted and when he wanted. As man began to develop his knowledge for his surroundings, he began to evaluate. Evaluation is among the higher levels of intelligence, much higher than memorization. By evaluating, mankind collectively discovered that there were two ways to do things, the "right" way and the "wrong" way. At first he figured it out for himself, which was good, but as it was passed down from generation to generation the "right" way became the only way. If you did it any other way than the "right" way, you were wrong. People began to fear being wrong so much that they stopped trying to be anything but "right". And while they were acting with accordance to being "right" they did so in such a timid, insecure way, for the slightest mishap would cost them ridicule. Thus they stopped adapting the "right" way to their own preferences.

What does it mean to be right? What does it mean to be wrong? Is it satisfaction we are after? Most arguments arise solely on who is right and who is wrong. We have seen ourselves and each other argue over the dumbest, most insignificant things, like the "right" way to cook something, or the "wrong" way to iron a shirt.

I encourage you not to worry about the "right" or "wrong" way. Just do it YOUR way. Your way should be uninfluenced by whats right or wrong. Instead it should be decided by you because of the way you want to do it, regardless of what people may say. Your way is right to you. Your peers will scrutinize you because you don't do it their way, but that's just the way society is, and we can't change that. We can only change ourselves. I want a world where there is no right or wrong. There is simply 'do'. Where there is no right and wrong, there will be no discrepancies.

__________________________________________________________________

Don't miss Derek Jordan live at The Palms Bar this Thursday!!

Price:$15 at door, $10 through VIP

Date:Thursday, August 20, 2009

Time:9:30pm - 10:30pm

Location:The Palms Bar

Street:8572 Santa Monica Blvd.

City/Town:West Hollywood, CA

Description
This Thursday night, ROCK out at the Palms Bar with Derek Jordan as he unveils two of the songs from his upcoming EP "Humanist" for the FIRST TIME!!! He'll be accompanied with the same line up he took to Germany!

"With a commanding voice, Derek is simply one of the best in Indie music that is currently out."- Isaac Davis Jr., MBA, Juniors Cave Online Magazine

Jupiter the Savior! Giant "scar" on Jupiter spotted.

2009-07-25T19:23:00.000-07:00

My song, "Goodbye Jupiter", is a metaphor to escaping and letting go of dramatic gravity in life. BUT Jupiter may have just saved us!!!

A large comet or asteroid has slammed into the Jupiter, creating an impact site the size of Earth, pictures by an Australian amateur astronomer show.

NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory confirmed the discovery using its large infrared telescope at the summit of Mauna Kea in Hawaii, said computer programer Anthony Wesley, 44, who discovered the impact zone while stargazing at home.

Scientists claim that Jupiter is essential to the survival and evolution of an Earth-like planet. It protects Earth from meteors, comets, and asteroids the size of Earth itself!

Listen to Goodbye Jupiter here: http://identityarmy.wordpress.com/files/2009/07/derek-jordan-goodbye-jupiter.mp3

Back from Germany Invasion

2009-06-23T00:40:00.000-07:00

As I collapsed onto my bed, feverishly weak and exhausted from a grueling 12 hour sleepless plane ride from Germany, I wore the type of smile only capable by reward. I had just completed my first ever tour as a musician. This tour was in Germany, part of the unheralded group of bands on the Tryxo Indie Invasion Tour.

I experienced all of the feelings one would imagine of being on tour. From the thousands of screaming fans to the close camaraderie formed by the roster of musicians. From soundchecks and bus rides, to the beer guzzling celebrations afterwards.

The people of Germany welcomed us. They were so receptive to our music and became the sole purpose on which we played our asses off. They wore my handprint stickers as intended: on their chests, sleeves, and asses.

Growing up, aspiring to go on tour, these are the things you envision. My friends, this experience was amazing, rewarding, fulfilling, and encouraging. Encouraging because now I can grow even more as a musician. A more extensive encore tour to Germany is in the works for late October. There is much I have to do between now and then. Everything I do feels purposeful.

Help support the next Tryxo Germany tour by going to www.tryxo.com/derekjordan where you can buy many of my songs for $0.59 each. Tryxo is the ultimate supporter of independent music. All musicians who have music should join.

Sacrificial Sunday

2009-04-12T20:42:00.000-07:00

How far will you go to get what you want? Are you willing to risk your life for it? I can't imagine my life without being me. And being me is being truthful to myself. It is doing and striving to obtain what I want. A backup plan, option b, safety net, etc. that's not me. I am not a defective version of myself. I am me. I am the one who made sure that I would never settle for anything less than being a musician. I am the one that burned the bridge to safety and certainty land a long time ago. I am the seed that was planted in my brain at the age of 10, the seed that grew into a forest so thick, it can not be penetrated by any negativity and doubt coming from peers.

There is a reason why the one thing you bleed for is on top of the mountain. It is because you have to earn it. Life doesn't do you favors if you don't deserve it. The dream is on top of this mountain. And there is an abundance waiting for any one who wants it, they just have to reach it. The climb can be as easy as you make it out to be. If it is what you have your mind set on, then it feels effortless because you are driven. But for those that don't obtain it, they spread the rumors that it is hard and that the mountain is unclimbable just because they found it easier to quit and settle with certainty. They didn't reach the top of the mountain so how could they possibly know what the whole journey is like?

When you quit, do you know what happens? You take this one life you were given and convince yourself that you would rather avoid pain than fight for pleasure. You go through the rest of your life without the one thing you really wanted, without your dream. You stopped taking risks, and without risks, there are no rewards. Safety, certainty, comfort zones are not rewards. They will never bring you what you truly wanted when you still had the guts to dream. Your life should not be observing and envying those that obtained your dream. Sacrifice your comfort, your self pity, your laziness, and your short term pleasures. Fight for your dream. My God fight for your dream before your fields run dry and you become an "un-wakable".

This has nothing to do with politics...

2009-03-06T10:26:00.001-08:00

...but everything to do with you.

This is a story about change, hope, and happiness. I still have a day job (God is that still hard for me to type or admit) and at this day job I assist in managing a couple residential properties in Hollywood, CA. On Monday and Tuesday of this week, we had the LA Housing Department visit to do inspections in all 205 units at one of the buildings. I had first hand experience to see how 205+ different people live. It wasn't pretty. Some of the residents took great care of their possessions and where they live, but I saw some that were nightmares. Some apartments had so much crap inside that you couldn't see the furniture. For all I know, the crap was the furniture. One apartment was literally consumed with every news publication in the history of the printing press. WHY does one need to keep all of this? WHY do people clutter their lives so much that their life becomes clutter and then they die.

That's right, they die in clutter. Once one's life is cluttered it will never change unless they change. In comes Barack Obama. The symbol of change and hope. Have people expected him to unclutter their lives, take out misery, and give them a clean slate? I had a discussion with one of the residents at this apartment building about two months before the presidential election. This woman praised the difference Obama would make and how much better life would become. Obama was elected yet she remains the same. She was a miserable person before and is a miserable person now. The only difference besides Obama being elected, she's pregnant. In her cluttered apartment, she had many complaints about the building and not the inside of her apartment. This basically sums up the whole story, CHANGE COMES FROM INSIDE YOU AND NOT OUTSIDE INFLUENCES. Before she complained of the political climate, while she didn't take control of her self. Now that she can't complain about the political climate, she has others things to blame her misery on. BUT Obama was supposed to make her happy. NO. YOU are the captain of yourself my friend. OR ELSE, you'll end up living throughout 100 years of history, 100 years of newspapers piling up in your apartment that you were afraid to leave for the last 50 years of your life for fear of change. You welcomed and rooted for change outside of you, for Obama, for Gay rights, for natural preservation, for reduced gas prices, for higher employment rates, for your favorite tv shows, you welcomed all of these things you thought would make your life better. These things may come and go throughout history, throughout your life, taking the form of a sound wave. But they will never BE your life. No change on the outside can alter your circumstances unless you change YOURSELF on the inside. You are your own. You make your life. Stop wasting your energy on the outside if you reserve none for the inside. Stand up for YOURSELF.

What My Songs are About

2009-02-22T22:52:00.000-08:00

Wondering what my songs are about? These are the song insights of all 10 songs on my album, "Identity".

Goodbye Jupiter-
Jupiter is massive, in fact 1,320 Earth's can fit inside it. Jupiter serves as that huge void in your life, you can't seem to overcome. To me, it symbolizes a girl I really liked but couldn't get her to reciprocate. I thought I could change her, win her over, but it was a failed attempt. Saying "Goodbye" relieved that void in my life. After all, some scientists theorize that Jupiter was a failed star.

Vaccine-
The average person thinks as many as 50,000 thoughts a day. Many of these thoughts are negative and self-destructive. I believe that all of the inner tension in your life is created by your thoughts. Your thoughts make you ill and your thoughts make you cry. They make you stop short of your dreams and make you compromise for what you hate. The cure to all of this, the "Vaccine", is within you. It’s "Medicine in the wind."

She Wanted to Change-
This song is a tale of one woman reflecting on her past, present, and future stages of her life. Envision her looking in the mirror wondering why her life didn’t turn out the way she hoped. She searches deep within her eyes for the answers to how she let her life become what it is, where all the time has gone, and if it’s too late to change. What she doesn't understand is that, you can't expect a change if you continue doing the same things over and over again.

War with Your Love-
War associates with pain and love with pleasure, yet you can feel pain through pleasure and pleasure through pain. Love can be so fierce, it’s painful. It can be like a quest that requires an arsenal of artillery. It’s a chess match with no strategy, no rules, and no turns. I haven’t found love yet in my life, but the war for it won’t stop me from seeking it.

Rather Be Naked-
This song illustrates "Identity" at its finest. I would be more content having nothing and doing what I love than to have abundance doing what I hate. I am mine. I own myself and everything that blossoms in my life. I will never compromise to someone else's expectations of me. I will never surrender. As the chorus states, "Take off my clothes, I'd rather be naked, than to dress like you. Got a voice of my own, its not to be mistaken, to sound like you,” I am an individual embracing my identity.

Hold on Tight-
This song was inspired by the commotion of Hollywood city life outside, while I sat inside, alone. It’s a song of being a hopeless romantic, and how there are many of us that feel this way. For every bolstering laugh on the street, there's someone in their sweats, watching a TBS movie on a Friday night. For every toast raised in a nightclub, there's someone reading a book in bed on a Saturday night. The message is that, whatever loneliness you are feeling, it will pass if you hang in there. I better believe it because I find myself in the latter of the situations.

Dancing Vampires-
I wrote Dancing Vampires while reading the book "The Historian", which is a story of a man and his accomplices’ quest to find Dracula in present day Europe. I love history and all of its grit. This song speaks of primal human instincts. We are very spiritual human beings, deep human beings, and we feed on desire. The song is a trip. It attempts to take you on a spiritual journey of sacrifice, cravings, and passion.

I Don't Bite (Too Hard)-
Believe it or not, the main riff of this song was inspired by 50 Cent's "In Da Club" song. Now before you throw a hissy fit, know that I don't listen to rap. In fact, I don’t care for it. The content of the song is about evolution. There are two things that boggle my mind more than anything: space and evolution. No matter how many technological advancements we make, we will always be animals. Within us lies all the same primal behaviors and desires as the tiger that's locked in its cage. We thirst, hunger, lust, and drool. This is the most sexual song in the album. As humans evolve, our behaviors remain the same.

Geronimo-
Perhaps one of my favorite historical figures is Geronimo. He was a leader by rebellion. Historical figures such as he can never be erased. The song relates to our desire to be something more than our bodies. It’s a longing of significance, where our name fills the atmosphere until the sun burns out. You can catch a man, hunt him down, cause him pain, stretch his face, but you can’t erase his name.

Living for Two-
This is the most personal song of the album. It deals with my struggle to kill the side of me that doesn't align with who I aspire to become. The best of me is within me, but so is the worst of me. We all have habits that are destructive to our emotions and outcomes. You may not realize this, but they can be as simple as how you drink your coffee in the morning. Maybe these dual personalities keep you on your feet. After all, I am a Gemini.

99% is a bitch, 100% is a breeze

2009-02-16T00:00:00.000-08:00

There is a lesson taught by Jack Canfield, author of the Best-selling Chicken Soup for the Soul Series and The Success Principles, called 99% is a bitch, 100% is a breeze. In most simplest terms, if you try to quit a bad habit or maintain a good one, it will seem easiest if you go ALL OUT. It is hardest if you cheat 1% of the time.

If you are trying to quit eating chocolate, it is easier to completely cut it out of your diet (100%), then by treating yourself every once and a while (99%). Would you still crave chocolate if it never existed to you? No. Quiting 100% is essentially making it nonexistent to you.

This is a principle I use in many areas of my life. Though I would never quit eating chocolate for the rest of my life, mainly because that is unneccessary, I've avoided any type of sweet for the last 3 weeks just because I want to see how long I can go. Honestly, I don't even think about eating a sweet now because it doesn't "exist" to me. Avoiding sweets 100% is a breeze, its easy. The thought or crave of eating a sweet doesn't even cross my mind.

This applies to all habits: waking up on time, exercising, practicing your skills, biting your nails, smoking, procrastinating, keeping things tidy, anything you can think of. If you make a rule for yourself, follow it 100%.

Give it a try! You might surprise yourself.

The Anticipated Album is Available!

2009-02-05T20:28:00.000-08:00

I've got some gratifying news...Identity is done! The whole album is available exclusively on my website @ http://www.derekjordanmusic.com.

I'm sure you don't appreciate those $17.99 prices marked on your favorite artist cds, so I made mine $6.95. Yes you read that right, you can own the whole album for $6.95. Individual songs can also be purchased for $.99. Additionally, you can set your own price for the first three songs of the album. You can even select $0.00!

The physical album is currently in duplication. After that, the music will be on iTunes, Rhapsody, eMusic, probably Napster, and more. I might not have the control of those prices though.

Your support and patience throughout the whole recording process has been beautiful. The next steps are to get the album reviewed in various publications, continue with the radio play, start booking some gigs, and partner with a licensing company.

I really hope you enjoy the music. Your opinions are essential! Let me know what you like and what you don't.

Spending and Sacrifice

2009-01-29T00:35:00.000-08:00

The recording of my upcoming album is complete. A master copy has been sent to be duplicated and pressed. All in all, the album will be done in a couple weeks. Being a solo artist, without a label and such, you endure all of the costs. I don't mind spending money. I've grown accustomed to forking over hundreds here and there to complete this album. And I'll continue forking over the green to promote it through shows, press, marketing, etc. However, TIME is much more valuable than money. While money accumulates, time does not.

The time I've spent educating myself on the music business, practicing, writing, networking, and promoting is almost unfathomable, yet so much more needs to be done. This is my sacrifice. It is a gift rather than a curse. It can be a burden that I wouldn't trade for anything. While most people my age are hitting the clubs, kicking back with their friends, spending their Sundays with the NFL, and watching the new Lost episodes, I am not. While my peers and those I pass on the sidewalks spend their nights on dates, talk on the phone to their girlfriends, and go to the beach on the weekends, I do not.

I average 6 hours of sleep a night, eliminated ice cream and cereal, my two favorite foods in the world, from my diet, go to the gym between 11 PM and 1 AM, wake up the next day at 8 AM for my day job, haven't had a single beer in more than a month, have a messy room, and never open my mail. I do this because I must. It is the only way. I can only go full tilt. I must make sacrifices. Some of the sacrifices are very difficult, like only seeing my family once or twice a year, but this is my responsibility. This is the life I've created. I may be missing out on a lot of fun times with friends, but that would not be the thing I would most regret. Having not made my dream and passion a reality would be the greatest regret. A regret far outweighing any involving social fun and memories. It would be a regret of a lifetime, of eternity.

I am a man who chooses what he wants. I feel it. I taste it. I smell it. I see it. I hear it. I want it. It goes beyond "doing whatever it takes", that's out of desperation. Its about being the greatest, most powerful and influential version of yourself. You have to sacrifice things to be that person.

Nearing the completion of a dream

2009-01-21T20:00:00.000-08:00

They say patience is a virtue. I had no choice. The makings of my debut album began in July '08. The material was rewritten about 100 times. For the first time, I hired musicians to learn those songs to record the bass and drums. We must have rehearsed ten times before the first day in the studio. Recording began on October 1. It was to last until the second week of November. First, I would lay out the blueprints of the songs. Then the bass and drums would be added. Next, I would go over the dummy tracks with my vocals and guitar. Finally, the songs would be mixed and mastered.

October went by. November went by. We were barely half way through. I could only be in the studio one day a week, which was every Friday, because I have a day job working at a real estate company. Every once and a while, we'd stick a Saturday session in there to help speed things up. My work week starts on Sundays. Every Sunday has been the beginning of another week until I could get in the studio to further complete my album. Getting through the week to record on Fridays became my sole motivation. Each time Friday came, eight plus hours were spent working on a single song. The progress was miniscule! It took much longer than I anticipated. I was only able to get one session in December.

Finally, in the third weekend of January, I will be in the studio both Friday and Saturday, until the album is completely finished! Finishing the album has felt like an endless road, like running on the treadmill an extra mile at a time just when you thought you've finished.

Yes it will be done! The following weeks will be spent duplicating the album and submitting it to radio stations and reviewers. Much more work is ahead! The largest workload has yet to come, but such a significant chunk will be complete. A magnificent step.

This album has tested my patience. My patience has grown.

Drained

2009-01-18T00:48:00.000-08:00

(Wo)Man I have spent all day updated, creating, everything for internet marketing. I guess the main purpose of this is to gain interest by spreading music, BUT in concentrated areas. I have to be careful not to spread myself too thin, becoming ignorant of the exact purpose of internet marketing which is creating relationships with potential listeners. By spreading myself too thin, I become one of those typical "Check Me Out" musicians. And we all know how many people actually "check" them out!

The places I've done stuff on today are:

Amiestreet.com
Ourstage
Sonicbids
Bandzoogle
This site
MySpace
Twitter
Musician Outlet Network (Which is a new site where you create a profile and enter music battles. They promote some great prize winnings for the contests).

Oh, and I also submitted electronic copyrights for all 10 of the songs on my upcoming album.

To do list tomorrow:

Day job - 9 am - 6 pm
Creating a press release sheet for the new album
Sending out an email campaign to my mailing list (if you aren't on it, I can add you with your email address, that would be nice!)
Work out

Help Goodbye Jupiter Climb the Charts!

2009-01-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

The Chances of You Being Born

2009-01-11T23:07:00.000-08:00

Why do people associate odds and chances with good fortune, goals, dreams, and pursuits? For some reason they like to state how unlikely accomplishing such is (Which is a whole other rant of mine).

Do you know how hard it is to be drafted to the NFL? Do you know how hard it is to become a Rockstar?

DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT IS TO BE BORN?!?!?!

Lets think about this...

All of the things that come in to factor with you coming into this world:
You were conceived by your parents. Each of your parents were conceived by their parents, being your grandparents. All four of your grandparents were conceived by their parents. This can be divided all the way throughout the history of human kind. So for you to be born, all of these ancestors had to meet each other at exactly the right time, at exactly the right place. Already the odds of you being born are astronomical.

Now lets throw in.... sex. How many times does a couple have sex before a child is born? Sometimes one, sometimes many. What if you were a middle child? Now lets introduce sperm into this. There are millions of sperm in semen. Only one of those sperm penetrates the female egg. That sperm was you.

You were the one sperm to beat out the million some other sperm to penetrate the egg during that one single occurrence that your mother was successfully impregnated (Not try to stir any visuals here! Just bare with me!). Now throw in masturbation. Every time your father, his father, his father, and his father did the business, that decreased the chances of you being born to the almost infinite power!

What about geography? The world is huge. History is even larger. Customs? Was your great grandmother only allowed to wed a fellow Italian from a neighboring family in Italy? Someone could have chosen a different college, gone to a different bar, stayed in that night, instead of meeting your other parent.
It goes forever!

That my friends is overcoming the greatest odds one could ever imagine.

P.S. If anyone can actually come up with a realistic figure for these odds, I will personally give you $50 and a Free copy of my new album.

Join my mailing list and get two FREE downloads

2009-01-09T23:37:00.000-08:00

If you join my mailing list as a new member between now and the end of this week I will personally email you two of my songs from upcoming debut album, "Identity", due out in February.

The two songs are both from the upcoming album: "Goodbye Jupiter", which was released as a single last week, and "Geronimo", which hasn't been heard by anyone yet except for myself, the album producer, and a couple family relatives.

You can simply join on my website http://www.derekjordanmusic.com/.

My Top 3 Learned Lessons of 2008

2008-12-20T18:00:00.000-08:00

My Top 3 Learned Lessons of 2008

As 2008 comes to an end, I'd like to recollect on the top 3 lessons I've learned throughout the year.

1. Time Management - I've always advocated getting started, but I never really grasped the importance of stopping on time. In the past, if I marked on my calendar "Practice guitar speed and accuracy from 10-11 AM," I'd most likely practice for 3 hours, therefor overlapping whatever I had planned after that. This would bundle a lot of tasks in the vaste back burner realm, only a month later to be in the same situation as I was in the previous month. Now I know to stop when its time to stop and pick up where I left off at everything I do. This definitely helps everything move forward. Kind of like three 1 hour workouts is much more beneficial than one 3 hour workout per week.

2. Fighting for what you believe in, no matter what it is you believe in - I use to be really critical of people who had different opinions than that of my own. In the past year, I have become increasingly more and more passionate in what I do and what I believe in (As if I hadn't already!). Part of the reason why I feel so strongly in my passions and beliefs is because they are of "my own". I now realize that others opinions that are truely their own deserve their own voice. Indeed, I praise and solute those that are as passionate about their beliefs as I am of mine, no matter how much they may differ. I believe so strongly in passion and "decided" purpose, and despise conformity so much, that I will defend anyone's choice to do and believe what they truely want (All with good conscience of course).

3. If you don't fix it now, you won't fix it later - I learned this through my results and others' results to fitness goals. How often have you heard someone say (Maybe even yourself), "I will start a new diet on Monday (When its a Thursday)?" or "I'll start my diet after the holidays?" This self-talk will always dictate the results until you change your habits and your actions. If you want to be physically fit, you must start now. And maintain now. And continue to grow now. When you go half ass, guess what? You end up chasing it, year, after year, after year, after year. You find yourself in the same exact situation as you did one, two, three, four, or even five or more years ago. Still chasing those fitness goals, because you never went FULL tilt. It is now, and it is all or nothing. This applies to anything you work to accomplish. Those that have already accomplished what you hope to, went full tilt, and harder and more committed than the procrastinating, half-ass approach. I think it was Benjamin Franklin who once said, "Don't leave for tomorrow what you can do today."