Using Music to Inspire Ideas for Working as a Freelance Solopreneur

Making Money From Music Inspiration

Spring is slowly arriving and while Mother Earth is shrugging off the winter blues and putting on her makeup, there's plenty of nature's soundtracks going on too. I absolutely love this time of year! I can almost leave my radio off and ride with the windows down to listen to the crickets and frogs. Almost!!

Yesterday, my husband and I took the doggos on a ride along after we dropped the kids off to spend the weekend with their grandparents. 

Despite cool temperatures and heavy rain, this Momma had to ride with the window down, because the Queen Bee - Athena - seems to think her head must stay outside the window at all times. 

She even goes as far as to stand on the window button and roll the glass down herself. We have to keep a lock on the controls to keep them from jumping out after wildlife! But look at this face. Could you say no?

Musical Mutts - Inspiration for Money Making Comes from Everywhere 

While we were riding, one of the ladies made a weird noise. Nothing new. Aphrodite is a constant noise maker. She seems to make it a purpose to be as loud as possible. But it came at the right moment for my husband to make a joke that it sounded like she was trying to beatbox. Go figure even our dogs are musical junkies!

I made imitation beatbox noises. Full disclosure - I have zero experience and it sounded more like a car running outta gas. And then I made the joke of the quote - bowchickawowow. And then, it turned into a memory of a spoof song of this quote. Allow me to introduce you to a lesser known comedy, "Brown chicken, brown cow."

Today, the dogs stayed home as the hubs and I went on our weekly outta state trip to hit up the casinos. It's only a short drive across the Memphis Bridge to get into Arkansas to visit the newly remodeled Southland Casino. 

Getting Content Ideas from Life and Music

I'm always using my daily life to inspire me on ideas for businesses. And I write down notes so I don't forget. But even then, if I don't have the same headspace and environment, it can be tricky to get back into my train of thought.

And despite the need to have some downtime and relax, my brain is always ON. As Struggle Jennings and Aaron Lewis said, "The Struggle is Real." 

 

My hard work helped me get from that single-wide trailer in the holler to the house up on the hill" and yet I'm still working my fingers to the bone. 

Even worse, I seem to always be going and going, with no time to stop and take a breath. It brings to mind one of my favorite songs from when I was little. Throwing it back to 90s prime country, I'm bringing Alabama into 2023 - and I don't mean Roll Tide. 

 

Who else can relate to the lyrics:

"I'm in a hurry to get things done. I rush and rush until life's no fun. All I really gotta do is live and die. But I'm in a hurry and don't know why."

 Trying to Live Slower by Working Smarter

I go into a nervous meltdown and several mental breakdowns weekly. There always seems to be a ton of stuff to do. And yet, little to no time to get any of it done. I swear, this third rock from the sun seems to be spinning at a faster rate, making the days go quicker - it feels like my days are 13 hours instead of 24, even when I depress my body by foregoing the expected eight hours of sleep. 

 

Head over to Sarandipity's to see the tools I use to keep my life organized - and pick up your own FREEBIES and resources. And then stop into Sara Trimble Freelancing to get ideas on how to start a small business at home. Are you a fan of dogs? Visit Adventures with Canines to get more humorous dog antics from the beloved Quad Squad. 

 

Signing up for my email list gets you even more goodies. Like thousands of dollars in FREE stuff, good. Want to be a guest blogger? HMU on this form and give me your deets. 

And a final throwback song to take on the road with you, this goodbye tune comes from 90s heartthrob Joe Diffie.

Welcome to Earth. Third Rock from the Sun!

Local Artists Feature

Getting your name out there is one of the most important, and hardest, things an artist has to do. If you're self-promoting, it's even harder because there's so much. Website. Social media. Blog. Concert schedule. Fan response. Updates. It goes on and on.

Since I know what it's like to self promote, I'm always helping promote others in my own way, even when they'll never even know because they have so many loyal fans out there. But if I can bring even one new fan their way, then I have succeeded. I believe music should be shared. It should be appreciated. That's what this blog is all about. Sharing music.

Memphis Bridge, spanning the Mighty Mississippi River
#photooftheday

I was listening to my Spotify playlist today when a song came on that gave me the inspiration for this post. Lil Wyte said it best when he said, "I can't even count how many legends my city's made ..." It got me to thinking, just how many artists do I know that is from my area? For those of you who don't know, my area is about 30 miles north of the city of Blues, Memphis. Guess you might be able to see why I'm such a music lover, huh? I grew up going to concerts on Beale Street. So let's see who hails from here, shall we?

Beale Street, Memphis, TN

Justin Timberlake

Justin Timberlake (Image: GQ)

Who doesn't know this household name? This famous singer came from the same podunk area I'm located and it's not hard to find someone who remembers growing up with Justin, pre-Nsync (for you younger generations, this was a boy band he belonged to in the '90s to early 2000s).

He's certainly come a long way from appearing alongside Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera on The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and is now one of the most known singers in the world. This just goes to show that you don't have to be from a big city to make it in showbiz.

Three 6 Mafia

Nothing brings back the nostalgia of my youth like Three 6 Mafia. Living in a small town meant we spent Friday and Saturday nights cruising the strip, bumping Two Way Freak or Baby Momma. Yeanknow? Some members of this group have broken out on their own and found success, while others might not be as well known. But you know what they say ... it's hard out here for a pimp. That's right. If you've seen Hustle and Flow, you've heard Three 6 Mafia.

Three 6 Mafia

• DJ Paul

DJ Paul is one of the founding members of Three 6 and one of the only two original members left. He's also the producer of all of their albums. He's tried his hand at a solo career and is one of the more well-known members.

• Juicy J

Juicy J is another founding member of Three 6 and is also still active. He is one of the members that went beyond the group and really found success. My kids love his remix with Katy Perry "Dark Horse". He's also collaborated with well-known artists like Kevin Gates, 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa, and Lil Wayne, just to name a few. Not bad for someone who started out in one of the most dangerous cities in the country.

• Lord Infamous

Lord Infamous is another one of the co-founders of Three 6 Mafia and was also born and raised in Memphis, Tennessee. He was the half brother of DJ Paul. Lord Infamous wasn't able to become as successful as some of the other group members and ended his partnership with Three 6 after getting arrested. Sadly, he passed away from a heart attack in 2013.

• Koopsta Knicca

Koopsta Knicca also isn't very well known. He was with Three 6 Mafia from 1991-2000, when he had to leave the band due to incarceration. He released multiple albums was never able to gain much of a fan base, outside of Memphians and loyal Three 6 fans. He passed away in 2015 after complications with a stroke that left him unresponsive and on life support.

• Crunky Black

Crunky Black joined Three 6 in 1993 and continued to collaborate until 2006. At that time, he dissolved his role in the group, citing a desire to branch out as a solo artist. There were some disputes between him and group members, Juicy J and DJ Paul, which also contributed to the breakup. Since being solo, he hasn't released anything since 2015.

• Gangsta Boo

Gangsta Boo was the only female to ever be an official member of Three 6. She's had a bit of moderate success on her own but she's collaborated with tons of folks. To me, she is the Queen of Hip Hop and helped pave the way for artists like Lil Kim and Nicki Minaj.

Lil Wyte:

Lil Wyte (Image: Lil Wyte)

If you listened to Three 6 back in the day, you've no doubt heard some collabs between them and this rapper. Nowadays, you'll most likely hear him with Jelly Roll. Lil Wyte is at the top of my favorite artists from my area and my kids love him too. He raps about what life is like around here. Some of his songs are about the hardships of life and growing up in Frayser, a very dangerous place, and some are about living it up country style. The song Come Ride was actually filmed right next door to my best friend's house. His line, "80 acres in Tipton County is where I be kicking ..." Yep. That's my area!

Leebo:

Leebo Music (Image: Leebo Music)

Since I've mentioned Tipton County, let me introduce you to a new up and coming hick-hop artist Leebo. He's from the same stomping grounds as me and I've seen him perform a few times at local bars. He keeps the raps real about country living. If you've never experienced backwoods country, give this man a listen and learn how it's done.

Part 2: Coming Soon
These are just a few artists that emerged from the infamous land of Blues. Keep an eye because part two will be coming soon with even more artists.  Do you know a local band or artist that's trying to get their name out there? Comment in the links for your chance to win a free promotional piece featuring them.