Newsletter - Prepare for the important in advance and not at the last minute

september 3, 2009

In This Issue

Here's what you'll find in this week's newsletter:

Just My Thoughts: Missed opportunities of the past are learning opportunities in the present.

What's New? New website under development.

Other Stuff: Natasha's album project continues! Did you read my blog posts?

Wisdom From The Grind: Prepare for the important in advance and not at the last minute!

Just My Thoughts

Roger E Lear This is possibly going to sound like name dropping and bragging, it’s not because I’m going somewhere with this so follow me.

Many years ago I rapped with Ice T in a club called The Workshop in Los Angeles, California. I blew off an opportunity to do some work with Lil Jon back in 1998 during Freaknic in Atlanta, Georgia before he blew up because I was doing my own thing and he didn’t seem very important to me. In retrospect, how silly was that?!?! I met Stevie Wonder while working as the DJ for his celebrity roast when I was 16.

Yes, I was rockin the two wheels of steel way back then. I’ve had two record deals, been extended offers for sit down meetings with the likes of Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and, although it didn’t pan out, in 1990 I met with the manager of Chaka Khan in Munich, Germany to discuss producing songs for her. I’ve even met Prince and had a few words of exchange with him.

I have an old friend, whom I used to work with, that started his personal security business in a small room in his house ten years ago with just a vision. Today Elijah’s company, ICON Protection, is major. He has worked with major celebrities including 50 Cent and was recently featured on the cover of Black Enterprise magazine.

Two things stand out about the folks I’ve mentioned and the many I haven’t:

Each of these people are just people…just people, just people. I repeated it because in my experience I have missed great opportunities as a result of having identifying them as more than or less than that.
These people operate excellently in their chosen field. Just people doing a great job in their chosen profession.

While having a great deal of respect for celebrities (just people operating excellently within their chosen field,) I am learning to remove titles and engage people with little or no attention being paid to status or lack thereof. I have missed opportunities on both sides of the equation because of status judgments.

I had a great amount of interest coming from Lil Jon about doing some tracks with him but because he was an unknown I didn’t make time for him or the opportunity. On the other side of the equation I never sat down with Jimmy and Terry because at that time, 1994, I felt like an unknown with little to offer them even though they expressed interest in me.

They were just people holding opportunities that I missed simply because I judged them and, in some respects myself, as more than or less than people holding opportunities to exchange; to learn, to grow and to get paid either directly through them or through the connections they would have provided me.

God knows what they would have received even if I don’t. This all comes to mind right now because I desire to see all people as people holding opportunities for me; to teach or to be taught, to give to and receive from, to be a connection and to connect.

Realizing that sometimes the clearest vision is hindsight, I walk forward recalling what I’ve experienced and knowing today I am a person holding opportunities for others as they also hold for me. The old beggar and the young child hold something for me, just as I hold something for you. Come get it!

Just my thoughts.

-REL

What's New?

We are grinding here at SCR Entertainment, so while we diligently push through the workload, please be patient; you’ll love the new website!

A website we are developing which is essentially the whole catalog of SCR Entertainment is now in the works. The first 12 SCR releases dating back to 1993 plus all of the new works will all be available. At launch we will have over 150 tracks with more coming!

While the site is being completed, we are going to be adding a few albums on a new page on BanginBeatsByREL.com which is being worked on at this time. Currently, we intend to launch the SCR Vault site with the release of my first solo album “Spoken”, currently planned for December.

Here is a breakdown of the 5 most recent beats added to the site:

Mo Fo U - Other Flavor
Jazzy Funk - East Coast
In The Hole - Club Flavor
West Coast Funk - West Coast
Symphony Funk - West Coast

Other Stuff

Natasha has come to The Garden and returned home to Montreal, Canada, but we’re not finished yet; not by a long shot.

While she was here, we did the album theme which is one track broken up into ten pieces representing the musical backdrop for spoken introductions to each of the ten full tracks. I’ve also included a surprise at the end of the album. As it stands now, we have in draft form a track count of 21 for the CD at just over 50 minutes in length. We accomplished all this in just five days!

For those who didn’t know or didn’t take the opportunity to read my blog updates on Natasha’s album project, you can read about the production process by visiting the blog section titled Natasha’s Album. The blog posts are listed newest at the top, so scroll to the bottom of the page for the first post.

I will continue to blog all the way through the process until the album is complete. All through September, you can read my blog updates to see the progress. As I work I will update the blog, so stay tuned. Clips from the album are also coming soon.

Wisdom From The Grind

I must admit humbly, that I was ill prepared to deliver a piece for this section of the newsletter this week. This was not due to workload but, rather, to procrastination.

Wisdom from the Grind: Prepare for the important in advance and not at the last minute!

Featured Project

Natasha’s album is currently on the high heat burner. Be sure to check the blog for updates.

Beat production for BanginBeatsByREL.com continues to be the priority until the first goal is met: 60 World Class Beats! We now have 27 on the site.

"Spoken", my first solo album is slated for a December release; just in time for Christmas. This album will be a mix of all the musical flavors I love; spoken word, rap, neo-soul and lounge / down tempo tracks.

I'm an artist doing what artists do; creating art. Of course, it's hip hop, and my hip hop roots will be felt. I've already begun production, so as things are developed I will share them with you. I have added three more tracks to the project. The total track number has again changed. At this point I’m considering 15. This will mark album number 13.

Quote Of The Week

I remind myself as I share with you to reinforce strengths where I am an expert and learn where I am a student.

"Self-knowledge is best learned, not by contemplation, but by action. Strive to do your duty and you will soon discover of what stuff you are made."

-Johann Goethe; 1749 - 1832, German writer

About Roger E Lear

Roger E Lear, also known as REL, has been creating and producing music for over 22 years. He has also helped many new as well as established artists create money making music.

He has built his career as a full time music producer by providing excellent quality music production and song writing services. You can learn more about REL at BanginBeatsByREL.com/About REL.

You can also find REL online at:

Twitter: Twitter.com/RELTheProducer

MySpace: MySpace.com/TheRELRemixes
MySpace: MySpace.com/REL_42
MySpace: MySpace.com/RELCreations
MySpace: MySpace.com/SmoothComposition
Facebook: Facebook.com/Roger E Lear