I had absolutely no idea Sufjan Stevens made electronic music. This guy’s ability to make music is incredible and it seems to just pour out of him. All his albums are different and he has all these esoteric themes interlace throughout each, its pretty incredible actually. This is super interesting and has a catch chorus. Not my usual stuff, but I think my usual is changing, which is always a welcomed notion. For anything really – not just music.

A.D.

And below is a photo of mine from his amazing Sydney Opera House gig earlier in the year.

QOL: human, religion, beauty

Also, if you didn’t get a chance to see Sufjan Stevens’s Age Of Adz tour you still have two opportunities to do so.  Stevens will be playing two consecutive shows in New York as part of the Celebrate Brooklyn concert series at Prospect Park.  If you don’t happen to live in NY this is one show worth the trip.

after doing some hardcore studying of igor stravinsky for my music oral exam last wednesday i became really fascinated by the orchestral music of the 20th century, again. in light of that i rediscovered sufjan stevens’ the age of adz, released last october. a truly remarkable record, which achieves that so-very-delicate balance between pop and orchestral music and, in my opinion, serves as a great example of early 21st century music. early because, as we all know, there is still 89 years to go before the next century. can you imagine the amount of music the world can make in 89 years? i’m struggling.

the actual reason i started talking about the age of adz is that the video for get real get right was released today, on the 7th of july. now, wait a minute.. the album was released on the 12th of october, 2010. why release a video 9 months later? well, judging by the tripping-balls-spaceships-aliens-robots-covered-in-glitter stop-motion video, i would say that he actually spent those 9 months making it. you can (AND HAVE TO) watch it here because it’s not on youtube or vimeo, yet.

so that’s that. i’m leaving this place on sunday evening, for the time being. kind of sad, really. fortunately, though, i had a last minute surprise visit from one very special hanna korp, who raised my spirits to the heavens, theoretically speaking. i do appreciate a good surprise. especially such a pleasant one.

VT

Also check out another clip for the song that Stevens used during the Age of Adz live performance:

New music video for “Get Real Get Right” from the LP “The Age of Adz”.

www.myspace.com/sufjanstevens

Get Real Get Right-

I know I’ve lost my conscience
I know I’ve lost all shame
But I must do the right thing
I must do myself a favor and get real
Get right with the Lord

QOL: human, religion

Royal Robertson- Car

I only had tickets for Saturday but when I walked out of the Wiltern after  Sufjan Stevens put on the best show I’ve seen all year (possibly, ever), there was only one thing to do: buy tickets for Sunday, not in the balcony where I was that night but instead, in the second row center. And the show kicked my ass again.

The Age of Adz might be my favorite Sufjan Stevens album and hearing these songs live (he performed mostly new songs off this and the All Delighted People EP) ranks up there with the best concert experiences I’ve ever had. I don’t think I’ve heard a better song performed live than the very intense “The Age Of Adz”. The centerpiece of the show is the 25 minute “Impossible Soul” which takes you on a serious trip through a cascade of emotions and then rips out into a dance party. A guy a few seats away from me jumped out of his seat in dance somewhere at the 15 minute mark and this was a guy who looked like he hadn’t danced in a good 20 years (he might have even been in a wheelchair! That Sufjan’s a healer).

None of the clips below can fully capture the experience of being in that room to hear Sufjan’s voice but it will give you some idea of why you need to find out when he’s playing and rush to the airport to get the first flight out to wherever that may be.

Greatest song I’ve ever heard live, “The Age of Adz”. The song starts at the 1:15 mark but listen for the build:

“Get Real, Get Right”:

Unfortunately, I can’t find any full videos of “Impossible Soul” so here is just a part of it that I could. Again, it doesn’t do this song or the experience justice because there’s another 18 minutes surrounding it. Hopefully, there will be a full recording soon and I can post that.

Here’s a good sounding video of “Vesuvius” that he did in Kansas City:

And when I was trying to find some video of the entire Impossible Soul, i came across this guy dancing to it. Just felt I needed to share this:

The Age of Adz is available to listen for free on the Bandcamp stream and then you can hit the Buy button for $8 and own it. Pay some extra attention to “I Want To Be Well” and “All For Myself” which are amazing tracks that should have been performed but weren’t:

Also check out the major inspiration for Adz, a very interesting artist/prophet: Royal Robertson.

I covered Tactic #1 Get Real, Get Right-Mindset & Action and walked the real estate agents through a couple different exercises to make the information that Gary Keller shares in SHIFT implementable and tangible.

I want to especially thank Rich Jones and Lee Butler for helping with one of the exercises by being so open and honest with the rest of the class so everyone could learn. Thanks Rich and Lee for being true leaders in this industry!!!

Here are what people are saying about Mastering The Real Estate SHIFT Class:

“While sitting in the SHIFT class led by Darin Persinger, it blew my mind to know how very simple it is to shift with the market.  Darin blended the principles contained in the book with real life experiences in a way that makes sense.  Every real estate agent owes it to themselves and their business to start mastering the real estate shift.”

Steve Campbell/ALC Member, Real Estate Associate

“Darin helped me further understand the meaning of the tactic about MINDSET.  I was able to really work on my own personal mindset after that class.  It made a noticeable difference in my perception of the current market.  I can’t wait for next session!  This is really powerful stuff!”

Levi Stearns/Real Estate Associate

“Reading the chapter 1 of SHIFT was good, but the depth of instruction by Darin in his class was great.  What an “Eye Opening” experience doing the exercise Darin worked with us on.  I can’t wait for Session 2!”

Jerry Wright/Loan Officer

“Business was coming to me when I started in 2006 and now my phone is not ringing.  I have to have the MINDSET to pick up the phone, ask for business and not predict what I think the out come will be. (Education and skills are key).  This class is a must attend by anyone that wants to survive in this current market.”

Teresa Lyons/Real Estate Associate

The NEXT CLASS IS TUESDAY, October 21st @ 2:00 pm. Contact Darin for more info BeSuccessful@kw.com or 425-446-2429

“When a market shifts there is only one thing to do-shift with it. In truth there are two shifts you must make. A mental shift and an action shift.” (SHIFT page 23)

I looked at the mental shift a few days ago so now its time to examine the action shift. Knowing what to do is one thing, actually doing is another. So… do we know what to do? Do we know what actions to take and what to focus on? Gary Keller gives us this thought,

“So the straight forward question that jumps right at you in a shift is simple one. “What do I do right now?” Actually this is a two part question that first asks “what must be done right?” and then “what must be done now?” The answer to that two part question becomes your focus and yours alone. Understand what worked yesterday probably won’t work today and what matters now probably didn’t then. When the market shifts, new strategies are required and new actions critical.” (SHIFT page 26)

I see lots of real estate agents not taking any action, not knowing what works now or just simply working harder on what once worked but doesn’t work now. This is not a question of how hard should a real estate agent work, but what should a real estate agent work hard on?

Gary Keller explains,

“Our research shows that the two actions real estate agents must take personal ownership of are lead generation and lead conversion.” (SHIFT page 27)

So I have heard this a thousand times over the last couple years and have told it to my agents in one-to-one consulting sessions and in training sessions, “It’s back to basics!!!”. So many agents refuse this advice, ignore it, or just out right dismiss it. And why?

There is a possible explanation for the ignoring the basics from Gary Keller,

“Maybe the reason the basics are so often abandoned is the fact that they aren’t special, unique, or new. When business gets tight, they reveal themselves as the timeless factors that determine the difference between success or failure. School is never out for the motivated. The basics are never outdated.” (SHIFT page 28)

So even though the basics aren’t sexy, exciting or exhilarating the actions that you might have to take might be just that. Basic actions. Lead generation. Lead conversion.

Related Posts:

Shift Tactic #1 Get Real, Get Right – Mindset And Action

Making The Mental Shift

Why Real Estate Agents Need To Use Scripts

He writes,

“To survive a shift you must first make the mental shift to run towards what you most want and avoid the temptation of running away from what you most fear.”

Do you know what you want? You are going to have get real clear on your goals right now. You might have never had goals before, or maybe just fuzzy goals. Right now you have to know what you want because fear and negativity are all around you.

Gary Keller also describes three types of people who emerge during the market shift.

1. Pessimistic and fearful about the worst
2. Unrealistically positive, believe they can’t fail
3. Realistic, matter-of-fact about the market and situation; at the same time optimistic about the opportunities

Are you Getting Real, Getting Right? Are realistic about the market and optimistic about the opportunity?

Gary also advises us,

“You can’t control the market but you can control your outlook and your response to the market. Remain resolute. Know that while everyone won’t succeed in a shift, some will and anyone can.”

It is so important to remain focused on what you can control. When you focus on the market it is easy to play victim. When you focus on the economy it is easy to feel helpless. What can you control? What can you take action on?

Gary ends the Mental Shift section by saying,

“Know that growth comes from clarity, priorities and focused-action. The first two are how you think and the last is what you do. To make a strong mental shift be clear about your situation and what it is you want. Write down and prioritize the necessary steps you must take to achieve your goals. Now you’re focused on what you want, you know what you need to do, and you know what comes first. So what are you waiting for?”

Related Posts:

Shift Tactic #1 Get Real, Get Right

Some important dates for SHIFT coming up

Get Ready For Mega Camp

I am going to jump around the 12 tactics as I review and master this book. I feel some are a priority for me and my market center at this moment in time. I am starting with the SHIFT tactic #1 Get Real, Get Right because how can mindset and action not be your #1 priority?

Gary Keller writes in SHIFT,

When a shift occurs confusion follows. Not only in the marketplace but also in the mind and body. What to think and what to do becomes fuzzy because what once worked is no longer working and you may not know why. (SHIFT page 23)

I read this and was reminded of what Gary Keller wrote in the best selling book, The Millionaire Real Estate Agent,

In a prosperous market, there are usually many agents relying on passive lead generators, casual referrals, and luck to create business. I call this Lead Receiving. Unfortunately, real estate agents who are in the business of Lead Receiving may find themselves selling very few houses when the market shifts. (MREA page 100)

My job is to talk to real estate agents every day. My own at Keller Williams Everett and non-KW agents that I am demonstrating Keller Williams business models and systems by consulting them on their real estate sales business. When I am talking with these non-KW agents I see confusion. I hear from non-KW agents also that their own broker/owners are adding to the confusion, telling them that “the market will return soon”…. “not to worry”….”just wait it out”.

It seems to me that these broker/owners are confused and they need to GET REAL, GET RIGHT.

Gary Keller continues to write,

“When a market shifts there is only one thing to do-shift with it. In truth there are two shifts you must make. A mental shift and an action shift.”

So have you accepted the reality of the market? Have you made your mental shift? Have you started to take action?

Also here are some questions that I’m asking real estate agents now that you might want to ask yourself and dealing with the shift: So how did you do your business from 2001-2006? From what source did your leads come from? Were you in the Lead Receiving business or Lead Generation business? Do you currently have enough leads to meet your goals?

I will break down the Mental Shift and Action Shift in the next couple of days.

Related Posts:

Excerpt From Gary Kellers Book SHIFT

Getting Antsy For SHIFT

How I See SHIFT Helping My Real Estate Office