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Belief is defined as trust, faith or confidence in someone or something.

When Ed Duncan called me with the idea to create one of the first 13-piece bands in the southeast, my immediate response was “yes.”  I was in a five-piece rock group at the time, and I was at a turning point in my career. I had never been in a group with girls or horns, or in a racially mixed band. Looking back, it was my confidence in him, and his years of experience, that allowed me to max out all my credit cards and go through over 100 auditions to find the right musicians for what became Party On The Moon®.

I did have my share of skeptics. Some of the top-booking agents in the country told me that clients wouldn’t support such a large band in the private event market. I had to put my lack of self-confidence on the back burner. And get to work.

As we began to succeed, my belief in what we were doing started to grow. It was the experience of success that began to change my belief and confidence. I was focused on creating the band, not on whether or not I thought I would succeed.

I remember the first time I saw Marleen Miller sing on stage. She was so nervous, you could see the microphone shaking. Today, she is one of the lead vocalists for The Ballroom Blasters®, one of our National Party Bands™.  She is one of the best in the business. Her confidence grew from her experience.

When Sandra Grimaldi joined Party On The Moon®, she was a very timid and shy vocalist. She also has grown as a performer and, last year, won the title of Mrs. Georgia USA. Both Marleen and Sandra were surrounded by other veteran performers who supported their success.

As for self-confidence, I personally think it’s over rated. Some of the most influential people in history had issues with self-confidence, and they still went on to create what they cared about and made a difference in the world. I had no idea when Ed and I started Party On The Moon® that we would create National Party Bands™. We just created what we care about. It is a joy for both of us to see talented artists develop into the best they can be.

Don’t let lack of self-confidence stop you from creating what you care about. Act as if success is certain, do the work and let your belief and confidence grow out of your experience.

To quote Ed Duncan, “Find something you love to do, partner with others who want to do the same thing, don’t quit and stay the course.”

This I believe.

Dennis