The American poet and essayist Ralph Waldo Emerson once defined success, in part, as laughing much, winning the respect of intelligent people, appreciating beauty, finding the best in others, and leaving the world better than you found it. “To know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived,” he wrote. “This is to have succeeded.”
For me, as the leader and co-creator of Party on the Moon® and Galaxy Party Management, success means earning a great living doing work that I care about and that makes a difference in the lives of others.
When I started Party on the Moon in 2002 with my business partner, Ed Duncan, our goal was to create the best special events cover band in the world. It was a new concept and one that many in the music industry said couldn’t be done. Today, Party on the Moon is the most sough-after band in the market, a market that it forged.
We’ve played President Donald Trump’s New Year’s Eve bash for six years, President Barack Obama’s Inaugural Ball, New York Giants Quarterback Eli Manning’s wedding and the list goes on and on. In doing so, we’ve performed for celebrities and heads of state with some of the biggest names in music including Carrie Underwood, Diana Ross and Jennifer Lopez. And, we’ve won numerous accolades including being named a top wedding band by Vogue, Modern Bride and Martha Stewart Weddings and being nominated as Entertainer of the Year by Entertainment Weekly magazine.
Because of our success, Ed and I created Galaxy Party Management, an entertainment management company that oversees a variety of talent and bands that share the same values as our flagship band, Party on the Moon. Today, we oversee nine bands featuring 120 artists, who are the best of the best in the country. It’s an honor to work with such talented and genuine people, and they have helped us change the landscape of the party band marketplace.
Our success didn’t happen by accident. To be successful a lot of factors have to gel at the right time. We had to navigate obstacles, temper celebrity with staying grounded in reality, and keep sight of our goal while planning the next steps to get us there. It took vision, guts and a warrior spirit. The journey has been exciting and sometimes trying. I recently published a book that shares the knowledge and wisdom I’ve learned from a long career in rock n’ roll, my study of the discipline of Taido Karate, and religious and philosophical teachings with the aim to help readers distill and attain what matters to them. Each of us has the ability to create the life he or she wants. Success can be learned and in my book, I show you how.
Over the next few months, I will share excerpts from the book on our blog in hopes it will help you create your path to your version of success. I hope you enjoy them. Please click here if you are interested in purchasing the book.
Rock on!
Dennis
