We've all heard the many stories about musicians living on the edge, burning the candlesat every end, dripping the hot melted wax of drug and alcohol abuse all over their friends and fans, and skyrocketing to a glorious early demise.

We sometimes idealize and deify those who gave everything of themselves, while simultaneously digging an untimely shallow grave, littered with dead flowers, empty wine bottles, and spray painted graffiti.

Writers who do not sing their own songs onstage are a little more resistant to shamelessly extreme lifestyles. But like all musicians, we share the same common traits that can lead us to self-destructive and very indulgent lives. The biggest aspects of this are the uncertainty of knowing where the next meal will come from, and the intense inner passion to show our beautifully powerful ideas to a world that sometimes considers this as something trivial or silly.

If you are hooked on the wild ride, and want to hang on to the runaway train, blasting out magnificent music while it tumbles off a mountain cliff, more power to you! I am not one to judge such personal choices; I have had my own Dances with the Devil, and felt the flames on my toes.

My only goal here is to show you ANOTHER SIDE OF THIS SPINNING COIN, the another type musician one could strive to become. There are songwriters and performers who are able to find balance within themselves, like circus performers doing jaw-dropping stunts WITHOUT FALLING into a final blaze of exhausted glory. These people achieve longevity in the music industry, and they are able to give back to people something of great value.

A couple examples that come to mind are Bono, from U2, who fights for humanitarian causes all over the world, and Paul McCartney, who dedicated his whole career to the promotion of love and world peace through music.

Becoming this type of musical idol usually requires a quest for inner BALANCE, and devoting a portion of your practice schedule to SELF IMPROVEMENT.