Hey guys, thanks for the congrats. So about the "evangelist" thing...it's more like an evangelist on behalf of Gibson than being a Gibson evangelist. Several companies - Gibson isn't alone in this - recognize that educating people about how all this stuff works so they can have fun with it, and learning how to make music, is something that really needs to be addressed. I hear all kind of statistics like "50% of all interfaces people buy end up in the closet because they can't figure out how to get them to work."
Events like PreSonuSphere and GearFest are great examples of trying to raise the level of education, and there's another company I won't mention because they haven't firmed their plans up yet that wants to do workshops aimed at helping musicians further their careers. Sure, their gear is involved, but there's a much bigger picture.
For those who didn't see the press release, my mission is "to implement a far-reaching program devoted to music education and enjoyment." Here's a quote from the CEO:
“When Gibson decided to set up a program to spread the joy and fun of making music, the only person we considered was Craig Anderton,” said Gibson CEO Henry Juszkiewicz. “His depth and breadth of knowledge, unquestioned credibility, international outlook, and record of vision and accomplishment that stretches back decades, is quite simply unmatched. He’s a true visionary.
“The distinction of being an evangelist for Gibson, not a Gibson evangelist, is important,” said Juszkiewicz. “We value and respect Craig’s objectivity and independence, and we’ve encouraged him to continue immersing himself in the real-world experiences, whether writing, lecturing, or performing, that make him such an outstanding educator.” Translation: 'Dream Gig.' The closer was when he said "You'll need to travel, though. We have main offices in Berlin, London, New York, Shanghai, Tokyo, Los Angeles, and Nashville, and we're opening up one in Paris. Are you okay with that? You can basically work anywhere we have an office."
Not exactly a deal-breaker
All of this is coming together in a way where I would
REALLY like to use my influence to get companies, even competitors, working together for the betterment of musicians and the industry. Pipe dream? I dunno. But it's worth a try.
This is truly something that I just couldn't pass up.