Luck is a SKILL You Can't Afford to Ignore

[@Chill_Mode_JD]

“Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”

[@josh_ari]

I've achieved enlightenment in the comment section. 😇

[@unclemick-synths]

You beat me to it 👍

[@numanuma20]

Pin this comment

[@RenzitaMusic]

I am in the best collaboration of my life . A guy contacted me early 2022 and asked me to help him on a track ( we had both worked on a guys track but we didn't know each other) it had rap in a rock song he wrote and I had never done that I said yes try something new . After that song we formed RENZITA he's in Texas I'm in Canada we do it all remotely we've written almost 3 albums in over 2 years! Proof right there Genre Bending Hard Rock. All I can say the best collaboration of my life! Love ur channel Billy!❤

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Wow! That is awesome. Thanks for watching and commenting.

[@RenitaZintel]

@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume a life time of work lol my kids are 33 and 29 , and work and love combined in making music plus a dash of crazy and persistence lol u know about that lol

[@MVVblog]

The first minute and 17 seconds = the story of my life.

[@MVVblog]

The second part of the video doesn’t work for me: The more I go around, the more I end up in uncomfortable situations, the more new people I meet, the worse things get. Things started going well when I isolated myself from the world and started communicating only through my videos, without giving anyone the chance to do things with me or talk to me directly. And this thing keeps getting better and better. Moreover, the few times I’ve tried to collaborate or involve other people directly in what I do, it’s always and systematically been a disaster. Interesting, isn’t it? How things are so different for each of us. Anyway, this situation works for now, but it could become completely the opposite in the future. That’s why I don’t teach anyone about life: everyone ends up learning their own life by themselves.

[@jondaremusic]

This resonates with me. As a composer a lot of my opportunities have been from meeting people randomly at conventions and conferences. Being in the right place with a good mindset can make a difference!

[@ericlineback6848]

This is so right on. Exactly what I figured you'd say when I saw the title. Such a great life/career lesson. Thanks, Billy.

[@k.bizzle]

Man, that last scene was something my soul needed to see. I’ve had hard luck since this time last year and my musical project I worked with more-or-less decided to throw in the towel. I decided to make my own personal music project and have the plan set, other than finishing the computer set up my heart and self confidence have taken a hit. Like you, when I look back I definitely have a story and have had some dream goals accomplished. I just can’t shake the funk I’m in. Maybe it’s the weather, maybe it’s the cloud that I need to be drawing influence from- either way aside from a great essay that ending scene has hit a resonance in me. Thank you for sharing.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thanks. I'm sorry things have been hard for you. I've had a few intense slumps my self in the last few years. I had a project I was working on with an artist for over 3 years, was letting them stay at my place for free, did a whole album, live concert video and of course my whole soul and heart was into the music, which is amazing. And then the artist just moved out and eventually moved to another state. It was devastating. This channel has also had it's ups and downs. A few months ago I was so depressed and despondent over then lack of attention and views. Almost gave up. But things have picked up and my rage from the failed music project now is just a deep burning warning to me that I should focus on my own stuff now. So, I feel your pain and get where you're coming from. I'm so glad you loved the end scene. It was actually totally Tap's idea (keyboardist from the Tokyo Teens, a band I play in and he's the one rowing the boat). You will eventually shake that funk but it will be hard. However, the sooner you start to push against the darkness the better. Write about it. Write about the future. Create. Thanks for sharing your story.

[@AnthonyHigham6414001080]

Nice, you just described most of my life. And yes, people were forever saying "Tony, you're so lucky" 😅

[@BNKTG]

In 2007 I herniated a disc in my neck and it was awful, it was painful...Beyond painful. I was experiencing irreversible nerve damaged and the loss of my left arm if I didn't under go neck surgery. The surgery was a success. While recovering a friend of a friend reached out to me, he had a bunch of song ideas, but no recording gear. He knew I had a small home studio, but didn't know of my situation. I had nothing better to do in my downtime and invited him to come over and help him capture his ideas. I recorded his guitar parts, vocals to a click track. Before he came back for the next session I was healing well enough to add bass, some guitar and real drums...Yes...I could play the drums again! We ended up recording 14 songs together sharing the lead and backing vocals. I mixed and mastered the tracks, did the cover art and had 300 CDs made. I learned a lot about song writing and my guitar work had never been better. I was and still am very lucky for that time in my life!

[@WorldOfNada]

Thank you so much for sharing your musical passions and personal experiences in such an authentic, encouraging, appreciative, humorous and inspiring way ... and for being you. It feels so good! Thank you Billy!

[@angermanagementstudios]

I know how you feel Billy lad. I had a show booked in 2000, we’d sold the venue out nearly 500 tickets, couple of decent sized bands on and my own band supporting. Instead, three hours before show time, I decided to fall 74 feet through a roof at my shitty job and spend 10 months in a coma. Luck is real mate! Great video as always.

Holy shit. Glad you made it man. That must've been quite the experience. All the best to you dude and hope you're healthy and good now.

[@debiddoki7755]

Thanks mate. I needed that.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thank YOU! Glad you liked it.

[@57kod]

I was about to write exactly the same sentence! 😊.

[@michaelkoenig6317]

I expected a video on music and watched one about philosophy - I can relate to that. I think you're absolutely right

[@beautysfield]

I like the cut of your jib Sir! Cheers, Simon.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thanks 👍

[@deanmartyn]

I was born on bad sign, been down since I began to crawl.... if wasn't for bad luck, I wouldn't have no luck at all.....

[@NoahDrumsOfficial]

Another insightful and entertaining video thank you for making these!

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thanks, I appreciate it!

[@kayakbap]

Thanks!

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thank you SO much!! Your support means a lot.

[@kristoffernorman1530]

We all think one another is lucky, we have only walked in one pair of shoes.

[@snackmsc]

Zen and the art of teaching musical skills without speaking in standard phrases You were lucky and honest, now i'm lucky too, having watched this episode. Thanks again Billy

[@chrismuratore4451]

Thanks, Billy. This is a great reminder to anyone who has ever felt like "bad luck" runs their lives. It's all about perspective! And welcoming change isn't always easy, but life without change isn't much life, is it?

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

And sometimes something that seemed like bad luck later turned out to be a good thing for me. And if my life isn't changing I go crazy....

[@23Redspecial]

Thank you for this invaluable message. Ive known this but needed someone to reiterate it. Its time to create some luck and get where i know i need to be.

[@franklee7543]

You're not alone.

[@EchoFabric]

This is such an important lesson that I'm learning way later than I should have. Some of my biggest regrets were not recognizing and appreciating when these "lucky" opportunities have presented themselves.

[@zuthalron7123]

The ending was cool. Loved the western facing shot with the glare. That shot reminds me of my favorite shot from the lord of the rings, where Rohan is readying to ride to gindor and one of the soldiers is ringing the bell with the sun behind him.

[@Epochstudios]

Well said Billy! Thanks for that.

[@channel395jfjsifkf]

I have a Scottish Balmoral cap just like the one your dad is wearing in the photo. Nice. Clan MacNeil of Barra is my partial heritage. PS I love how you say “thangs” naturally, that is a real skill right there, haha!

[@UltimateSessionBassGym-ns2cy]

So true 👍

[@mykhedelic6471]

Sailor Billy is now my favorite, bring him back.

[@rkburlymusic]

👍 So true and so cool! Great observations. I think as we get a little older, it looks a lot different from up here. Really enjoy your videos. Thanks!

[@younglife88]

Amazing perspective. When I found your channel I found a likeminded individual who has amazing intensity and passion for your field, yet this wisdom is so universal. Thank you Billy

[@rothloaf1980]

Where is this skull bar? I'm totally in.

[@danielharbison5831]

This is 100% true. I always have considered myself pretty unlucky, but in reality I wouldn't be playing music full time for the 3rd year if I was that unlucky. I've had some great luck and big support system from my friends! Great video as always!

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

That is awesome!

[@RoamingRamble]

this guy is his own oracle card for sure Couldnt have said it better if I tried !

[@xOWSLA]

What a great video! SUBBED!

[@pjg3953]

I admire your positive attitude - good man!

[@minimumviablepizza]

I know it's early, but as someone who has had a similar luck path, this will be one of the most important YT videos someone can stumble on this year. Thank you for sharing, so glad I found your channel.

[@TheGarageRecordingSC]

Great video!! You’ve got a great attitude and I enjoy your perspective. I’m going to go on record right now and say that your channel is going to be huge!! If you keep this up, people are going to flock to this channel!! 😊👍🏻

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thanks so much!

[@carmenmonroe7]

Great video! I enjoyed this very much. Thank you.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@devon-graves-studio-D]

Wow... what a great video. Just fantastic.

[@VeitLehmann]

Well said! Works in a very similar way for me. It's a combination of alertness, awareness, curiosity, persistence, and (following the success the former should bring) confidence and optimism. It's easy if you get it, but I can't blame people who are followed by bad luck for not getting there. Each of the traits are connected, and if you can't believe in your own luck, it's really hard to get there. For example, I have had my dream bass guitar in my head for years. And recently, I met a guy who developed a sliding pickup system which solved the last thing that I wasn't sure about (Where to place the pickups? Do I even need 3 of them? But would it be too convoluted then?). Now I designed a body shape, we ordered parts, and now we're about to build my personal bass. And the design turned out so good that he will build another one for himself, and we might even make it a side hustle together!

[@sadpicture6250]

So true , you've got to get out there. 2 nights back, my son (whose the drummer in my new band )and I went to see a band in dublin we know . We hadn't been to the venue, and we are playing there next month,itll he out 1st Dublin gig. Anyway ,we met a load of people from other bands, got introduced to new people and , suprise they new about us. Peple were introducing us to other people saying our band name ( wont say it here) Late in the night, we then got offered a support slot from the band we went to see. Also, i can see on our instagram page that people we met are now following us, and some of our songs have been listened to. What if we had decided not to go to the gig. The weather heres been crap. But we did, and all those contacts happened. Cheers Billy.

[@JuicyDry]

generally your content is very good and you dont waste the viewers time. also there is a wise perspective to all of it. its very information dense and useful if someone is home recording.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thanks!

[@poolplayerbrian]

I like your ending

[@freesk8]

Jerry barber. “The harder I practice, the luckier I get.”

[@23Redspecial]

love the content brother!

[@davidstillson]

I think a key point from this is DOING things. So many life paths and relationships I’ve had were products of saying yes to things.. the movie Yes, Man takes this to the extreme, but there’s a lot of truth in it if you do it somewhat sensibly!

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thanks! I just looked up that movie and am going to watch it.

[@mznxbcv12345]

A very insightful retrospective

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thank you!

[@MrEssjayK]

Great Video!!! Thank you for sharing it

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Thanks for watching!

[@f4rh4te]

Luck is definitely a skill. Tried it on my own.

[@be.spiritlove]

Nice video - So true

[@tormentorgustavo]

Wise words m'friend

[@vento182]

Even in a face-to-face video, you put some fictional elements. You’re a storyteller, I like it!

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Wow, thank you! I was actually freaking out about how much the viewer would have to look at my face.

[@stevelestermusic]

the studio philosopher...well done!

[@frajeeli]

I say the same thing about talent. People that say, "Oh you're soo talented. I could never do that." This always minorly upsets me. It discredits the work that you put in. You don't have to be talented to be skilled. Where talent stops, the work begins. If you're 20% talented, this means you'll have to put in 80% work in order to accomplish your goals.

[@YellowTrashCan]

jumps in boat "Hey you wanna work on this Beyonce record w/ me?"

[@AlexLowe-RedTux]

Taking chances. Like anything else, one gets better at it the more you do it. I remember "ending" my job as an assistant engineer to be the engineer. It was like jumping off a cliff. "Learning to fly." It worked, and I started to realize I needed to find more cliffs, and they kept on getting higher.

[@Chaos-Dynamics]

Sometimes to have new doors open up the old ones have to be closed. Someone wrote; if you’re the smartest person in the room you are in the wrong room 😊

[@pastormarshafletcher]

Great advice! ✅✅✅ It's happened to me plenty times over the past 69 years. 🙂

[@epiphoney]

In the thumbnail, your hair does kind of remind me of the Luck Dragon from Neverending Story.

[@JCDenton513]

Some time ago, I decided that I am an incredibly lucky person. Things always seem to work out even when I have no idea what that would look like. When it really matters, I will latch onto an opportunity, work my hardest to see it through and good things would follow. All my "bad" luck was a simple case of, it never really mattered to me. Since then, I've been letting go of the things don't matter, which allowed me to rediscover my passion in music and electronics. Something I'd been denying myself for far, far too long. And now, wouldn't you know? I'm willing to take those risks and have found these opportunities are everywhere.

[@johnsrabe]

You were in an improv group? You’re making that up. But seriously, good video. Very inspiring and reassuring. Even if you don’t get “lucky,” you will have been enjoying life and challenging yourself and growing. So, so what if you don’t wind up rich and famous? You wound up … happy.

[@buzzbabyjesus]

I have a similar story.

[@jonlieberman997]

“Chance favors the prepared mind.” Louis Pasteur. He worked his tail off and came up with the first antibiotic, penicillin. He obviously loved what he was doing and didn’t make 100 million dollars from his work as would a pharmacitical company today.

[@BILLY-px3hw]

FYI Louis Pasteur did not come up with penicillin, he.did however develop the rabies and anthrax vaccines and is the father of pasteurization. Sir Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin 33 years after Pasteur's death. See how luck works now we all know

[@artisans8521]

You could also say Penicillin found Alex Flemming. He wanted to make nice, clean, sterile, agar filled petri dishes, but when he grew bacteria on them, the poor little buggers didn't grow in circles where Penicillin fungi thrived. Then he was hit by a huge EUREKA.....the rest is history.

[@jonlieberman997]

@ Spot on brother. It was Fleming who discovered penicillin and Pasteur discovered the small pox vaccine. Both were poised and prepared to run with opportunity which sooner or later will present itself.

[@jonlieberman997]

@ spot on brother

[@integerdivision]

The drive and ability to work hard are themselves lucky traits, as lucky as Michael Phelps swim-optimized body.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

I got that from my parents.

[@RedEyeAgency]

​@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume the Michael Phelps body? 😝

[@groovedodger]

Lucky I found your channel a random click great stuff on here.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Welcome! And thanks!

[@nethoncho]

Same here

[@MrDaveangelo1]

WORD!

[@JohnManopoulos]

Wise man

[@molotulo8808]

I'm worried that i will go to the bar to meet a musi can actually work with, which takes me out of my studio and i dont record that riff i was trying to come up with. Choices and consequences.

[@PrinceWesterburg]

As a psychic; Always follow your heart! Switch the mind off - it thinks and doesn't know! Thought is the enemy of flow, so, follow your heart.

[@Alkimi]

Hear Here!

[@bababooeebababoous]

COOL CHANNEL DOOOOOOD 😈🤙

[@dillxn554]

Very much feel this way about seeking Jesus ❤ thank you for the video 🙏

[@molotulo8808]

You have to set goals and strive to achieve them. Don't waste time doing crap that won't get you to achieve your goals..

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

All my plans failed. Yet I achieved most of my goals. The pint is to once in a while try things that aren't so narrowly defined as "the things you are supposed to do".

[@SarahRoseStiles]

Ha ha ha ha.....uh, your way of bumping into luck is exactly the way I've come across bad "luck."

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Oh no!!!

[@SarahRoseStiles]

@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume And along with it is weird luck. Anyway, there'll always be some negativity in life, which makes me notice and more appreciate the presence of blessings. I'm trusting in impermanence and randomness that the high-percentage bad-luck streak will eventually pass !

[@WeAreTheEggmen22]

Bad thing for me luck doesn't exist

[@mikecamps7226]

ONE SMALL STEP FOR MAN....ONE GIANT LEAP FOR MANKIND !!!

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

Man and mankind are synonymous though. They are actually, and literally, the same thing.

[@officialWWM]

We make our own luck…

[@markhendriksen7264]

Here is the truth ! It doesn't begin at some cockamamie tv show where they give you the idea that you start at the top. NO ! You start by eating out of a dustbin, odd jobs etc while trying to save money for gear and creating your own sound. In the process you meet people, that's the luck. It's hard work. Not some dream environment where they make you do things you don't want. Sometime you do it but that is about the gear and getting to where you want to go. You don't start in a stadium, you start in some rundown smelly bar with 5 to 10 people. It's not all roses but, as Billy said, there is luck an you can make the most of that.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

My 1st professional gig was in a bar connected to a bowling alley in Brunswick Georgia. It smelled weird too.

[@markhendriksen7264]

@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume Just to set the record straight, by here is the truth, I ment, you are saying it like it is😉

[@Unfunny_Username_389]

Interesting. If I've understood you correctly, luck is a skill - but skill is also a luck. In any case, this all put in mind of something I came across when I was doing tons of reading (back in the late '90s I woke up one morning convinced I was thick, stupid and kind of worthless - which wasn't overly far from the truth....in any case, from that moment onwards I committed to becoming an intellectual, lol - and for the next fifteen years I read A LOT). I waffle. You reminded me of something Marx said in the The Eighteenth Brumaire of Louis Bonaparte - "...man makes history, but not in circumstances of his own choosing." In other words, we're always restricted by where we find ourselves at any given time, but we can almost always work with what we've got. And make SOMETHING of it. Also, the 1980s Northern Irish snooker player Dennis Taylor, who said 'the more I practice, the luckier I get.' I don't get the opportunity to quote Marx and Dennis Taylor in the same breath very often - so thanks for that. 😆

[@askanalienabductee]

Luck is something the Gods offer you when you have favor. Welcome to the spiritual EBT handout life.

[@2ero2nin3]

Skill is when luck gets the norm 🙃

[@artisans8521]

You know Fischer Plugs, I guess (or his toyline Fischer Techniek). You know what Artur Fischer's motto was? "Schöpferische Faulheit." That translates to Creative Laziness. How cool is that, but think about it, when somebody wasn't too darned lazy to shovel horsemenure twice a day, we wouldn't drive to the 7/11. Or when somebody wasn't sick and tired of using tippex all day long, would we have a PC on our desk now (WordPerfect)? Or for your Apple dudes keeping the books (Visicalc).

[@bruhzooka]

I just uploaded all my crap music to spotify. Wish me luck!

[@jannepeltonen2036]

Audaces fortuna iuvat.

[@Meister1551]

Remember what Ben Franklin said. Luck, happens when Preparation meets Opportunity.

[@NeungView]

Bollocks!

[@erwinpatio8160]

Synchronicity

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

Ah.... yes!

[@Fl_Music_Producer]

There is no such thing as luck. We are all presented with opportunities. It is what we do with these opportunities that will dictate what our future will be. Turn down every opportunity presented to you, and you will be stuck.

[@Guitardave-c6f]

OK...let's condense this vid into five words. (This does NOT mean you shouldn't watch it, OK?) " Chance favors the prepared mind." How'd I do? Thanks Billy. GD out.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

That is true. However I'm hardly ever prepared. I'm more of a jump first guy.

[@Guitardave-c6f]

@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume A "prepared mind" does not necessarily infer that you got the perfect tools for the job, and the ducks are all in line. Like you said, its about being ready to dig in (like ya done with that mixing board and reel to reel) . Like the title of that Francis Dunnery album..."Let's go do what happens". Peace out. GD.

[@REX4340]

I see you as unlucky, you had a great career making analog recordings, then it all went wrong😢

[@dortek882]

😂

[@jimmydiamond-im5xs]

Taoism 101=)

[@justletmepostthis276]

Luck may be a skill, but some with Generational Wealth, Positions, Status and such skew that skill. I'm not trying to be negative. I've pulled back the curtain. I know what I say is true.

[@FreakingOutWithBillyHume]

That is a good point. Have you read Malcom Gladwell's book 'Outliers'? He touches on that a lot and reading the book changed my life. One of the luckiest things in my life was who my parents were and what I forgot from them. I knew that as a kid but only recently has the full enormity really hit me.

[@DrDavidThor]

@@FreakingOutWithBillyHume "what I forgot from them" sounds like something that would come up in analysis. Um, lol.

[@AnonMemSoc]

Better than Beato

[@Frank-k4h4l]

Video is broken. Not able to watch more than one minute before it stops

[@ashikabbasali1836]

Hard practice and knowledge that's the secret appreciate feedback on my original guitar compositions new post coming soon

[@ashikabbasali1836]

Thank you

[@officialWWM]

Wait, what? You’re saying I have to leave my house? But, there’s people out there :/

[@micalopez3707]

Your bad luck was because you had the face of a bad person, today you still have it, but you seem old and that always gives some kind of forgiveness to that part of seem to be a jerk. I don't say you are or was, I say you seemed to be, and also some kind of rebel guy, and people wants sheeps not fox to work with or invest in. (Totally objective and risky thoughts on this, sometimes good luck has to do with genetics and how people perceive us, as a risk for their comfort zones). Some people says they thought I was a bad person before knowing me, you know, that makes things harder to know some people, but who cares.