MENTORS

Everybody needs them. Nearly any success story that you have ever read or aspired to follow will have that 'success story' having had a commanding influence in their life and on their life. Mentors are those that we find on our path that are inherently necessary to reach the next level, to push beyond where we think we can go, because they see in us a potential that generally we can't see ourselves, or are to sacred to take the chance too reach. They are great teachers.. they might not specifically be teachers in a professional sense, but they are teachers nonetheless.

Luke Skywalker had Yoda...
Leonardo Da Vinci had Verocchio..
and..Justin Bieber had USHER!!!!!!!!!

All i have learned is that there are certain people i have come across that have inspired me and taught me great priceless gifts.  You can learn from nearly everything in life, i learned today at the Royal Ontario Museum that in the 1780s, boys before the age of five wore dresses with small pantaloons. However, facts and figures are useful, but real mentors give you inspiration (that may well come from facts and figures.. but inspirational in their application). I have been fortunate over the last few years to get a real KICK UP THE ASS by a few people, especially a great Acting teacher in Sydney called Annie Swann. Any aspiring actor/artist out there should get over to Newtown in Sydney, Australia and see her, and in one hour your life will be totally changed and pointing in a much more fruitful direction.

My current singing teacher is also a constant inspiration and source of advice. Little gem's like 'there is no up, and there is no down'.. 'don't think too much, god, what are you thinking for, just do it!'.. 'just the good bits dear'... and just the giving over to the natural process of development. We are all born with a voice, and then go and give it a whole lot of problems and agony (well some of us over the years anyway). As my teacher says, you already got the voice 'kid', you just don't know how to use it properly yet.

The other big mentor in my life, who probably would never describe himself as a mentor, is the producer of this Album, Dave Thompson. The guy is a fucking genius. But also a real person. He probably knows deep down he's a genius, but he just gets on with it. He expounds truth from every angle. Truth is 360 degrees around that guy. If you are putting shit on, or not being genuine, then get the fuck out of the house. We now have a sign on the studio door which says "CROONER FREE ZONE". He's trying to beat the fake and bring in the real Alex Hopkins. It's a daily challenge, but one which he continues to undertake day in and day out tirelessly.

There is one common link between all three of my major mentors. They all have a wealth of experience in so many different facets of life. They have a universal grip on the ways of the world, but would always admit that it's impossible to have a universal grip on anything, as the more you know, the more you have to learn, and the better you get at something.. well you can get a whole lot better at it than that! They keep searching for truth, honesty, and integrity in the pursuit of life.

Leonardo Da Vinci's goal in life was to search for Truth and Beauty, he never found enough it, not even one iota of as much as was out there (he admitted that on his death bed), but he spent everyday trying to be better, more knowledgeable and trying to find more truth and beauty in the world. Not a bad way of living really...

May the force be with you!