How to Do It All
Atlanta magazine's recent list of "How to" instructions included several musical entries involving hip-hop producer Jermaine Dupri, entertainment attorney Joel Katz, and country-music fan Senator Zell Miller.

Scattered among an eclectic mix of "How to" instructions (chef Guenter Seeger on "How to Boil an Egg," tennis star Brian Vahaly on "How to Hit the Perfect Serve") were several points of musical interest.

The shortest advice column came from former Georgia Governor and current US Senator Zell Miller, whose advice on "How to Sing a Country Song" was boiled down to "The only advice I can give: Listen to George Jones."

Atlanta editors served up a list of "How to Become a Music Impresario" based on the "life lessons" of Jermaine Dupri. The list includes having the right parents (his father was a road manager for several music groups), starting early (he first took the stage at age 9), getting around (solo and group projects, as well as mentoring young talent), and avoiding feuds. Oh, and dating Janet Jackson. (It's easier to buy a George Jones CD!)

One of the nation's premiere entertainment attorneys, Joel Katz, provided the most helpful list of tips in his list, "How to Fly Right." The avid traveler, whose offices are packed with gold and platinum discs from his successful roster of music clients around the world, recommends:

1. Becoming a regular. Make sure the hotels know you; they'll treat you nicely.
2. Packing right. Just throw it in your bag, and have the hotel press it for you (see #1).
3. Eating right. Katz says he "focuses every day around three things: breakfast, lunch and dinner." They're good times for meetings, too -- your invitees tend to show up if there's a meal involved.
4. Being productive. Katz "maximizes his minutes" by using flight time and taxi time to catch up on calls, dictation, email.
5. Leasing a private plane. Okay, so this one won't work for most of us, but Katz saves enough time (2 hours every leg of a flight, he estimates) to make it worth his while.

Visit Atlanta magazine [limited magazine content online]

Visit Sen. Zell Miller's official Senate site, or browse his book "They Heard Georgia Singing" at Amazon.com

Read more about Jermaine Dupri from his own site
(Dupri recently resigned as President of Grammy's Atlanta Chapter in the wake of Janet Jackson's post-Super Bowl treatment by the Recording Academy and has been replaced by veteran rocker Johnny Colt, formerly of the Black Crowes.)

Read Joel Katz's bio page on his law firm's web site

Read a synopsis of Monty Python episode #28, which contains a "How To" show that informs us how to play the flute, bring world peace, and cure all the world's diseases.