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2000 Soap Box Archives The Music Business I am approached from time to time by people who want to know how to go about making it in the music business. I know that I have written on this subject before but I think it deserves rehashing from time to time due to the amount of young people who have an interest in the business. First of all, let me state that the advice I give is only one person’s opinion, as is all advice, but it has been gleaned from forty plus years in the profession I have devoted my life to. First of all, I would say to you who seek counsel, don’t fool yourself about the amount of talent you have. If you merely sound like someone else and look good save yourself a lot of heartache and stay home and play music on the weekends. The music industry is constantly looking for something new and different and you won’t get very far copying someone else’s style. Secondly, make certain sure that you want to devote your professional life to something as demanding as the music business. If you’re not willing to be the first one to get there and the last one to leave don’t bother, if you’re not willing to be working while everyone else is playing, don’t even think about it. If you can’t go down the road six to a car pulling a trailer load of instruments forget it. If you can’t abide truck stop food and cheap motels it ain’t gonna happen for you. There are sacrifices to be made to reach any large degree of success in any business ,and the music business is certainly no exception. If you can’t be away from home for extended periods of time, if you can’t pinch pennies to pay the rent, if you can’t miss out on a lot of things everybody else does choose another profession. Thirdly, if you want to be in the music business, you have to go somewhere that there is a music business. You can’t live in Baxley, Georgia and expect some record company executive to knock on your door with a recording contract in his hand. You can’t play the lounges in bar Harbor, Maine and have some booking agent come in and offer you a major tour. It just don’t hardly ever happen like that. Fourthly, you need experience. I'm talking about playing in front of people every time you get the chance, learning what pleases audiences, what turns on a crowd of people, what turn of phrase or combination of chords makes something which is pleasing to the ear. Now if you’re able to abide by the above points we’ll get down to the real nitty gritty. You have to make your mind up that you’re going to play music for a living, no matter how far you have to go to find a gig, that you’re going to accomplish what you set out to do if you have to work twice as hard as anyone else ever has. Take advantage of every opportunity and remember that everybody has feelings, no matter what their station in life and treat them accordingly. Remember that everybody deserves respect. You’ve got to stick it out no matter how tough the going gets. And above all you’ve got to love every minute of it. Sound tough? It is and like I say it’s just one person’s opinion. If you love music and are content with playing part time I think that’s great. But remember if you want to run with the big dogs you’ve got to get off the porch. What do you think? God
Bless America
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