A TALE OF TWO WRITERS
Phil, since we are talking about this, I thought I would apply the dynamics of two people you actually know. One, I will not call him by name, let's just call him "The B-Man". I met this guy, the same way I met you. Posting on the NSAI forum. For several months or longer, I would go on there,much like here, talking about the cool things about Nashville as well as some of the things to be aware of. Like this forum, it always has new people in and out, most that don;'t say anything but read along, and a few old hands, who seem to always have some dialogue going on.
Following most of my comments would come the good old 'B-Man, who was convinced that I was SATAN incarnate, trying to get writers to buy my SNAKE OIL and force them to conform to my ways, get in the "Nashville robot line" and do the same as everyone else just like the "gatekeepers force everyone to be." He was always caustic, negative, and seemed to find anger in every word I wrote.
One of my favorite rants was on the Bluebird, and the audition process. He went on endlessly complaining about how they forced people to stand in line in the blazing hot sun, and wait for hours to get their chance to play small pieces of their songs. He was elaborate about the inhumanity of the Bluebird and their staff and how full of themselves they were. He did a lot on that. He also mentioned in passing, about how they brought out coolers of ice water while everyone was lined up and opened the doors as soon as they could to get as many as they could in the air conditioning. But GOD, why would anyone ever want to play there in the FIRST PLACE?
I never knew him until I met you. Then you told me who he was and that you had known him for some time. I realized I DID KNOW HIM, had seen him out numerous times and always tried to be very cordial and welcoming to him every time I saw him. He is "over 40, somewhat unkept" and his songs....to say it nicely... are somewhat very forgettable. In fact, I don't really know what they are. I just know he always showed up with some odd looking instrument, that never quite made a lot of sense to me, but to each his own.
He is what I lovingly refer to as a "Crumdugeon." And that is about half the people who populate Nashville, particularly the older folks. They are NEVER HAPPY, never get anywhere. And usually....gone pretty quickly. But he keeps on hanging on. See him less and less but still around.
I have never tried to sell him one pint of my snake oil.
Contrast that with Allen Shervelle. Allen is mid 30's, great looking, good style, very good writer, and ALWAYS OVER THE TOP POSITIVE. Sometimes a little TOO MUCH, but I would rather have that than the other way. He made multiple trips a year from North Carolina, where I first met him, years before he moved to Nashville. He continually wrote, worked with me (buying a lot of my snake oil) performed out. On his first trip to Nashville, he WON ANOTHER TRIP AT THE RAMP BASH!
He would come to Nashville to write and perform. He was so dilligent he amazed even me. By the time he actually moved he had written with dozens of people and performed all over town. He would get in rounds where he had written with everyone in the round, thereby getting nine to twelve songs in the round instead of three. Hosts loved him and he started bookings shows everywhere. He wrote with everyone and continued to work with me. He actually booked shows that got me into places that I had quit trying to get in.
In five years, he has gotten songs everywhere, is known as "Nashville's Superman" by the Superman t-shirts he wears everywhere. (he has about 200 of them). He is involved with the publishing company with Matt Casey. He was in Boston two weeks ago for COMIC CON, where he sold CD's and performed his Superman and other songs before hundreds at that convention. He recently got married, and is a local legend.
He NEVER STOPS TRYING. NEVER STOPS WRITING. WORKS HIS BUTT OFF WAITING TABLES AND IS ALWAYS AMAZINGLY POSITIVE. He always advances. AND HE ALWAYS PAYS IT FORWARD HELPING OTHER PEOPLE THAN HIMSELF.
That is the difference between the two. Which one would you want to be around?
MAB