Hello MAB and Philboy,
MAB, I think your post was simply excellent explaining how the music business works. It would probably make most amateurs like me wonder "why bother". That is certainly a question everyone should ask themselves and if their only reason to want to be involved in music was to get famous or make a ton of money off royalty checks, then it's best they quit now and concentrate on a career that will pay their bills and hopefully allow them to retire someday.
However; I'm not trying to suggest they quit enjoying music all together, that would be foolish. I also realize your post was not meant for the basic amateur that may play a few songs for a family event; or even those that may be performing with a weekend bar band; but more towards those that may want to follow their "Dream" of breaking into the music business some day as a career for them.
Awe Yes, there is that dreaded cliche' "follow your dream". S.O.B. That little phrase has caused many to make decisions based on their "dream" more than their "talent". I also fell into that catagory once with a band I was in that played both cover tunes and wrote our own original music. We obviously had the dream and we had talent; but we didn't have the SONGS. Awe yes, the SONGS; another hurddle that you have to over come that is much more important than having all the musical talent you need. That band I mentioned is how I went from a part time songwriter that rarely finished anything, to someone that truly wanted to learn how to write better songs.
This post wasn't meant to be about me, but I'm a very good example of how a dream can get the best of us and cause someone to want it so badly, we may make a blind decision in order to see where it may lead us. Our band made a few trips to Nashville to meet with the Larry Butler group. What some may not know, Larry Butler was a fine musician/songwriter and was the grammy award winning producer on the Kenny Rogers CD "The Gambler" (and a friend of MAB's). In fact MAB has a song he once turned down for a new up coming artist to record and a favorite song of Larry's wife which she wanted her husband to have Kenny record someday. I'll let MAB tell you that story.
Sadly the band I was involved with didn't have the songs that interested Larry's gourp and we were told to come back when we had better songs. My point is; that dream to achieve will drive many of us to take measures most people would not even concider, even if we knew the odds were stacked up against us. That rewarding feeling I got as a member of a band that performed for a responsive audience was greater than any big pay check I ever recieved regardless of the extra money from working so much over time. However; all the cheers and applause from the audience didn't pay the bills like that big over time check did. Ha!!! Sadly we became a statistic and broke up because the time we put into it, put too much strain on our day jobs and especially our families. Now a person can go on with their music, even though it may not pay the bills, but I guarantee you Mommy will not be happy. When Mommy is not happy most musician/songwriters end up with life experiences that turn into "cry in your beer songs" that dominated Nashville many years ago. Ha!!!
Okay; a joke I heard from a Nashville musician I struck up a conversation with while standing in the isle at a Home Depot. We talked about music and Nashville when he explained he moved to town to become a studio musician but he had to find a job to pay the bills. His joke was "What is the difference between a musician and a large pizza"??? The Answer: "The large pizza will feed a family of 4". Ha!!! (good joke and true story).
But talented musicans like him will no doubt made a living, even if they have to perform part of the time while working a day job most of the time. I would guess most bar band members have day jobs and play their music on weekends to fulfill their desire to perform music. My experience as a bar band member was; no band I ever played in lasted more than a couple of years because of the strain it put on families. Most of the money we made was spent on trying to buy bigger and better equipment (mostly mics and sound equipment) that was the first thing sold off (for pennies on the dollar) after the band broke up. So as it turned out, just when the equipment was paid for and we could take some extra money home, it was over and we would take a long break before another group of guys would put something else together; but then came buying bigger and better equipment again.
But let me get back to the more serious artist's and songwriters MAB was reaching out to in his post. We all know there is a very small amount of successful artist's that will ever make their fortune in music. Beyond them, there may be a few thousand more that may make a living such as band members (which are normally work for hire) or those involved in the business like studio people, A&R people, Publishers, Label people and all of them. Then concider the thousands of other's that don't have a deal but yet they make a living by touring or playing in the local areas, casino's or wherever they can land a gig.
But what about the dreamers that show up in Nashville everyday who have chosen to follow their dreams by moving to a music city seeking their chance at the big time they have always dreamed about. They are truly the ones who would benefit reading MAB's post the most. Sure, they all have talent, some more than others (which are the ones MAB talks about trying to meet and write with before they make it big) but most will never go anywhere beyond playing some writers rounds and open mic nights. It's a known fact the younger artist's new to town that have the total package (they sing great, have good stage presence, and have great looks; whether male or female) will get the attention of the better writers in town and will be invited to work with them, so they have a good chance of performing much better songs down the road. The great singers with all the other qualities will have the best chance to work with the better songwriters who seek them out in order to work with them. Much like MAB suggests we try to work with a local talent before they make it big, the former hit writers and better songwriters in Nashville are doing the same thing with the newer talent arriving in town.
So what happens to the average singer/songwriter??? Chances are they will learn the facts of life and the music business rather quickly and be back on a bus headed for home before long. As MAB has said before "music isn't fair to everybody".
So what about us "Living Room Writers" on songwriting sites like SongRamp and so many others on the internet. Where is there room for all of us in the music business because we have a dream like all the others. Well we too are the main audience that should be reading MAB's post and gathering information from what he wrote. The fact is; there is not much room for us in the muic business at all. So does that mean we should all quit and give up. Not at all; but realize our chances of any success with our music is very limited if not nearly impossible. However; remember me telling all of you how I felt a great sinsation while performing in a band for a receptive audience. I'm sure most of you have experienced that same feeling when you perform your original songs for family, friends, or even a coffee shop or open mic night. That feeling of accomplishment may be the only reward most of us will ever receive but it can truly be enough to make us want to do it again and again.
Then realize also there are thousands of kids turning 14, 15, 16 and older everyday with the same dream to become a performer so there will never be a shortage of dreamers out there. There are also plenty of us folks turning middle aged and older every day also. Most of us didn't follow a dream for music back when we were young; but we have discovered a new enthusiasm for music and a desire to be a part of it we allowed to lye dormant for many years. I read these type of stories on SongRamp and other sites all the time, and all of us have the opportunity to be creative and express ourselves with our music. However; the same principles apply, some have more talent than others; yet we all want to be part of music regardless of our musical abilities. Those of us in this bracket are more realistic about our chances to write any songs that would ever be cut or become a hit; but then another term comes to play "What If". Ha!!! I hear that one all the time also and it is certainly true. But that "what if" factor causes many average writers to enter song contests, ask how to meet with Publishers, and even want to gherm a well known artist if they only could.
So were getting down to my main point. Regardless of which group catagory we fall into; or the level of talent; it all comes down to the quality of our SONGS. Period!!! Write a poorly written song and you're going to get a poor response. Write an average song and you're going to get an average response. Write a great song and you're going to get a great response. It all come down to the SONG.
Now please don't take my comments to think I consider myself a good songwriter. I consider myself a decent songwriter but not even close to the really good songwriters out there. Many of you reading along are decent (or better) songwriters as well; but perhaps we all fall into that "what if" catagory at times. So what is the answer. I truly don't think the answer is for us to think our songs have the potential of getting a cut with a major artist (although it did happen once or twice as I recall); but a cut with an indie artist is not out of the question. I suggest we all continue writing our song to please our own creative desires, and only hope our songs will please our listening audience as well. Once again, that may be our greatest achievement and result in our greatest reward. Anything thing beyond that is certainly reason to celebrate. And please realize I'm aware we have some really gifted talent on this site; but like MAB my focus is geared around those wanting to make their presense know in Nashville. I realize also many could care less about Nashville so dis-regard my statements.
MAB, I apologize for my long post but I had half an 18 pack to get rid of before I begin my next attempt to straighten my dumb*ss out tomorrow. I could have poured them down the drain but that seemed like such a terrible waste. Everything I wrote may not make perfect sense but I did my best between my bouts with the hiccups.
The main reason for my post was to explain we don't all have to become a hit songwriter and major performing artist. There is still room for our songs to be shared with fellow songwriters and a listening audience. Just that we may not make any money from it; but there is still a huge reward if we consider our success in other ways.
OD (hiccup)