Wow,
I guess we're all talking over here again. Good. Hey OD, been missing those long posts. A few things:
First of all Phil, interestingly that you asked about going off and "making your fortune in music..." at your age. Funny you should say something about that, because as usually I HAPPEN to have personal experience that deals with just that.
I don't know if I told you, but a few years ago I started getting these royalty checks from Sweden, Denmark, the Netherlands, etc. I couldn't figure out where they were coming from because I had NOTHING going on in those countries. The video, and movie rental for ANOTHER PAIR OF ACES, still gets some rentals over the years but fewer and farther between. I don't even think it is on DVD, and don't really know anything that has happened with a movie from nearly 30 years ago.
Then on one of the statements, I noticed a name. Ed Bentley. Ed. was a 69 year old retired Insurance business owner, who came to me after selling his insurance business. He had played rockabilly back in the late 50's and early 60's but had to quit to earn a living and have a "real job." He worked for many years, then retired and came to me to update his writing skills.
The first day we got together he handed me a sheet of paper with 60 titles on it. I looked down at it, then handed it back to him and said "Now show me one that is NOT NEGATIVE." He looked at it and had never realized that EVERY SINGLE TITLE was negative, self depressing, bitter, angry. Normal songwriter nonsense.
Over the next few days and subsequent trips, we wrote more songs, even a really hard one, which was about his granddaughter that had DIED at Childbirth. (Try to take on THAT SUBJECT AND GIVE IT A POSITIVE SPIN.) But we DID. And it greatly helped his family through a very tough grieving period.
Then he dissapeared and I didn't hear from him for years. Then I start getting these checks. They were on songs we had written that he put on CD's of his and he was PERFORMING in those countries. He got radio airplay. He was a ROCK star in Daneland! And like everything with him, about three weeks ago, HE POPS UP AT ONE OF MY COMMODORE SHOWS. He is now in his EIGHTIES, but still looks in the late sixties. He has boundless energy and travels and does his music.
I know a LOT of people like this. Retired people, going through their "SECOND PHASE" of their careers. Teachers, scientists, doctors, lawyers, geologists, property managers, political scientists, pharmaceutical representatives, advertising salesmen, traveling educators, plumbers, contractors, electricians, Millwrites (whatever the hell that is!) computer programmers, you name it, I have probably worked with someone in that vocation.
They continue their lives. They do music. The sell CD's and do web sites. They build fans. Many of them have fans with MONEY. They do private parties. They play winery's, brewerys, bars, special events.
I have always said that what YOU need to be doing is building your own reputation in YOUR area. You have three writers nights around there. They might not be the "Nashville" type of night, but they bring in POTENTIAL ARTISTS! You have written with one. RiDawn. And found out all the things about writing with them. Finding subjects they will sing. Involving them. Jumping through hoops to help them get their career going. And then dealing with the other things they go through. RiDawn is pretty much out of the business due to two older parents who are in the stages of Dementia and Alzheimers and a new grand child she is having to pretty much raise. And she ALWAYS gets excited about things, for a while and then drops out.
And that is it OD. What about all these people that move to Nashville? About 98% will be done, gone, quit, finished within 2-3 years. They burn out. Our little sweetie, Megan Markle and her sweet Mom, Karen. They are still involved, more or less. But when I did a show with her last July in Birmingham she had not written a song in over a year, and had done very little in music. She was getting ready to go to college and realized music might be a great high school college thing, but it probably wouldn't go past that.
This is most people who do this. The few that continue on, will find other things to do, stay in one way or another and get a reality check. One out of a few million will make it up a little higher levels, some will end up like Megan Linsey, on the Voice or some contest show and one out of probably ten million or more will grab a break like Frankie.
This is most people who do this. The few that continue on, will find other things to do, stay in one way or another and get a reality check. One out of a few million will make it up a little higher levels, some will end up like Megan Linsey, on the Voice or some contest show and one out of probably ten million or more will grab a break like Frankie.
And there will be a LOT of people who find their own niche. They might not ever be on the charts. Might just have their own friends and fans and do their little things around their home towns and regions. And that will be just fine.
If people want to learn to do this, they will. Most quit long before. Everyone has to find their own way.
Good to hear from you both.
MAB
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