Does anyone else besides me, feel there is a lot of good music being created that is not getting heard by the public? This is because the people who would enjoy it don't even know the music or the artist exists! Being a Musician/Songwriter for many years I have met many Musicians. I have even played in bands with some musicians who have gone on to become famous, I mean really famous. And I have always wondered why not me? I mean at the time, those guys weren’t any better than me. So what separates those of us that have really put forth a big effort and failed, and those who have succeeded? My one fellow Musician friend (you know studio Musicians) who worked at the time in the studios in Nashville told me a story. After hearing it, it kind of made sense to me on what was going on even though it was hard to swallow. My friends name is Dougie, those who know me, know I have two friends named Dougie. Both either work or have worked in Nashville and it was one of those Dougies. Anyway, he told me this story once on a visit home for Christmas. He said, and I quote, “Dude you won’t believe this, there are 7 of us Guitar players down here in these studios where I work. And there all these big name bands here recording and we are laying down most the solos tracks!”
I’m like what! He’s all excited saying “yea we can nail it better the 1st time than the dudes who wrote it”. He’s like: “it’s all about time and money, time is money”, “now they will be playing their stuff live in their shows and concerts but what you hear on the CD 80% of the time won’t even be the dude playing in the show. Hmmm I thought what a bunch of smoke and mirrors. My friend Dougie said that he gets invited to go on tour and play with the bands and sometimes he’s on stage. Sometimes he’s hidden back stage playing in a booth. I’m like WTF! He started laughing referring to me and saying that I’m a way better player and song writer than a lot of the dudes in the business that he’s met. He said I would try to hook you up but it won’t do any good. I thanked him for the compliment thinking he’s just being a good friend. He’s like:”No dude I’m serious. He’s like, “I don’t even know what’s up! I keep trying to hook up these bands I run on to all the time with recording opportunities with the record labels but they don’t want anything to do with them! I never try to hook up bands who I think don’t have their shit together. I always try to find ones who are clean you know drug and alcohol free as possible. And the ones who I have got signed by a record label got there albums shelved.
I said for what reason? He said because those particular bands sounded too much like another band they were already developing. He said some of the bands that he was doing the studio work for really suck, Country or Rock. They can’t play, someone writes their stuff. What they do manage to write, needs song doctors, they are rude and got this holier than thou attitude. I’m just sitting there with my mouth open in disbelief. But not everyone Dougie said, some of the guys are the real deal just not as many as you think. He said it didn’t take long to figure out after making friends with the engineers in the studios. That if you have this certain look or were someone’s son or daughter or any relation to a person in a management position of a record company and they got some horse power and can throw their weight around you would get taken care of. These record labels are control freaks. They like you to have talent but not too much because they need to control you and your situation. These big labels don’t want to nurture someone or some band and then have them run off on their own after they learn the ropes of the business. They are afraid that the band or artist will no longer want or need them because the label is squashing their creativeness by forcing them to write what the label wants not what the artist wants.
What dissolution of the business! So either you have to be that 10% who is so talented that they can’t ignore you, you have to have money, influence or you have to have a relative or friend in management working for a big record label to get a shot at it. Thanks to places like Reverb Nation and shows on TV who showcase talent for what it is! None of us would ever even get a chance to get our stuff heard. Thanks Reverb Nation! Anyone have any thoughts or experiences on this subject?
Peace Out
Rock Tay Tay
