QUOTE OF THE WEEK
"You need opportunity, talent and a whole lot of luck."
Anonymous

NASHVILLE NEWS
A recent article in the Tennessean addressed the current problem with payola and the control that some of these companies who own numerous radio stations have. It also pointed out that recently Reba McIntire's record label spent $1,000,000.00 to assure a spot at Number One on the billboard chart. The music business is hard enough without adding to what is already an unlevel playing field. Washington is looking into the matter to make sure no laws are being broken.

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

Question:
How can I get my demo heard by a record label?

Answer:
It is very rare and highly unlikely that a label will listen to a demo that has come from an unknown source. That is why I recommend that you sing demos for other songwriters. Label executives are always listening to new songs for albums and artists already on the label. This gives you the chance to be heard and pitch them a demo without them even realizing it. After hearing you a few times on different songs, if they like what they hear, they will always look into who was singing on the demo. I know several people who got their foot in the door that way. My friend Bryan White is one of them.

TIP OF THE WEEK
Myself and many successful people in music and in the business world will tell you that they spent hours picturing and imagining themselves doing what they wanted more than anything. Pretending to already be where they could only dream about being. Jim Carey (actor) has said many times that he actually wrote a check to himself for $1,000,000.00 and wasn't going to stop until he could actually cash it.

I personally spent hours picturing myself on stage with thousands of fans cheering. I saw myself in the limo headed for the concert hall and created different scenarios and exactly how I would handle each situation. After a rehearsal of some kind, I would wait for everyone to leave so I could perform on stage and put on a big show for the hundreds of people who nobody else could see.

Of course, there were hours spent actually practicing and doing the many things I believed would increase my odds in living my dream. If you're going to dream big, you have to work harder than most and just as importantly, you have to be so passionate about it that you can see it, feel it, and taste it. This business is tough and not for you if you don't hurt a little and know that a piece of you will be missing if you don't do it.

If it's for any other reason or you're only attracted to what you believe fame is, don't spend another minute thinking about it. It's too hard of a business to not be in it for the right reasons. No one knows more than I do about dreaming and what it's like to see them come true.

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