JPF Home Page Forums General Messages Songwriter Message Forum The Votes are all in...

Just a couple common sense realities:

1. Getting booked at any type of venue has MUCH more to do with your TALENT, DRAW and ENTERTAINMENT ability that the style/genre of music you play. I see it in person much more than ANY of you do because I travel nearly non stop around North America 8-10 months of the year seeing thousands of artists, talking to venues, seeing who is getting booked and so on. This discussion has run on the assumption that the talent of everyone in the discussion is 100% great and something that any "honest" intentioned venue would book lest they have a bias for or against a style of music. That assumption is ridiculous. To get booked you need to have a built in draw, a powerful performance/writing style that acts as a magnet to others so they will come to the venue to watch and either pay a cover, buy food and drinks or meet whatever agenda the venue has for getting people to their place. Long before "bias" comes into the discussion, talent has to be resolved. I find most people who feel discriminated against or persecuted are the most unwilling to FIRST point the finger of responsibility at themselves. And that is a human condition that applies to both religious and non religious people.

2. Our overall awards have genres for finished songs. The stuff that rose to the top in the Contemporary Christian can compete as SONGS toe to toe with any song from any other genre. One of our most success writer/artists is a girl named Tammy Edwards from Des Moine, IA who does CC music. I'd place her album (which finished second as album of the year in ALL genres 2 years ago) against any non religious album. I also know she has no trouble getting booked into secular or non secular venues to play any old time she wants. It's amazing what a little legitimate talent can to do break these perceived persecution walls.

3. I know a non-secular performer and group who plays churches ALL THE TIME and never once mentions religion, but does know how to cater to the same audience by doing POSITIVE music. Again, these folks are so TALENTED that they never face these perceived biases that both sides of this discussion are whining about. But of course it is ALWAYS easier to blame others for our own failures and weaknesses.

4. The bottom line is.. if you can't get booked somewhere, the person has decided you have nothing to offer their folks. I could take this Contemporary Christian artist and get her booked in nearly any venue in North America with ease.. I could take this NON-Religious music group and get them booked into nearly any church and denomination WITH EASE anytime.

99% of the worlds problems starts with the individual. Fix yourself and the rest normally falls into place.

Now.. enough of the whining and persecution rap... go out and write better songs.. become better performers.. blow people away and make them desperate to buy your CD and see you every possible chance you can. If you are unable or unwilling to get to that point, that is fine. Not everyone can be a compelling performer or writer... but PLEASE stop whining and blaming others for your own weaknesses.... spend that energy improving them.

Brian