Midnight,

I'm never talking about Nashville or hits. I give the Nashville perspective because that is where I live and work and that is ultimatly where most of these efforts end up. And LA and New York are even harder.
In every post, I talk about writing what you love, getting it out to people AROUND you in YOUR area. Instead of just doing everything on the Internet and being a "living room writer."

Chis Young is a very good example. Participated in this thread, in the NSAI thread, I think he told me he has been on every songwriter forum availible. And he is doing well here. Did see him quite a bit then he has gotten hot so I see his Father nearly every Wed. (up until last week) at "Beer for Breakfast" a show that hit writer Gary Hannan, (Tequila Makes Her Clothes Fall Off) put on each week at Tootsie's Orchaid lounge.

My entire focus is on NEW writers. New artists. New people trying to find their way. That is how you create a career, by getting in on the ground floor BEFORE someone has begun their ride, and by extension they become part of your ride. If you study music history, that is the way every major artist and writer were started. It was by people on the ground floor.

And it is hard to do. I'll not deny it. You have to prove yourself constantly. But that is what you are trying to do anyway isn't it?

When I see about half of these threads, particularly on song services, I feel like people going into a house that has been abandoned long ago. I care about how people spend money and their overall music journey. I don't really care how they get there but want them to see all sides of any particular issue.

The current method of the music industry is to build it yourself. Build a reputation, and people come to you. From there more people, more songs, etc. come to you. How do you do that? That is the trick, but in my experience it is not done by remote control. There has to be personal contact. The problem with the Internet is while it is personal to a degree, about 80% of it is a total sham. it is cutthroats, identity thieves, scams and always someone working harder to take someone's money, than people who are trying to figure out how to take money.

So that is my deal with the limitations of the Internet. It is a tool. A useful tool. But it has it's weaker points as well. Most people, especially dreamers, never see that until it is too late.

MAB