I am going to share with you the top industry secrets no one wants you to know about on making it big in the music industry. These secrets are guaranteed to get you signed by a record label! Become an overnight success like so many have already become! I am willing to share these secrets for a small, one-time fee of $24.99. Act now before the secret is out!
See how easy that was? Happy April Fools Day, but DON’T BE A FOOL!
One thing I will tell you over and over again is that nothing that lasts long is built overnight. There’s no such thing as overnight success. Being the dreamer I am, that was a hard concept for me to accept. After a few hard lessons I think it’s finally sunk in.
When I was first starting out, I got sucked into one of those talent agency showcases. I auditioned with my old faithful “Ain’t No Sunshine” by Bill Withers and was enthusiastically accepted into the program. I attended weekly modeling, acting and singing workshops, which were suppose to polish us up to industry standards. At the end of the program, we would attend and perform at a talent showcase in hopes of someone spotting our talent and getting our first “big break.”
Yep. This about sums up my model walk in heels.
The staff was great and I don’t doubt that they all had credible experience in the entertainment industry, but I soon realized these types of things are more or less scams targeted at young kids and their hopeful parents…and naive dreamers like me.
After paying almost a grand for the workshops, I started to realize this was a bad decision – a decision that wouldn’t get me any farther in my musical pursuits. I pulled out of the program, trying to recoup any money I had dished out. “Sorry, you’re SOL.” was the general response I got. Well, lesson learned.
I won’t speak for the actors and models out there, but I will say this from a musician’s point of view. Don’t pay for these talent programs. I suppose there’s always a chance someone could “discover” you or your kid, but honestly you’d have better luck being discovered on YouTube. Don’t waste your time or money on these talent showcase programs.
There’s no program, workshop, shortcut or secret to success. As boring as it may be, it boils down to everything you’ve ever been taught. Work hard and don’t ever give up.
Not only do you have to work hard, you need to be educated. There will be snakes and crooks at every corner, just waiting for an innocent little songbird to come along. With a little knowledge of the music industry you’ll be able to spot that snake a mile away. So read up!
I’ve come across a couple snakes along my journey so far and I’m sure I’ll come in contact with many more. One in particular was a well known local man, who had toured with a national band and had built a recording studio. He was looking for some artists to develop and manage, and I had caught his attention from playing around the local music scene.
He approached me at a show one night and gave me his card. He stated he was very interested in recording some demos for me and/or developing me as an artist. I was thrilled! He wanted to meet at his studio and discuss his thoughts and ideas. I agreed but cautiously brought along a friend, seeing as how I didn’t know the guy. Based on my personal experience, it’s always good to bring along a parent, friend or another musician as an extra set of ears at least until you’ve established a trustworthy relationship.
After a few meetings, I started to get the feeling he was trying to mold me into something he thought I ought to be. He hadn’t particularly liked any songs I had written and kept sending me links to artists he liked or wanted me to be like. After a couple meetings, he called me up and said he wanted to meet again, but this time he wanted me to “Come alone.” This immediately sent up my “CREEP” flag, and I questioned him on why that was necessary. He acted offended that I even questioned his request.
“Well you wouldn’t bring a friend to a job interview would you?”
“Umm, I wasn’t aware this was a job interview.” I said, as equally offended as he was.
After all, he was the one who came to me. In fact, I was the one that should be interviewing him, and at this point it wasn’t looking good. I hung up the phone and thought about all the stuff I should’ve said. I always think of the best things to say after the conversation is over.
I started to second guess myself and thought, “Well maybe that’s just how things work in the music industry.” I decided to reach out to some people about this, one of which was an innovator in the music world and founder of CD Baby, Derek Sivers. I explained the situation and asked for his opinion. This was his advice…
This type of attitude, (referring to the man I had been working with), sends up some red flags. When working with managers or producers their first priority should always be to make you feel comfortable. It is a mutual business relationship where both parties should feel at ease and be trusted.
My gut feeling was right. Whether or not he was really trying to do something shady, he made me feel completely uncomfortable. So I did what I usually do and sent him an email explaining why I no longer wanted to work with him.
Trust you gut. It’s usually right.
When you are young and fresh on the scene you think you have to walk through every door that opens, but some doors don’t always lead you down the right way. Discover who you are not only as an artist but also as a person. Know what you believe in. Know what you like and don’t like. Know yourself. You’ll be put to the test many times. Become educated in the music business. Believe me when I say, it will help you immensely.
The journey is all part of the process. Learn from it and enjoy it. Take the bad and turn it to good. Everyone has to learn for themselves, but hopefully you will gain some knowledge and insight from my experiences.
Now all you have to do is pay me $24.99.
(That was a test.)
AMANDA LEE PEERS 