by Rose Cora Perry

Created on: May 06, 2008   Last Updated: May 22, 2008

I thought I had it all figured out. An idealistic, and talented, musician with over a decade of training, I am someone who thought that talent, passion, and the desire to write inspirational lyrics and social commentary actually mattered.

Let me tell you that there is no such thing as an educational program that can ever prepare you for the harsh reality of how the music industry actually functions. Furthermore, no longer does a prerequisite for talent exist in order for you to be a successful top-selling musician. Just as any other business functions, at the end of the day; money talks.

You may be the greatest innovator and songwriter since John Lennon, but if you can't sell 10,000 CDs without label support, good luck and God-speed. However, if you do manage to reach this unreasonable (and impossible for most) expectation, don't fool yourself into thinking that your hard work is over.

One of the biggest misconceptions about the music industry is that once you are signed, your work ends. Wrong....it gets harder, because now you are competing in the big leagues with bands who are not only signed, but have full time publicists and booking agents working around the clock to get their name out there.

Oh wait... I'm sure you thought that a label would provide you with a booking agent and publicist once you signed a contract with them right? Wrong again.

If you want to be successful on any level in the music biz, the first thing you need to realize is that NO ONE, and I mean no one, will work harder than you on promoting your music and/or band. So, if you don't have much of a work ethic, I suggest you pursue other interests.

Secondly, if you think that being a musician will lead to immediate gratification and financial remuneration, you couldn't be more off, especially if you are an original act. Believe it or not, in general, cover and tribute acts (without representation) are compensated about 10 times that of an original act for a single show. While you are out there trying to sell yourself, and your music to a often less than interested crowd for a measly $50 a show (often your compensation fails to cover expenses of getting to the gig, there are times in which you receive nothing at all), tribute acts are successfully selling someone else's music and image.

I also suggest all the band members have jobs on the side, because I can guarantee there will be no way to substantiate everyone's lifestyles off the petty amount of compensation you receive from shows.

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