It’s like this.

What most people think is that some major label head honcho is enough of a musician/music lover to hear the music and what’s so special/unique about it. Then, they sign the artist and throw so much money at the project (advertising/marketing) that it sells millions. Everybody’s happy. The end.

But it’s really not that easy to get to Peking.

If you get signed to a (major) record label these days, that means that either they’re going to develop you as an artist (not bloody likely) or you’ve already done the bulk of the initial work that’s necessary for you to sell records: you developed your unique sound, you wrote songs that were better than just good and you recorded/mixed/mastered your CD. Then you started your indie label, released your CD, got strong reviews and great opening slots that allow you to find and cultivate your core audience, and hopefully you become a regional favorite. With any real degree of luck (and money, too) maybe you get (college/public radio) airplay and a distribution deal that will make your CD easy to find, for the few and the proud that are looking for it. Most folks don’t get distribution deals until they get to their third release, but whatever. You got lucky.

This is my trajectory, so far. How lucky am I? I’ll keep you informed.

Of course, when it comes to this business of music, everyone has their own idea of where they are and what they’re doing, and what they want. Some vocalists are proud of the fact that they’ve never had a vocal lesson and that they can only sing one kind of music. Some musicians know all kinds of theory and chord progressions but they couldn’t write a hook if their lives depended on it. And then there are those who don’t really know how to play their instruments or read music at all—they coast through on their bravado like it’s all one big magic carpet ride. And for some of them, it is. Like my grandmother always says: it takes all kinds to make a world.

One thing is certain: if you want to make your dreams come true, you have to wake up.

The more I took music seriously, the more I learned about music and the music industry and the more definite I became about what I wanted. Once I understood how important songwriting is, I went at it with a vengeance. Ditto for playing guitar. And sure, I was lousy at it, at first. But then, in time a funny thing happened: I began to improve.

Sure, I read the letters/articles from Courtney Love, Steve Albini and Don Henley. I even read the "nauseatingly honest" book Hit Men. I know that the odds are stacked against me. I don’t care. In spite of the cold harsh reality that constantly blows through my world about this industry, the bottom line is: I know what I want and I haven’t a shred of fear about pursuing it. Songwriting is essential. Strategy is key.

One thing is for sure: if I can bob and weave through all of this with any degree of success, I really will have dug my way to China.