Big business has a nasty habit of dealing harshly with new comers. It's never a good idea to go head to head in negotiations until you're absolutely ready; that means dealing from a position of strength. It's better to fly below their radar until you've had some success and you're ready to let them find you. Better to make friends and develop a grass roots following. Climb the ladder of success one rung at a time. By the time the industry finds you, you'll be savvy enough and strong enough to fend for yourself. You'll be able to make your own deal on your terms. In the beginning, its not difficult to make your music known.



When you're an unknown, anything you do will attract attention. To sustain that attention and maintain the momentum you need to make your music known, you need to create bigger and better splash. Notoriety has a ripple effect. The bigger the splash you make; the more attention you attract, the larger and farther afield the ripples will flow. As you travel out of your comfort zone, playing farther and further from home, the ripples keep spreading until they start to overlap. That's when you're ready for the big time.

I love people with attitude. They know how to make ripples like the bird that sings high and above anyone else. The monkey that does tricks at the zoo is always a crowd pleasing favorite. They're so self assured that they honestly believe they're at the center of everything. Take them or leave them, they love themselves so much that they really don't care if anyone else does. They make me smile because, of course, they're no more special than anyone else. When they fall - and they always do - they pick themselves up, dust themselves off and carry on as if nothing happened. For them, there are no such things as failure only setbacks.

If you want audiences to care about you and your music, care about them, care about what they think and what they like. Care enough to listen to their response to your music. Care enough about you audience to give them the best that you can, not just when you're in the mood, every time you step on stage no matter how you feel. If you want to build a following, give people a reason to want to follow you.

People with attitude have learned an important secret in life. People see what they want to see. No matter how you dress your music up, what you play or how hard you try, people will either like you or they won't. They will like your music or they won't; simple as that. The flip side of that coin is that no matter what you play and how you play, there's an audience for your music. You can't please everyone so you might a s well please yourself. Tidal waves start as ripples. What are you waiting for? If you want to make your music known, start making waves.

Dennis Walsh

progressofmusic@hotmail.com