I always thought it did. It's smart to go "where the action is happening". Relocating can take a lot of nerve, though, not to mention money.
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I always thought it did. It's smart to go "where the action is happening". Relocating can take a lot of nerve, though, not to mention money.
I back your views on this point using my own, my husband's, an assortment of friends', and the published accounts of a number of musicians' experience in the business.Originally Posted by Fierce Critter
I actually like Lee. I love his sound. I thought he could benefit from a few voice lessons but overall..I liked him. He shares the same sound as Sister Hazel and Hinder....and that's what I like. It's a matter of perspective, I guess.
Expounding on my answer to this and your original question: "How much of this has to do with connections........who you know, and where you are located?"
My personal efforts to "make it" included not just working my butt off at the music itself, but researching what people did who managed to get at least as far as a record deal (which doesn't mean total success, either, if you know anything about record deals).
In addition to a tireless, hugely sacrificial devotion to their craft, one thing a lot of musicians/bands who got at least that far had in common were connections. A lot of them worked at music as a career tirelessly for years. For a great many of them, it wasn't until they rubbed enough elbows and "got around" enough to make a connection with someone who has some connection with the business itself that they "made it."
"Where you are located" is definitely a factor as well. My scene was Detroit. Detroit has no lack of talent. But the scene is notoriously difficult. It's a lot more competitive than some markets. Seattle, for instance, is known to be a pretty chummy music scene, where bands work together and help each other out and benefit from this sort of "we're in it together" camaraderie.
Detroit is very cutthroat. Jack White of The White Stripes is pretty outspoken and negative on the subject of the Detroit music scene. My friend has pictures of him and Meg playing as the Stripes at a local street fair - 20 years ago. I kinda don't like the way he's gotten success and now badmouths where he came from - but I also totally understand and empathize.
Relocating helps. But then you run into a whole mess of other problems.
For one, it's a numbers game. There are probably a hundred bands/musicians for every decent music venue (one that playing at might actually result in a showcase for someone who "matters" in the biz) in entertainment meccas like Los Angeles and New York. I don't mean open mic night at a coffee house where the same skater boyz hang out every Thursday night. I'm talking the equivalent of the comedy scene's "Caroline's" or "Second City." Lots of people vying for a spot on the stage, most aren't going to get a chance because there's only so many performance nights in a year.
A lot of clubs also don't want to book acts that can't already bring in money. So a crappy group that nevertheless has enough family members and drinking buddies to fill a club is going to book more performances than a girl with the voice of Barbra Streisand combined with Jewel combined with Christina Aguilera who is a shy loner with only a handful of friends willing to come see her perform. She may eventually build a following, but it takes a lot longer.
Other people I've talked to about this discussion have all nodding knowingly and said, "it's all in who you know." Yes, the internet and shows like AI or AGT are new scenes that weren't available when I myself was trying to "make it." But for every Justin Bieber or Kelly Clarkson out there who make it this way, there are thousands, if not millions, more who might never get a glance.
Which is exactly why I don't take any of these shows that seriously. The entire industry is made of "right time, right place" people. People who knew the right people. Making it in this industry is not indication of talent. So really to me it doesn't matter what the history of the people going on are because realistically if you're not the right look, right type of person, right type of sound for that moment in time... doesn't matter how good you are you will not make it anyways.
It sucks but it's the reality of the entire industry.
Probably a great deal. Take Bieber, for instance. Yeah, he may have been on YouTube, but somebody had to know that music exec to get him to look at the clip.
Writing is another great example, as I said before. These days it's virtually unheard of for an editor to pick up a manuscript unsolicited. You don't even get in the door if you don't have a literary agent. Even they get tons of manuscripts, though, so the chance that they'll like your story and forward it to the publisher is slim. The chance that you'll be the next Dan Brown or J.K. Rowling is even slimmer. Rowling has even said that her publisher told her not to get her hopes up, her book was too big so kids probably wouldn't want to read it, that's why they were only doing a limited printing, etc. She and the publisher were both astonished when it became so successful. As Chaos said, it sucks, but that's just life. Only a handful of people are going to get the chance to be famous, and most of that is up to chance, or right timing, or whatever you want to call it. That's not going to spoil my viewing of shows like The Voice or American Idol, and I'm still going to wish the contestants well.
OK, back to the show...
Did anybody else see the extended preview during the Kentucky Derby yesterday? Wow. That looked intense, having contestants sing duets so that the coaches could compare them. I don't envy the contestants or coaches, but it should make for exciting viewing.
I saw it online. I think we should probably have a spoiler thread for that because it is a really in depth preview. The battle rounds are like the lip sync for your life from Ru Paul's Drag Race. I can't wait.
The music exec, Scooter Braun, was actually looking for another singer on Youtube when he clicked on Bieber's video by accident.
I cannot speak for the make up of The Voice -- can only speak intelligently about American Idol. I've had three voice students of mine who have been involved with Idol on three different seasons. One made it only to Hollywood, one made the top 48, and one made it very, very, VERY far though not exactly the winner that year.
All I can say is that the producers play a HUGE role in the successes of the singers. The kids are completely beholden to the show including having to pretend to have back stories that are "not quite accurate". The rules change from week to week and season to season. The producers are flying by the seat of their pants each week in hopes of leading the public toward voting for whom they wish. I cannot say much more than that.
I wish I had more scoop about The Voice -- one of my former voice students is great friends with one of the "ringers", and I am doing my best to get some info. Unfortunately, and perhaps fortunately for his reputation as a fine man, he keeps his lips closed where gossip is involved. I'm only watching The Voice as long as his friend is singing -- way too many fake shows these days.
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In your face TYRA!