1.) Give me that job and I'll just guess.
2.) Hold them accountable!

I realize I'm going to be pressing pretty hard to get anyone to give me a job as a weather man; but it's worth a shot. I can just tell them that I have the ability to look out the window and predict the weather on a grand scheme. Here's how it should work: The only weather people who should be able to be wrong should be in California. After that, it's a chain reaction (unless we're talking about some lame El Nina thing). California calls Utah and says, "It's raining today". Utah then calls Colorado and so on and so forth. Depending on the current temperature, you can change that rain to snow. This should completely avoid any misgivings and inaccuracies.

Or we just get our money back every time they're wrong. That would seem a lot more complicated, wouldn't it?

Last summer, I must have played five or six festivals of varying quality; but they're always fun. I know that, when I go to a festival, I enjoy hearing new music and I enjoy supporting those musicians -- I can have a beer anywhere I want; but the music is what keeps me there. This year, I heard Brown Eyed Girl and several Rick Springfield songs multiple times. It was a bit hard to swallow when I was waiting on a contract only to find out I was replaced by another cover band...three times. Augh. 

But we move on! And I won't let this blog turn into a place where all we do is complain about the humanity of the music industry. No! I won't do it! I will continue to do my best to get into places that my fans will enjoy while I get to selfishly sing my own music. Yes...that's what I'm doing.

My wife said it best: "None of those cover bands played Red Rocks"  Yeah...I remember that.

It has come to my attention that you haven't been correct...or even close on anything you've predicted since the blizzard of 2011. It appears you have no idea what's happening so I'm officially taking a stand. From now on, I'm looking out the window to predict the day's weather. I'm going to base it solely on what I see and what is coming from the West. Please don't call me anymore and please don't force your predictions on me as it only makes me nervous. I'm hoping I can find a job that allows me to screw up 99% of the time and maintain the same paycheck.  there has to be a fix and I believe this is it. If it worked for Blago, it can work for me.

Sincerely,
Kevin

I played music as my sole living for a few years and now I have a day job to help financially.  I've put a hefty responsibility on both aspects of my life. One of the perspectives I've gained over playing professionaly for 12 years is this: Remember to love it.

We're all guilty of it. We're all looking for the magic button to press to have millions of albums out there circulating and millions of dollars easily rolling into the bank account. However, during that process, I've seen many musicians including myself fall prey to the business and lose track of the art. Is any business worth victimizing your love of music? my personal oppinion is no. I stepped away from music because my drive for making a living at it showed up on stage when I would beg people, literally BEG them to buy a CD or buy this or buy that. What I forgot to do was love what I was doing. I was foolish for not seeing that; but I was called out on it.

Look up the formula for writing the perfect hit song and you'll find it. You can even attend 20 seminars in a week on songwriting and see where it takes you. It's confusing! That's the business end. It is as confusing as you want it to be.

If the only thing you're worrying about is money, you will forget your music. That's a tragedy. You're bumping up the sales team and destroying the factory. How can you sell what's not there anymore?

I'm not saying the business is mean and brutal and cruel; but it can be if you let it effect the way you write, what you write about, or what seems like the big seller at the time. As literary artists, we SHOULD embrace all the feedback we receive. Perhaps our idea of what our song was about is completely misconstrued because of one line that could help really get that point across. As an artist, I want my music to be interpreted. I want there to be a little hidden puzzle of metaphor from time to time. Most of all, I want to tell a story. I used to beg people to listen to me and now I have the honor of people actually PAYING to listen. That is an honor and a priveledge; but it's certainly not owed to me.

When you're in search of that big record deal, remember to love the music you compose. Remember to look people in the eye on the stage. Remember that, even though there's a lot of business to it, there's a heck of a lot more art. They share a bed. Art cannot sustain itself without a little business to go with it. Business of the arts cannot sustain itself without the art itself. The truth is, we NEED both.

Just remember to love it.