George Parler
New member
Since this is a songwriting forum, there is another aspect of it that might be note-worthy, and that is the bussiness of the music industry. Ever wrote a good song and tried to get it heard by the right people. The bussiness has evolved into a world of connections. It wasn't always so. It used to be, do you have the right stuff.
Another music friend and I went to Nashville. He was getting ready to go in the studio and was going by to talk with his manager. While we were there we were discussing how hard it was to get your foot in the door these days. The manager told me a very intresting story.
He said years ago he was just a booking agent. One morning when he arrived at his office, a tall young lady walked into his office with a big smile and was holding a guitar by the neck and asked if he would listen to her song. He told her that he was only a booking agent and that she needed to go down the street and talk to the record producers. She said she would but still wanted him to hear her song. So he listened to her song while he drank his morning coffee. He said it was a beautiful song and that she played very well. She thanked him and went down the street to the record labels.
The next morning she was back again at his office about the same time wanting him to listen to her song again. He said I'll listen but I can't help you. She said I know but I still want you to hear it. So he did, every morning for four days. After that he never saw her again.
About two months later while he was driving to work he was listening to the radio and heard a very familiar song. It was the same woman and song that he listened to in his office. The song was "Ode To Billy Joe", and the woman was "Bobby Gentry".
The manager said if he had only known, he would have become a producer on the spot. Because that song became syndicated around the world and also became a movie.
But now you can't just walk in and play a song for someone. You must have the right connection to get your foot in the door and your demo better be studio quality or they don't have time for it or you. I do know why its like this. Because everybody and his brother who calls themselves a songwriter would flood the record labels with tapes, CD's, and telephone calls. But how many truly good songs have been ignored because the songwriter couldn't afford studio time or recording equipment. So the song gets shoved back into the scrap book like so many times before, unheard.
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George
Another music friend and I went to Nashville. He was getting ready to go in the studio and was going by to talk with his manager. While we were there we were discussing how hard it was to get your foot in the door these days. The manager told me a very intresting story.
He said years ago he was just a booking agent. One morning when he arrived at his office, a tall young lady walked into his office with a big smile and was holding a guitar by the neck and asked if he would listen to her song. He told her that he was only a booking agent and that she needed to go down the street and talk to the record producers. She said she would but still wanted him to hear her song. So he listened to her song while he drank his morning coffee. He said it was a beautiful song and that she played very well. She thanked him and went down the street to the record labels.
The next morning she was back again at his office about the same time wanting him to listen to her song again. He said I'll listen but I can't help you. She said I know but I still want you to hear it. So he did, every morning for four days. After that he never saw her again.
About two months later while he was driving to work he was listening to the radio and heard a very familiar song. It was the same woman and song that he listened to in his office. The song was "Ode To Billy Joe", and the woman was "Bobby Gentry".
The manager said if he had only known, he would have become a producer on the spot. Because that song became syndicated around the world and also became a movie.
But now you can't just walk in and play a song for someone. You must have the right connection to get your foot in the door and your demo better be studio quality or they don't have time for it or you. I do know why its like this. Because everybody and his brother who calls themselves a songwriter would flood the record labels with tapes, CD's, and telephone calls. But how many truly good songs have been ignored because the songwriter couldn't afford studio time or recording equipment. So the song gets shoved back into the scrap book like so many times before, unheard.
<><
George