Your Record Deal Is Within You

I've done the showcases. I've done the open mics and played the keys and drums and some of the hottest lounges in Atlanta. It worked for India Arie but why wasn't it working for me? I auditioned for Beyonce's all-girl band. I've gone to dance auditions, only to be told that I wasn't clean enough or that I didn't have the "look" that they were looking for even though I killed the choreography.What's worse? MY FRIENDS were on these panels. Yes, the same people that would call me to go out dancing or go to a movie were some of the same people that wouldn't put me on when it was time to make the cut. And then people say, "Oh it's just business. Don't take it personal. Keep it separate". Okay... well honestly, real friends should want to help you out and help you get ahead when they are in a position to ensure your success. Where are the people that look out for you like that? The reality is that very few exist. I've dated people that knew people who were doing great things in the industry and even though they expected me to come over everyday and spend my time with them... they would listen to my music or watch my videos and tell me how great and how hot it was but never ONCE called up their industry friends to have them take a look at what I was doing. It was almost as if they didn't want to really see me make it because I wouldn't be readily accessible to them anymore. Or maybe I'd meet someone better and not care about them anymore. I don't know what people think but it's lonelier at the top than it is at the bottom. That's why a pyramid gets smaller at the top. There are very few people that make it to the top of the chain. So that would lead me to believe that it would be best to hold tight to family and friends that you grew up with or that knew you prior to your success. Right? Well either way, I talked to my Creator about it and you  know what He told me? He told me that my record is within me. What? Well what He meant was this: Everything that you want in life, that supports your life's purpose, is already done and there for you to take advantage of. It's a little bit of an intangible concept but here's where it becomes tangible. What is a record deal? In the since of a major record deal, it's a contract for a 3rd party company to use you (the act) to record and release sound recordings and have them distributed for retail sales. You pretty much license your name and your image/ likeness to the company and you become a product for them to sale. Did you ever see the movie Boomerang? Remember Lady Elouise? (Who doesn't? Marrrrcus darling.) Well remember during the course of the movie when they explained that Lady Elouise had no power and she was just a figurehead used to sale the product line? AH HA! Same thing goes for records. From this point on, whenever you see a recording artist go broke or complain that they didn't get paid very much even though they went platinum, you don't have to wonder why. The industry wasn't setup for artists (or figureheads) to make any money. You could work a 9-5 job and make more money in the end. So how do get a good record deal? You give yourself a record. Yes, I said it. Give yourself one. Don't you ever take yourself to the movies or out to dinner? So why can't you take the time and a few dollars and give yourself a record deal? The problem is that people think that unless they sign the deal in a big office in front of some pinstriped suit, it's not anything to be excited about. Well that's where you are wrong. When you lay out the terms of your record deal, sign and date it and have it notarized, it's just as REAL as any other record deal. So what's the difference between a major record and a deal that you can give yourself? MARKETING. You have to be willing to advertise, but thanks to the internet, everyone has a chance to be major. You still have to invest in yourself if you want to see some results but you can cut out the middleman and all of the jive. Don't reach for being famous first. Reach for being successful. Reach for selling some albums and building your audience. Fame comes from your audience, not from the deal itself. Being on stage in front of any number of people is what makes people become attracted and drawn to you. It's the perception that you build for people that makes them fall in love with you. It's the messages in your songs and how good they sound that makes people press rewind. It isn't the deal that does it. The power is within you. It's no where else but within you. Later in this blog, I'm going to discuss some methods that you can use to help get your music out there and start building an audience as I've done. I have about 10,000 fans worldwide and it's still growing. I have a long way to go but I've come a long way as well. Keep following me.