Music Industry Discussion

DO YOU TTHINK I CAN MAKE IT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY? MY NAME IS DEEJAY YOUNG, LOCAL ARTIST FROM TAMPA, FL. I'VE BEEN GETTING CALLS FOR VARIOUS DEALS, AND THEY ARE TRYING TO WORK SOMETHING OUT, VIEW MY MUSIC PAGES/SITES, AND TELL ME IF YOU THINK I CAN MAKE IT OR NOT...BE HONEST...HERE ARE MY LINKS...

WWW.REVERBNATION.COM/DEEJAYYOUNG
WWW.MYSPACE.COM/DEEJAYJAMZ

You're good at what you do.

I don't prefer your genre, & although you may have developed your talent in your field, you don't really stand out to me, the listener. I'd like to see you step outside of your preferred area of music & sing something completely different, like an old standard pop or rock or blues tune. Your voice would lend itself to blues very well, if you stuck to one note at a time rather than the yodelly scales that are so popular in modern r & b.

You could be a magician in hip hop or r & b & I wouldn't know it, mostly because singers I've heard in those fields all sound very similar, with the only differences between acts being in individual tone. I don't hear any distinct personal style when I listen to it. It's a problem inherent in the musical genre, not with you or your talent or your development, imo.

In answer to your question - I think you need to either diversify & work in more than one genre, or do something that will definitely separate you from the rest in your own preferred genre. You have the chops vocally, but you don't really sound unique to me, & unless you intend to go the "casting couch" route, or do something truly different or ground-breaking in your field, you'll be like the thousands of Elvis impersonators who have hopes to "make it" in the music world - another clone.

Just my opinion based on my very limited knowledge of your genre.

yeah what he said, not a fan of this genre.

What you're doing's already been done. I agree that you need to break ground.

Not yet. Keep hitting those chops 4-8 hours a day, and hire a real producer and you'll get there.

Have you considered AMWAY?

Philby <---- on an Amway kick today!

I think you have a great voice, we are probably the wrong people to ask. I am speaking for myself, but for the most part older musicians that are kind of jaded to the music scene thats out there now. We just don't get it, just like our parents didn't get Jimi Hendrix or the Beatles. I have kids that would love what you do and actually I kind of like it. My advise to you is always have a back up plan in life, because in my humble opinion the best musicians odds of actually making it are about the same as winning the lottery no matter how much you promote yourself. If you have a dream don't ever let anyone take that away from you it is yours. Keep your priorities in order but I say go for it I believe you have what it takes.

I agree.
You need a burning desire to succeed. If you don't have that - then, no you can't succeed.
.
If you don't have 'it' yet, you can still develope it.
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Keep practicing.
The mighty oak was once a little nut who stood his ground.

To be really successfull you have to attract the crowed. That is for me the most complicated part.
I just can produce what i like and that is obviously not what the crowd wants - so I wont ever be successfull but i just do it for the fun!

Yes and no. You have the talent for certain. However, the larger part of the battle is meeting the right people, and knowing a lot of them. If that's what you want to do and you've the right attitude and determination, best of luck to you.

Yeah, it helps to meet a lot of people. The more folks you know, the better your chances are.
But knowing a lot of people isn't enough.
You have to be someone that they like. It helps if you are a good guy.
.
There's a lot of people in music who listen to their fans WAY to much. You can get a swelled head by listening to your fans.
Because - to a fan - you can do no wrong.
They'll tell you how wonderfull you are, - you're phenomenal, a virtuoso, very talented, you have beautiful music . . . and then they'll hang on your every word.
ALMOST . . . as if what you have to say is any more important than what they have to say.
.
You might want to think about that real well before reading on, my friends.
Are you 'like-able?' Or do you just have fans? . . . 'cause that's 2 different things.
. . .
Don't let praise go to your head. I've met several musicians with swelled heads who were mediocre at best. Those type of guys will NEVER make it.
If they're mediocre - but also likeable - they could have a chance.
.
But fellow musicians and singers (and all the 'mover and shakers') are NOT your fans. Oh, sure - some of them may may like your music, and some may even be friends. But be carefull not to treat them like fans.
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If you want to know how good you are - do NOT listen to your fans or your friends or your family.
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Play in front of a crowd of strangers. Look for two things.
1) Do they like your music a lot?
2) Do they like you a lot? And as a fan, or as a friend?
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Learn the difference . . .
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- that's a start . . . it can help put you ahead a little . . . know your place.

Also, it depends upon your own take on the concept of "making it" in your field.

Exactly what are your goals? To have #1 songs on the charts? To make a decent living at it? To be accepted & appreciated by your peers? To be an accomplished performer? To be a big fish in a small pond, or a big fish in the ocean?

Only you can determine what success means to you, & whether you are able to put your efforts into "making it" in whatever field of endeavor you choose. It takes a lot of creative thinking to be successful, as well as hard work. Believe me, you could have a voice like Pavaroti & never make it, or be able to play better than everyone else, & still be stuck doing open mics cuz no one will hire you without the proper skills to get the jobs.

You need ppl skills, business skills, organizational skills, salesman skills, etc etc etc. Solid musical skills is way down on the list of what makes an act successful. A musical savant will not make it. Just listen to the radio, & it'll prove my point.

And on top of all of the necessary skills, you need luck, & lots of it, to be in the right place at the right time, performing for the right ppl when you're at the top of your game.

Lots of us here in BM put down some of the pro acts out there, yet we should all keep our eyes on them. What are they doing that's different from what we do? The ones that remain successful for more than a single hit are the ones who are so involved with their craft that it overshadows everything else in their lives, for the most part. Do you have that type of dedication? Are you that creative? Are you that lucky?

Do YOU think you could make it?

Theres a lot of weight to whats been said in this thread.

I agree with 99% of it.

The only thing I can add really is that you have to be persistent. All the people, professional, sales, friend, and fan skills in the world won't help you if you don't help yourself.

You have to get out there, mingle, network. Yes, a lot of it is being in the right place at the right time. A well-networked musician who works diligently will have a far better chance of being in the right place at the right time, just because he or she will KNOW or find out when and where that is.

As far as the OP's statement about getting calls for various deals, I'd have to ask-

Are these actual phone calls from agents, bookers, industry scouts, forums? I get tons of "calls" in the sense of emails and the ocasional phone call from a LOT of scammers who pick up my info from 1 of 20 sites I'm probably on. Right now, there's a horde of these guys out there offering services, for your $$. Some can actually deliver what they promise, but most can't. Check their references. Never, ever trust anyone whose website starts with www.myspace.com\Imakeufamous, or facebook, etc.. Watch out of email addresses from hotmail or gmail.

If the guy saying he can help you doesn't even have his own web domain, chances are 99.9% that he can't even help himself.