Make Your Own Choice

I recently had the opportunity to talk to someone who has been trying to get their idea into the mainstream. Throughout the years they faced a steady stream of rejection. Now their attitude is that failure brings strength to weather more failure. This person placed all their confidence in their agent. One who had a “plan”. Yet, despite his “plan” nothing has happened.

Not only had this person put all her eggs in one basket but she has defeated herself by dwelling on her failures. I am sure everyone does this but it seems self-defeating. A friend of mine who works in the industry she is trying to break into remarked to me that “if her agent was going to actually do something, he would have done it already.” I have to agree. What she is trying to do is not easy. It takes time. Her agent works at a very famous agency but it seems to me that sometimes managers and agents are more of a hinderance or a roadblock than a help. They can open doors, of course, IF they have the contacts but not all do and sometimes an artists agent may not have the needed contacts but may think they do because of ego.

Another person with a manager told me they were not interested in an interview. Why? because the website it would be for was not the type they wanted the band to be in. Now I understand this to a point IF you have an image to maintain. In this case it was a new band. No music recorded, no performances to speak of, no recording contracts. What interested me, and what the interview would have been about, would have been the personality of the lead singer. The manager, in my opinion, was foolish. Any exposure was better than none.

I am not putting down managers or agents. I just think sometimes an artist should take control of their situation and make decisions themselves. They can take what their managers or agents advise them and determine their best path to their goals but many follow their “plans” blindly and settle for minor roles and victories when they may be able to achieve much, much more without them.

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