Trent,

The comparrison to sports, football just being one, to me is very comparable to music. I have known hundreds of artists, writers, musicians, who are amazingly talented, but get stuck in development deals, get put on hold, never actually get a shot. Things beyond their control, labels and publishers folding, or selling to other companies staffs begin cut, having releases held up do to political considerations, etc. Some rise above it, end up in other avenues of music, etc. One of my good friends is the top independent song plugger in Nashville. Responsible for many great hits. He didn't want to do that, started as a writer, and actually pretty good. But that never took off, so he ended up in publishing and then song plugging

You find a lot of amazing writers that were really good performers, but by the time their shot rolled around might have been too old, so they found themselves focusing on writing. Then getting cuts, but not singles, etc. then they end up teaching ,producing or doing jobs totally unrelated to music. Doesn't mean their talent wasn't there, just breaks didn't go their way.

In my own case, when I moved to Nashville in 1988, I was "The guy to watch." Got a cut my first night in town, was recruited by labels, publishers, producers, etc. had a lot going on. At the time there was a movement in country music called the "Blue Eyed Soul" country songs. People like Delbert McClinton, T Graham Brown, Lee Roy Parnell. I was in that vein. As a matter of fact, after one of my shows a guy approached me and said, "Man I love everything about you, your attitude, your voice, your songs, everything. But I was in Marietta Ga. three weeks ago and signed a guy just like you. His name is TRAVIS TRITT. "
Even after Travis hit and hit big, I was still in the running. Another label, Liberty was after me and did a showcase to seal the deal. But at the same time this kid from Oklahoma named Garth Brooks, came in and changed everything in Country music. All the "soul shouters" were out, and the "ironed shirts and jeans, cowboy hat" wearing guys were in. Just missed. After a while I switched more to being a writer and got cuts, but none of the singles.

We miss a lot of things. Some wounds are self inflicted. At an ASCAP number one party I was approached by a 15 year old girl and her Mother. Of course at the same party there were about 50 OTHER 15 year old girls and THEIR mothers. I was told by a hit writer friend of mine that she was someone I should write with. But I had had a really bad experience with THREE 14 year old girls and THEIR MOTHERS, a few weeks before and had determined I was not working with anyone else under 18. That girl turned out to be Taylor Swift. I sure showed me.

The point is that there are a lot of things that happen in the course of a career, the business is a weird one and it is hard to really predict or adjust to. You have to roll with it and adapt as you go. In music ,I became more of a teacher, mentor. coach and consultant which is what I do now. Still write, perform. record, I just do it with other people now instead of me.

My analogy to sports are much the same. How many people are really good as younger athletes, but burn out, get hurt, or just decide to quit? College prospects that get drafted but wash out. Some times behavioral problems, drugs, alcohol, etc. that never cut it. The people drafted by the pros that wash out, Ryan Leaf, Brian Bosworth. Or how about the ones that are amazing but on really bad teams. The Buffalo Bills, going to four Super Bowls, but never winning. Or the OTHER thing, the people who have that ONE great season, get to the college championships, the Super Bowl, but NEVER do anything after that. Team is traded away, again get hurt or just washes out.

So that is what I am talking about. There are a lot of ins and outs, a lot of other reasons besides someone's talent. Luck plays an amazing part, more than anyone would like to admit. But to me, luck is when opportunity and preparation meet. All you can do is up the level of your odds and keep going.

Thanks for reading and responding.

MAB

Last edited by Marc Barnette; 03/16/17 01:19 PM.