Thanks, Mike, and everyone. Seems this is a thread we're all wondering about, from several different levels of experience. Some among us believe this is the best shot we have; others view it as an exercise in futility...one that you pay for.

Well, I intend to give it a shot, but not just yet. Before I pay to play, I'm going to work on craftsmanship. The idea of making money from our art is always tantalizing...but how many of us wrote our first song for the money? I know I wrote mine because I really wanted to hear it...it just called to me and egged me on. I've enjoyed the process ever since, and once a song was written, I always felt good about bringing it into existence.

On this particular journey, I'm going to keep my feet on the ground. If it earns me nothing in the end, I intend to leave a few good songs on this earth. And if that's the best I can do, I figure that kid in me--the one who couldn't let go of that guitar or that idea for a song--will die happy.

But you'll never get a hit if you don't take a swing.

http://www.soundclick.com/MarkKaufman