good point Colin

I go to songwriter workshops at BMI in Nashville and they are taught by Jason Blume-one of the most knowledgeable,experienced,wired in,connected people in the business...He is also a great guy who truly wants to see people succeed...He continually reminds us that most Billboard chart artists and songs are by nature often a closed loop shop that other folks -whatever their talent-are unlikely to be able to break into......These guys are already comfortable with and committed to other other by the time they are having hits.......Its just real unlikely they will be looking for or open to outside material.....Thats why he says the real action and better chances are in music licensing.....While we all hope and pray and strive for a publisher pickup of our songs by Music Row/NY/LA/London etc-its the music licensing catalogs that are in fact more open to independent/unknown songwriters.....The big stars do indeed listen to 1000 songs a year pitched to them by the pluggers from the publishers-but they have really really high standards and paticular personal tastes in what grabs em.....More likely that us little people can write songs good enough for use in Mass media ventures such as Tv/Films/Commercials/Etc......You are only gonna get your songs on Radio if you have some super juice behind them i.e. a big star or big label pushing em.....You are only gonna get on Billboard with a major distribution power behind your song.......vicious circle......I still do pitches to Music Row and other cities-but I also send everything I do to music licensing catalogs as well.....its just incredible and insane competition that only the truly afflicted even attempt......But there again-here we are keeping at it........So best of luck to everyone...

Tom