The High Tech Road to Success in Rock and Roll

Timeline—1951 and the first jukebox is introduced to play 45s. In those pioneering days, DJ’s who took kindly to promising bands and spun their records LIVE on the radio.

Timeline—2012 and the technology is incredibly easy for anyone to record and cut an MP3 (if this sort of makes sense.) Songwriters can use Garageband to cut demos, and bands can record for a fraction of investment that it cost in yesteryear’s dollars. Therefore, it should be easier than ever to break through, correct? Wrong,

To be a star today requires catchy songwriting for sure, but typically the song is only the beginning. Are you adept at Pro Tools or Logic Pro to produce a superb demo? Who do you know from Flashpoint/Tribeca who can help you cut a video? How do you go viral on YouTube? How do you etch your brand with logos, cover art, a cool website with blogs, Facebook page, Twitter Page, and a consistent promotional campaign? And once you have been bequeathed permission to sell your songs on iTunes, Spotify or Rdio, if you’re lucky you get some gigs at bars or a slot in a festival or two.

The grand reward? You get to be an opening act on a tour, and drive a minivan from city to city for a few hundred dollars a day and a percentage of all merchandise you can hawk.

Then why do all of this? Just ask the musician—because pursuing a dream is what puts rhythm in their steps. A passionate musician will answer, “Why else get up in the morning?”