-recently written for Digital Music News Blog in LA
"He who finds diamonds must grapple in mud and mire because diamonds are not found in polished stones. They are made." -Admiral Henry B. Wilson
As an indie artist, I’m definitely a minority in the policing world. Working in these two divergent realms, I’ve learned a lot about myself as an artist, while benefitting from work that provides consistent income as well as insights and inspiration as a songwriter.
While promoting my first single to Canadian radio in 2004, I found that without an album, minimal buzz, and infrequent live shows, achieving airplay proved to be difficult. I committed to the tasks of putting together an album and performing more often. For me, this process took about five years during which I also got married and bought a home. Deciding how to best spend a limited amount of money is a dilemma for any artist and I found it challenging to justify pouring money into music without any tangible guarantee of a return. Eventually, with the help of a few small grants and contest winnings, I had a collection of quality songs I felt confident about releasing.
In March 2010, I caught a huge break with “Somewhere in the Distance”, winning 15k in the National Radiostar Songwriting Contest, sponsored by Astral Media. I immediately used some of the prize money to finish two songs I had been working on with producer Ron Lopata (now VP of A&R with Warner Canada). I hired some musicians - to start gigging in Toronto - as well as a publicist, which led to some great reviews and features in local and national media.
As I began to gain momentum & interest, I was baffled to learn none of Astral’s 82 stations would play the winning song of their sponsored contest! Disappointed & feeling misled, I continued to shoot a music video for “Answers”, releasing it online as a Remembrance Day tribute to Canada’s military forces. “Answers” continued to receive some local attention & was placed in an episode of CBC’s “Village on a Diet”, but soon the money was gone & once again, it became harder to justify hiring musicians for live gigs or paying for the continued promotional efforts of my publicist and radio promoters.
Recognition from the industry gave me a huge boost of confidence, connections and cash. However, I quickly found that like a drug addict, I needed more; more recognition and validation for my writing abilities and, most of all, more money to continue recording and promoting my music.
Presently, I am learning to be more focused in my spending strategies. The last two songs I recorded with Bill Bell (Jason Mraz/Justin Nozuka) were selected for specific branding applications. “It’s Not Easy” was written to be pitched to a new TV series being syndicated worldwide, and “Follow the Melody” was composed with an ad campaign in mind. My opinion is that corporate branding and licensing opportunities are some of the more likely ways for me as an indie artist to earn some money while gaining exposure and not giving up complete ownership of my material.
I believe there is no right or wrong path to success and have accepted that I may be grappling in the mud and mire longer than initially expected. I find great inspiration from artists like Pat Monahan (Train) who, after years of refinement, continues to shine brighter as a writer and reach new heights in his career. When I consider his example and dedication to the craft of writing and performing, I conclude that similar to the forming of a diamond, a great career is usually created by consistent hard work over a long period of time.
I’m starting to see each small victory, each new contact, each new song, as a success on my journey. The time between each success may vary but with persistence and perseverance, in time I will build the career I desire. At the moment, this means maintaining my day job as a police officer. My employment income helps me stay balanced and approach music with a fresh perspective without the stress of making ends meet. I suppose you could say I’m excited to wade in the mud in my search for diamonds. I’m confident I’ll eventually come up with gems I can call my own and when I do, I’ll be ready to harness their beauty and use them to their full potential.
