Are you a suit or a poet? I’d like to think of myself as a poet when I can be, but a suit when I have to be. Deep down, I want to be a poet, or one of those starving artists so dedicated to the craft of creating material with artistic integrity that I want no part of the business side. However, the suit part of me kicks in when I realize that rent is due and food is required for survival. After stumbling upon this documentary entitled “Before the Music Dies”, I came to the harsh realization that the nice folks in charge at the record labels weren’t hardcore music fans that would truly care about the depth of my lyrics or the authenticity of my “sound.” In fact, the people now running the major record labels are actually suits.

As it turns out, the music that was once organic and full of truth has now been boxed up and shipped out as a commodity that is publicly traded day in and day out on Wall Street. You read that correctly, all the major labels today are now public corporations that are only concerned with pleasing their shareholders. If their artists have a bad quarter where they aren’t profitable, then chances are that they will find someone else who is.

What does it mean when money lovers replace music lovers at the top of the chain? It means that artists aren’t given the chance to DEVELOP. Once upon a time, if a label thought you had real potential but it would take a few years before you truly blossomed, they would give you a development deal on their dollar. This would provide you with the opportunity to grow as an artist under their supervision and eventually come to realize those chart-topping dreams the label saw in you from the very beginning. Today, if you aren’t at the top of your game in every category, and you don’t have “hit” potential, then you can’t realistically have success as a major label artist.

Before you continue with your inflated dreams of hitting it big as an average performer, singer, and songwriter, make sure you take the time to develop yourself as an artist so you can be profitable and successful in the music industry. That doesn’t mean you have to try to fit the mold that these labels build. Be your own unique self and put your own spin on the music you make. It is important, however, to be aware of the changing playing field that we are all stepping on. I am confident that authenticity and originality will win in the end, but having these business skills is crucial to your future career. It pays to have the heart of a poet and the mind of a suit.