... to add to this list please e-mail me ... click here

You know you are an Independent Musician when ....

- you are 100% certain that you will make it big tomorrow
- all record companies and music publishers are like black holes for your CDs. They get in but no one ever hears from them again
- there are more people on the stage than in the audience during your shows
- nobody's ever heard of you
- you are the composer, play all instruments, record, mix, master, create the artwork and physically make the CD for your next release
- you are 100% unsolicited
- you always think that music on the radio sucks when compared to yours
- you wear blue jeans and a black shirt and sneakers
- most of your audience at open mics are other open mic performers
- you have quit with your music aspirations a zillion times, and then started over again
- you don't get enough sleep
- you definitely have a real job which pays for your "music career"
- you placed a few songs in some independent student films ... that didn't go anywhere
- when you ask for someone's opinion of your music, they always say "It's great!"
- your friends come to your shows - once
- you intern at a music company
- you are a waiter/waitress
- you live in LA and you have to pay to play
- you dress up like a rock star and go to the Rainbow
- you are working on your next album (you have been for the past four years)
- you have a gig coming up, and you are passing out 4"x5" fliers to everyone
- music companies want nothing to do with you
- people employed at music companies want nothing to do with you
- friends and relatives of people employed at music companies want nothing to do with you
- you give a CD to your hairdresser whose sister's exboyfriend's mother-in-law's neighbor works with "something in music" with hopes of making it big
- you have never actually released a CD
- you have a website that you last updated two and a half years ago
- no one understands "your art"
- you are thinking of going country
- when you post the "you know you are an independent musician" list to attract people to your web site
- you have already spent the money that you will make after reaching number one on the charts
- you just plain and simply love music and being a musician
- you are just about to sign a record deal
- you were once "just about to sign a record deal"
- you can't sing really well
- because you are not dependent on anyone
- you made a mistake when recording your CD and you hope that no one notices
- you are begging people to download your music from the Internets
- you are afraid that someone will steal your music
- your style is out of style
- you're surprised that not everyone has heard of you after you played that pub 2 years ago.
- you started playing music to impress a girl (or guy)
- your first instruments were either violin, accordion, flute or piano ... all results of your parents aspirations
- the mailing list on your web site has seven members
- you've tried out for Idol
- your guitar string just broke
- you don't realize that CDs are history
- you just deleted the song project file you have been working on for days and you have no backup

... to add to this list please e-mail me ... click here