I was humbled the other day by a phone call with a young man pursuing his music. With a full time job that doesn't pay him very well he still made a plan to record two songs and submit them to some record labels. When they took too long to get back to him he dug deep and saved up and borrowed the money to finish recording a full album - playing everything in studio and producing it himself! After paying for artwork he only had enough money to print 50 copies and therefore has no way of getting proper distribution.
But, chatting to him really blew me away. He has off his own bat made a plan to go into various local township radio stations with his songs and is driving the whole process himself. It humbled me. Here he is asking me for advice, without realising that he is so on track when it comes to getting out there and just making it happen.
I have been too poep scared to approach stations myself and then have felt frustrated that third parties haven't had much luck getting us playlisted. Even though I talk about getting out there and making it happen for yourself, when it comes to radio stations, the truth is I have held back. I kept getting stuck on 'its so hard to get airplay in SA' instead of 'how can I get airplay?' And here I find myself chatting to a young man asking for my help and then hearing what he is doing with less than no resources, working knowledge of the industry or internet access and realising that he is far braver than I have ever been!
That conversation woke two things up in me. Firstly, it is time to play this game far more proactively. If I want things to happen I have to make them happen! Secondly, I want to keep helping musicians like Joe who are helping themselves. I am committed to my Live Your Dreams Foundation creating the space where resources like studio time, web development & pr will be available to young musicians who are committed to their dream and need a small hand up. Thank you Joe for inspiring me with your courage - I look forward to helping you however I can!
