Appreciate your kind response, Charlie (and please call me Roger, my father was Mr. Brown). I understand your point, and you are probably accurate that the article hit my "selling the myth" button. I'm not a fan of "motivational" posts as they pertain to songwriting, I hope you'll indulge me by letting me elaborate.

You clearly have a well-grounded and realistic perception of the challenges, odds, etc. In your case, or in the case of people like you in that regard, a little motivational stuff is a good and healthy thing.

Here's the rub, and why I'm not a fan. The sad truth is, most people are NOT well-grounded and realistic about the music business, and in particular about songwriting. Over the years, I've encountered dozens and dozens (maybe even hundreds) of writers who picked up stakes, sold the farm, and moved to Nashville to make it big. Very, very few of them attained any success whatsoever. Sometimes it was bad luck, or bad timing, or unforeseen circumstances or life events that derailed them. Sometimes they had or developed drug/alcohol problems. Often they lacked the ability to integrate socially into the music business (an EXTREMELY overlooked and vital component of success).

The reason most of them didn't make it, however, was simply they weren't good enough. I know that sounds callous and harsh, but it's just the reality of it. I was a pretty good baseball player in my youth - but I was nowhere near good enough to ever make it to the major leagues. The music business, and I know you know this, is absolutely the major leagues, and it's very cruel and unforgiving. Hunter Thompson's quote about it was spot on. And the luck and timing aspect I mentioned is probably the most important part of all, even above talent.

Over the years I've just watched far too many good people have their dreams (and sometimes even their lives) crushed by unsuccessfully trying to follow the dream. Far too many of them, quite frankly, never should have tried it in the first place. Someone should have been brutally honest with them about their songs before they came to a town where everyone will be cuttingly, harshly honest about their songs. I had a guy call me from TX just a couple of months ago, friend of a friend. He told me he had sat down one day and started writing songs, and he had 11 finished, and wondered what he should do about coming to Nashville. I started to tap the brakes and he said "I've played them for my wife, kids and friends and they all think they're great!". So I asked him if he knew anybody who hated his guts, who really couldn't stand the sight of him - I said if that guy likes your songs, then we can talk. I wasn't trying to be mean - I was trying to prepare & educate him for what he was stepping into.

My problem with motivational articles, speakers, or posts regarding songwriting is this - every time I read one or hear one, I think of all the people I've watched have their hearts & souls ripped to shreds - because instead of someone being honest and upfront about their (lack of) ability, they were misled by well-intentioned encouragements of "hey, give it a shot!", or as in the article you posted, "it only takes one!" I have found that far too often, unfortunately, encouragement can be, as Shakespeare wrote, "the most unkindest cut of all." So I suppose my responses to your post were not so much directed at you, an individual who has an obviously astute perspective on things, but more towards other people who might read that and fall into the kind of traps I've described. Maybe few reading this will understand what I'm getting at, or that I'm truly trying to be helpful. It's probably a poor analogy, but I've always been the kind of guy who, if I were diagnosed with terminal cancer, would want the doctor to tell me as kindly and clearly as possible how much time I have left - and not tell me "oh, everything will be ok, don't worry about it".

I always enjoy reading your posts, and hope you are staying safe and well during these uncertain times.

http://www.rogerbrownsongs.com
http://www.nashvillesongwriters.com/roger-brown