Theft and fraud are common conditions across the board here in the United States and elsewhere.
The last year I worked for the bank we lost $465, 000,000 in fraud.
A few weeks back I hired an electronics “expert” to help me sort out an issue with a new autopilot on my boat. Four hours later he said he did not know how to fix the issue but wanted his two hundred dollars per hour fee, in cash!
I had a couple of chooses. I could have shot him in the head with my 40 cal and shoved him overboard or driven him back to the dock and paided the [*****].
The music industry has been a particularly corrupt industry preying on the weak and uninformed.
I have never been a very accomplished musician but have been lucky enough to generate a few dollars from music.
I knew from day one that I wanted to make money and the things I really loved to do were very unlikely to provide me with the type of income I wanted. Yes, I made a few bucks from music, and evening more from my skills as a commercial pilot, the two things I like the most. But the real money came from working my butt off 100 hours a week in various business endeavors.
The last really fun gig…. I paid to have my keyboard player flown in from south America, the drummer from LA, Lewis from Dallas, and Tayna from Houston. We all find ways to enjoy the music we have the skills and money to produce. Home studio or PolyGram studios. Great music comes from both places.
At the end of the day it does not matter if the music is great or not for 99% of us. No one makes great music every time they decide to play. Do what you like, the way "you" want to!
And for all you stared eye kids who dream of making it big in the music business, it is really not that hard. All you need to do is sing at the level of Witney Houston, play guitar at the level of Jeff Beck, have the good looks of one of the most famous movie stars and not die of drug addiction before you make it.
Cheers,
Billy