Why Don't You Do Something?

It’s 11:59pm in Nashville.  I’ve decided to let myself go on break.

Sometimes I wonder how I ended up here – so fast and so quick.  I never thought it would happen this fast.  Supposedly it was going to take a lot of work and some luck, and I’m pretty sure it did.  However, I think luck is something we as humans can control.  Letting people know what you want and putting yourself in the right places make life pretty damn lucky.  Being nice always helps too.

When I was in high school, people always asked me, “How did you get that picture with (insert pop star here)?”  Now, people ask me, “How did you get into the music industry?”  Well…I must admit that it was those pictures with the pop stars that got me here.  It’s what I love.  I learned way more from going to shows and talking to tour managers than I ever did in college.  It’s kind of strange – I always thought that college was my only way to get into the music industry.  I wanted it so bad, and it seemed as if my only way in was Belmont University.  I was going to go there and get good grades, do an internship, and then hopefully get offered an entry level position at a record label or booking agency.  Unfortunately, due to some uncontrolable financial circumstances, I was unable to attend Belmont.  I settled for the University of Louisville, and was okay with that for a while.  Then one day on my way to orientation, and I pulled over and just started bawling.  I was a failure, and I was never going to get to do what I loved.  Belmont was my only way in, and I had no way into Belmont.

Fortunately, I received a letter from MTSU the next day saying that I could get instate tuition at their school since Kentucky didn’t have a Recording Industry program.  That piece of mail drastically changed my life.  It was one of my back-up schools that I never really cared about, but I registered immediately.  Anything was better than Louisville.

However, once I got here, I realized that college has nothing to do with success.  It’s cool to have a major that you like, but it’s not going to get you a job.  You have to get out into the world and do stuff.  Volunteer, work for free, get money if you can…just get out there and do what you like.  Your passion will take you far – people can see it and they love it.  I’m so sick of people saying they WANT to do something.  Get out there and make it happen!  I worked for free for a long time, and loved every minute of it.  Working for experience is way more valuable than working for money.  Getting involved and loving my jobs got me really far really fast.  I graduated college in three years and had also worked for a major label while I was in school.  In addition to working full-time, I was also interning for various managers, booking agents, and indie labels.  It took a lot of time and energy, but it totally rocked.  Now I’m 21 years old, found a kick ass business partner, and already have a successful online entertainment marketing company.  This is way better than my original plan to go to Belmont and crossing my fingers - hoping to get an entry-level position anywhere.

So, I urge all of you to get out there and do something.  Don’t think about money, don’t think about time.  Join a street team.  Volunteer at a day care.  Read a book.  Download a free-trial of Photoshop.  Write a song.  Just do something that you like, and figure out how to make that a permanent part of your life.  Your experience is your education, and having experience makes sitting in a classroom worth your time.

I must go now.  Soundscan still has a little control over my life, and the reports must be ready in the AM.

Take over...the breaks over.