Nashville Musician myths busted

So I love going to Nashville. It's a fun city that a lot of people overlook or think is overrated. One of the best parts of Nashville is the music. So I came up with a couple of ideas: debunk myths and give the artist a spotlight. If you are a musician in Nashville, I will have a message for you at the end of this post so stay tuned.

Myth #1: You’ll hit it big in a few months.

I've even heard this myth busted by a musician in Nashville. She basically said that people come to Nashville thinking they'll get all lucky in a year or less. I think we all blame movies and TV shows for this lie. It will take a few years (I don't want to put a timeline to it) to maybe even get noticed. There is a reason why TV shows like American idol and the voice exist and they're not even guaranteed to work. From reverb nation's website "In a way, you need to prove you’re serious. This means more than showing up and expecting to be discovered. You’re going to need to knock on doors, get told no a lot, work hard on polishing your songs, and hone your craft. It’s not an easy road, but nothing worthwhile is. If it’s in your blood, you can’t help but put in the work and hustle."

There are people that are just happy playing on Broadway. I think that artist should have goals but also be happy where you are.

Myth #2: If I can just get a number one record, I’ll be set for life. Myth #3: A record/publishing deal means you’ve “made it.”

I put these two together because they can be busted by the same thing. Just because you got the record deal or a number one record doesn't mean you still don't have to work. The record company will want you to put out singles and records. A record deal doesn't mean that anyone will buy or stream what you make, it just means that a record company wants to do business with you. Also, one successful record doesn't mean you'll have another one. Plus if you did all this work wouldn't you want to keep putting out music to continue to do what you love (and make money doing it)?

Myth #4: Nashville is only country music.

It's not. There are bars that have an only country rule but there's a ton of bars and bands that don't play country or they limit the amount of country they play. Jon Bon Jovi has a bar there if that tells you anything.

Myth #5: You have to know every song.

You don't but I suggest knowing a lot and learning the most requested songs.

The way to become successful is to work hard and be nice. Entitlement and laziness aren't the way to go. The people that I remember are the ones who are nice and do well.

Now on to the message to the artists. I want to put a spotlight on you and your bands. The reason I want to do this is because I want you to get the attention you deserve. I'm a small creator but I can get you some attention. If you are interested in this spotlight, please email me at my writing email ([email protected]). Put musician spotlight somewhere in the message (subject line or somewhere) and tell when, where and what you play. Please also include fun facts and your advice for other artists. If you like include your Instagram. If you want to include messages to tourist (what you want them to know, etc.) you can but totally up to you.