I was watching a CNBC program called "Business Nation" one night and saw an interesting story called "Facing the Music"...quite intriguing! To make a long story short it showed two sides of the same coin; a CEO for Warner Brothers trying to address the question of how it's major label planned to compete in a changing music industry where things like My Space and You Tube are driving the industry more than the traditional CD and promoting by the label that used to happen. On the other side of the coin, it showed the group, "Barenaked Ladies" who recently left same said label and are selling their CD's on their own website and utilizing tools such as My Space Music to reach out to their fans. Here's where I got the big surprise; Barenaked Ladies is actually succeeding and Warner Brothers is actually launching new projects with their artists via vehicles like My Space Music and You Tube.

 

...What??? I had to really let both of those facts sink in. I have a site on My Space Music. It 's free and I'm actually able to allow people to digitally download what I have recorded and make money. I don't have a major deal. I come from an era where that was the ONLY way you were going to get heard and now that has gone bye-bye. The playing field has been leveled. So age doesn't count any more. The thirty and under rule now has the potential to be shot down into little pieces thank goodness! An artist who really wants it can create their own enterprise right on My Space, CD Baby and whatever other outlets help Indie artists. I hope that if you are a Boomer Musican/Artist that you are as encouraged as I am about this development. I am absolutely thrilled! Now the hard work begins. You may not sell as many CD's as you would on a major label but as Barenaked Ladies can testify, you will make a lot more on each one. It's not going to be easy though but what good venture ever is? All of the great entrepreneurs of our time started out from scratch and worked to build their businesses into enterprises. That's what you are you know. You are a business. You are your own CEO. You may be a little older, but you are definitely wiser. Places like My Space and You Tube have given us all a unique opportunity that can help any age group. You can break the barrier if you want to. It's all up to you.