There is a common thought in the musical community.  The thought is that there are two groups of musicians.  And it can describe every musician there is out there (at least with the type of music you may hear on the radio.)

Group A:  The musicians who are only playing music for the fame, money, parties and sexual conquests in the hotels they stay at every night.  They will sacrifice musical integrity, just to make the "big time" so to speak.  They will follow current trends, and try music that even they know they cannot pull off just to stay in the spotlight of the world.

Group B:  The musicians who are truly there to make music.  They do not care if they are playing to the sound guy every night.  They will make it their hobby and work a nine to five for the rest of their life, happily, or worse work hourly.  If they get big, hey that's fine, some will even deny the opprotunity.  They are primarily music elitists and if you have different musical tastes you will typically be looked at as a moron.

But I'm stating to the world here and now, that there is a third group that is rarely recognized as their own seperate group.  They are the one's who are the true music lovers.  They realize what music is in it's truest form, and that is, a very powerful force.  It can move people in every way.  It can move the person singing or writing, because if done right, it comes from the heart, it's a release.  It can seperately or, more importantly, simultaneously move the listener, in many way shapes and forms.  It can make them happy, sad, angry, pretty much any emotion you want.  And it's also a release to them, especially if they can identify with something in the song.

This group is composed of musicians who want to be successful at being a musician.  They want to get to a point where it's the only thing they do to support themselves.  They don't want to work at a desk, or in the service industry.  They want to do what they love, and be able to live off of it.  But at the same time, they don't care about the parties, the fame, the spotlight.  If they can make enough money to provided shelter, food, and clothing for them and/or their families, they will be successful more than anyone else.

They will support any and all musicians, in any genre, if it is good.  It doesn't matter to them if it's rap, rock, country, jazz, latin, whatever.  If it's deserved of praise, it's getting praise.

I am part of that group, and here's comes the reason I'm writing this.

A AND B, START RECOGNIZING IT!

Both groups are so trapped in their little world of what they want, that they cannot see that we are dead smack in the middle of them.  Now I'm not saying that both those groups are wrong.  If it makes you happy, go for it.  But don't start shunning us for not wanting to do what you do.

I'll start with A. Typically they look at us as elitists, and that we are too up tight to recognize what their doing is good.  I'm sorry, but typically what you are doing isn't.  You sacrifice musical integrity and musical genius, for that hit.  That key to keep you in the public eye.  

Now not all are that way, some are actually very talented and very good.  But do they use that talent and skill?  No.  They sell what is "in" for that week.

Prime example, Christina Aguilera (probably spelled that wrong).  When she started out, with her first album nationally released, there were some decent, catchy good songs on it, I'm not afraid to admit it.  The pop genre seems to have the most membership in Group A, but occaisionally you will find a gem.  And Christina was, was one of those gems.  She has, arguably, the greatest voice out there today.  Best control, best range, and best emotion, and you could see that in her first album.  You could really see it in the song "Beautiful".  That song lives up to it's name, it ruly is beautiful.  She could make millions on her voice alone, easily.  

However, she decides, I'm going to try being black (no offense to anyone).  I'm going to learn ebonics and talk like I'm from Compton all the time.  Oh, and since sex sells, Im going to dress like a hooker every where I go.  You know what that doesn't work anymore, so I'm going to become latino.  Going to dye my hair back to black and sing my songs in spanish.

Why can't you just sing your songs and be done with it?  You don't need any of that frivolous crap at all.  I'm sorry I don't think I'm being elitist here, when I actually recognize that you are a very talented artist, but I also recognize that that is the last thing on your mind when you are "marketing" yourself.

And that's the deal.  TO be in group A you have to have talent.  Well, okay, I could be wrong with the technology out there now, but you have to at least be rather close.  You can't make gold from shit, pardon my french.  So you at least have to have something.

Now, on to Group B.  And this group is the one that pisses me off the most, and I never thought I would say this about that group, because they truly do love music, there's no denying it.  But they will look at us as if we are screwing the music industry to be famous.  And that is far from our goal.

I've experienced the animosity and the hatred from them many times in my career, and yes it is my career, even if I'm not making a living off of it, yet.  But, tell you what, I apologize for wanting to support myself off of music.

I apologize for wanting to share my music with the world, for wanting to make people think and feel just by the sound of my guitar and my voice.  I apologize for wanting to do almost anything, minus sacrificing musical integrity, which I haven't yet, no matter what you think, to be able to successful in my eyes.  Are you happy now?  Can you lay off my back?

In case you don't know, that was sarcasm.  Here's the deal, if you want to play music just for music, fine.  That's great, I have no problems.  But I ask you this, why are you showing it to people?  Why are you still playing in bars, and clubs, and open mics every night?  Sure, you don't care that no one showed up.  But the point is, why are you wasting the energy to show it?

It's pointless!  If you really are playing the music just to play the music.  Why does anyone else need to hear it?  It brings me to the point.

This group is a revolving door, most of the time.  I myself was part of this group at one point.  But then I realized that music is for the world...not just yourself.  It's a way to connect with people, it's a way to change minds.  It can affect people in a way that nothing else can.  That's why I play, that's why I write.

It's not money, it's not music, it's not fame, it's really not even integrity.  It's a tool, it's a tool to change the world.

So, why not try to get it to as many people as possible?  Why not utilize the hated music industry to your advantage.  That's what I'm going for, that's what we're going for.  

You think that when I say, I want to "Make It,"  that I wnat the chicks, and the money, and the catering, and the partying.  Now, where as, that's all fine and dandy, I really couldn't care.  As long as there are enough people out there, who are willing to support, to help me do what I love, and what I love only, where's the harm in that?

Don't put us with group A, because we are not like that.  Just because we say we are willing to do anything, and I mean anything, to get signed, to make it, doesn't mean we are looking for the fame.  We're not trying to follow the trend, we are going to play, write, and do what we love.  And we are not going to go to tremendous marketing tactics to do it.  We aren't going to let anyone else touch what we are doing.  We aren't searching for the million dollar hit, we're probably never going to get it.  

But we're damn sure that if we can change the world a few hundred at a time, doing what we love.  Maybe someone out there will catch on to the idea.  That if you can have that much love for something, and have no worries in your life except for making that which you love better, the world will be a much better place.

What's so wrong with trying to show people that?

I'm Jonathan Updegrove, and I'm a prod member of group C.