One thing that this wave of independent artists has done is create overnight millionaires all over the place.

There are hundreds of indie music marketing, promotion and music sites on the internet.  Each of them caters to the independent musician by offering services for fees.  For $X we will get your music on itunes, for $X we will promote your music to major labels, for $X we will review and critique your music and on and on.  They nickel and dime us to death.  They claim to fill the need of the indie artist who is looking for fame, a contract with a major label and to be recognized.  If that’s what you need, then go for it.  Help to make those rich guys richer by adding your donation to their coffers.

For me, it’s just me and my little black dog.  He’s my fan and he’s my favorite fan.  He’s all I need.  I don’t need to be on TV and to have thousands of screaming fans at my concerts.  Doing the music and growing is enough.  It’s just enough.  If something like fame and fortune comes from that – fine and dandy, if not – then that’s fine and dandy too.  I am happy with who I am and with what I do.

We need to be okay with who we are and what we are doing.  Music should be done for music’s sake.  It’s purpose is to touch, uplift and heal others.  I’ll admit, at one point I had stars in my eyes until I met my present mentor who taught me otherwise.  It was a process to unbrainwash myself from that plastic vision and that type of thinking that I created in my mind by embracing the ideals and goals of what’s projected at us in the mass media, but I have done so successfully.  Now I relish the idea of singing for singing’s sake, for the energy and the fulfillment that it gives me.  So, do your music and trust that what needs to happen after that will happen.  The Universe cares for itself and for all who are in it if we follow our path.

Fame is fickle.  It is based on what is hot and what is not — or on how much money is put into promotion.  Many of us are programmed to purchase various things – Coca-Cola, Pepsi, McDonald’s, etc.  Despite the fact that these are toxic things for our bodies, we buy them because we are pretty much programmed to do so.   Rhianna, Justin, Beyonce, Kanye, Shakira and many, many more who are shoved into our vision constantly — where is the talent?  Where is the skill?  Where is the gift?  Commercial packages marketed appropriately and enough make lots of money for the corporations who sponsor them.   Are you one of the people looking at things like that and saying “I want that! — fame, fortune!  I want it.”   Ask yourself why.   Who’s going to talk about you 50 or even 100 years from now?  Who is going to care?