1-1) Identify the three key components which make up the music industry.

1-2) Know and list the factors which contributed to the success of those who have made a career in the music business.

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Those in the industry who have succeeded did so by learning all they could about their craft, honing their skills until near-perfection was reached. Moreover, they learned all that they could about the inter-related positions and functions in the industry to stay competitive, relevant and fresh.

For example, if a guitarist were to learn all that he could about his instrument including studying those guitarists he admires, learn all the scales to practice, the various tuning and stringing arrangements, as well as how to affect repairs and maintenance, that would only be adequate. For him to take his craft to the next level, he would have to know how sonically the guitar fit into the overall musical family, from arrangement and orchestration modes, to textural compatibility with other instruments. Taking his craft even further, he would then study how the production and arranging of the various compositions he plays were done, eventually taking on the task of conducting, producing and arranging his own sessions. As one added step, he would go to his local library or bookstore and read up on other facets of the business, including biographies of industry personnel, and business practices relevant to his interests.

This method, which I label the Total Immersion Approach, is one that everyone in the Music/Entertainment business, no matter their position, should adopt. Each and every attempt at learning as much as possible about your craft, skill, trade, or position - and everything even remotely associated with it - increases your odds exponentially for success. If one were to read the biographies of some of those artists, technicians and administrators mentioned above, one common trait they all would posses is that they were extremely versatile in their approach to their respective fields.

Quincy Jones, for instance, was a celebrated jazz trumpet player in his teen years, traveling around the country with Ray Charles and his orchestra. He used this background to become an arranger; artist & repertoire head at Mercury records; Emmy-winning composer; motion picture composer/arranger; publisher; multiple Grammy-winning producer; and media mogul, with TV magazine, and film productions to his credit. When rap music began in the late 70's, Jones was one of the first of his generation of musicians to recognize its link with the Jazz tradition he had spent a lifetime in. After nearly 50 years, Jones is still considered a force in the music industry due to his willingness to embrace new styles, new directions, new modes of thinking, and new techniques. For this reason, many musicians today look to Jones as a "godfather", one whose advice is held in high esteem. Jones learned early to elevate his level of the game by learning all he could about as much as the business as possible.

This Total Immersion Approach is not meant to imply that one needs to handle EVERY function of the Music/Entertainment business, but rather to assert that one should at least know what the other functions are and how they relate to a given position, and most importantly, how they would affect someone's career. Everyone reading this has heard horror stories of how a naive band or artist was grossly exploited by their manager/agent/record company and left penniless and their career in ruins. If that band or artist had had adequate knowledge of how a manager/agent/record company is supposed to function, the chances of their being used and abused in such a fashion would have decreased significantly. Knowledge of the business is essential for adequate growth, viability, and SUCCESS. This fact cannot be emphasized enough.

For those of you about to embark on a career in this wonderful world of music, please take the time NOW to assess whether or not the capacity to handle all the requirements listed above is in you. Please find out before you have wasted a great deal of time, money, talent, patience, and tears. Please reflect on the real reasons you want to become part of this business (fame? fortune? art?) , and why this field - and no other - could meet that need.

Take time now to examine your strengths and weaknesses and ask yourself how much are you willing to endure and for how long. Ask yourself would you be willing to persevere until your goal is met, despite the criticisms, setbacks, defeats, disappointments, and sometimes seemingly insurmountable odds that will accompany your quest. Consider also whether this dream of a career and the dedication it requires is worth the strain on family and social relationships it most certainly will bring. If all of these factors have not deterred you and you are now more dogged and determined than ever, knowing that "success" comes before "work" only in the dictionary, then let me be the first to welcome you to the first day of the rest of your career.