I am a cliche, I am very much aware of this.
Just like so many of you on these pages, I was destined to change the world with my profoundly new and different axe-slinging skills when I was in high school. I couldn't play to save my life, but that did not seem to be more than a detail that would work itself out later. Bottom line was: I was the best thing to happen to rock since Jimmy Page, it was just that no one else realized that yet.
So now I'm 23. I'm typing this article from behind a desk in an office building somewhere in Amsterdam, and I can't seem to shake the feeling that this is not how life looks for mr
Page. And somehow, I feel that this is where the majority of us ends up, and it seems to be kind of hard to escape from the jaws of mediocrity.
So what should I have done? What can I do now?
I know what I should have done: practice!!! When I was in high school, I thought the fact that I looked amazingly cool with my guitar around my neck was enough, and videogames did not point out my deficiencies as much as trying to comp Slash in November Rain. In no way is musical proficiency a promise of succes, but it is a key trait that will help you make an impression. It will help you if you can run some licks from Beethoven's 9th when you audition for that hip-hop gig: You'll stick out. People tend to forget that one of the best ways to get into professional musicianship is landing a gig with some other band than your own. For this kind of audition it is very useful to be able to show a little more than the fact that you can play their three-chord crap. Other bands want their guitar players to be Steve Vai without the ability to speak or voice an opinion. Just get in, then work towards earning your place in the group.
Second thing you're gonna need is heart. There is no way this thing is just going to 'happen' for you and your band just cause you think you are decent and your mom says she likes your music. There is no limit to the amount of effort and dissappointment you'll have to go through before you'll even get so much as a decent gig. Then, when it looks like something is happening, hold on for all that you're worth. Big chance is that your band members won't have this drive. Kick them the hell out! You'll find like-minded people in due time. If you want to get anywhere in music, don't waste your time with people that can't come to practice because their girlfriend wants them to watch CSI with them. I learned this the hard way, and due to my trust in humanity I had it proven to be true a couple of times over.
The last thing: Be patient. There is a good chance you don't know any music-scene big shots or record execs that went to college with your pops, so you'll have to wait it out. What worked for me was the fact that I had a job selling guitars for a long time. I met people that could do stuff for me if I rubbed them the right way, and I could have taken it someplace cool. It was a good way of staying in touch with the 'scene' if you could call it that, and it also was a steady income.
But I lacked the heart, I decided I'll first get my degree, then try again. There's is a very good chance it won't happen to me again, however, and that is why I'm writing down what I've learned. I will try next year, though.
In no way do I want to come across as some kind of expert or 'insider', but I wish someone had kicked my ass into gear when I was 14. I hope some of you do have it in you and will find a way to crack the protective shell that the music biz has created for itself.
Stay true to the dream,
-Maxx
got really inspired... 
