When I'm planning a trip, it's not unusual for me to try to find the least expensive, fastest, easiest way to get to my destination. Most of us are probably like that - there are the inevitable "take the scenic route" people (why do they always end up being our dads when we're on vacation with the family?), but for the most part, people don't want to waste time, and they want to get to where they're going the fastest way possible. That's understandable.  The journey through life, love, careers, etc. doesn't always work that way, however...

I'm often surprised by the number of bands/artists that will contact me and without any prior relationship and will say, "Let us play a show with you." To which, I will almost always reply, "Have you played any shows on your own? What have you done to try to get your band exposure on your own?"

95% of the time, the band/artist will cease all communication after that. Why is that? Well, if we take into account the quick rise to fame that American Idol or Youtube seem to offer any person out there, why work for it?  This, my friends, is the "Jet Pack" approach.  

You have to get to the top of the mountain? Why climb like a sucker?  Just get the jet pack and rocket all the way to the top. There's no need to learn lessons along the way, right? There's no need to have an appreciation for all the small steps that are in between, right? (My apologies if my sarcasm in the previous questions was not blatant!) 

Some people handle the quick rise to success well, but for the most part, people need to see where they've come from in order to be able to have an appreciation for where they are. This is where "The Mountain Crawl" approach comes in.

Almost any person that I've met that has success (I realize this term has VAST differences in definition, but insert your definition in there) in their field with any sort of longevity, has come to it from a background of hard work. That's not necessarily the sexy American way, but it is realistic. It's never fun to stay up late, get up early, do all the tedious paperwork/manual labor that may be involved in your endeavor, but one day, you wake up and realize you're halfway up the mountain, and you've seen each and every mistake and triumph you've made along the way. You have great ideas about what works. You have even better ideas about what doesn't work. Most importantly, you have a deep appreciation and a respect for where you are and where you've been.

So, I would encourage almost everyone (except those few who know how to handle a jet pack) - when given the opportunity to either take the fast way to the top with little to no experience, or to take the slow way up that will knock you around and give you some well-earned character...I say, grab a backpack and some hiking shoes. 

-TRMJ