Monday, September 8, 2014

Rejection and Perseverance

I've come to learn one of the greatest hurdles that people in any kind of creative work situation have to face is rejection. It's something I've come to know well since going into music full-time. I've sent out countless booking inquiry emails that have either never been responded to, or have said that my music isn't suitable for their venue, or that I don't have a big enough draw to play at their venue. One time I got an email with the reply that was just. "NA. Thanks, [booking agent's name]." But I often wonder if the emails that warrant no response  have simply not gone through to the venue, or if they are ignored because I don't fit the bill and the venue doesn't think I deserve a response. I really wish I'd hear back either way, because if I don't hear back, I'll just keep on emailing with follow up emails. 

I've also been rejected in submitting my songs for contests via the internet. I use Reverbnation.com everyday to share my press-kits with venues, and for posting short notifications because its linked with all my social networks and posts to them automatically. Reverbnation often encourages me to submit to "opportunities" online or in my area.  A lot of the "opportunities" are songwriting contests, or radio airplay contests, or submissions to festivals, etc. I would say 99% of the time, I get rejected when submitting my songs to these "opportunities." It makes me wonder if my music is appealing enough to actually make it. I think to myself, "Maybe my style just isn't what they're looking for," or "Maybe I don't have a large enough number of fans on my social networking sites for them to even consider my song." I really don't know.


I recently paid $35 to submit to a house concert festival in Florida that will take place this April. I thought I was a shoe-in. I met all of the requirements, but I just got my rejection email yesterday. Apparently the festival judges weren't looking at "the totality of [my] talent or career." It was more about the quality of the videos I was asked to submit and the connection the hosts could make according to my performance in the videos, so the email said. What they were looking for were videos recored during other house concerts that show audience response. I don't have any of those kind of videos yet, so I guess I shouldn't have submitted at all. I was hoping to get my foot in the door in the house concert scene through the festival. That's always the hardest part about being a musician. It's a catch 22 situation. Venues won't book you until you have a fan base. How are you supposed to get a fan base going if you don't have any venues to play at to acquire fans?

With all of this rejection come the voices in my head telling me, "You're not good enough. Your music isn't appealing to enough people. There are too many other singer/songwriters out there that are better than you." But then I remember that I'm doing music because I love to, and because I have a positive message to spread through my music. And there are people who enjoy my music! I must keep an attitude of perseverance because when all of the other songwriters that face rejection have given up, I'll be the one still going strong. I'll be the last one standing. (Not literally, so to speak, but it's a good visualization for me.) I have to remember that some of the most successful people in the world started from nothing, were rejected time and time again, but kept going because they believed in themselves, and because giving up was not an option.                                                                                                                             


So, now I look forward to rejection, because it means that I'm one step closer to finding my path. I learn and adapt. I find where my music doesn't work and where it does. It's all a learning experience. So, come on rejection! Do your best! I'm going to keep on persevering, find my niche and rise above!





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