Could we all learn from thinking about our beloved 'Music Business' in a different way?

There was once a young, amateur football player who shone out from the rest.

He decided to succeed in his chosen career but didn't know how. He asked here and asked there but nobody could give him a clue to success in his chosen field, other than to advise him to practice and just 'do it'. Someday he would be 'spotted'.

Yes, he was 'spotted'.

He was taken under the wing of a coach who was always looking for that elusive 'star'. "The 'boy' has natural talent", was the coach's much heard comment about the lad.

Gradually this comment became: "The 'boy' has staying power."

The comment that the coach WANTED to make was: "The 'boy' has got it". But, the coach knew the way to make that dream come true. Because, he had seen many with natural talent and many with staying power. He had rarely seen anyone who had 'got it'.

He insisted the 'boy' practice .... not football (for that was the easy, natural part) but the skills of football, the skills of the game, what makes the game a game, what makes a great game a great game.

He insisted the 'boy' get super fit, he insisted the 'boy' get looks, get attitude, get style, both on the pitch and off the pitch.

He insisted the 'boy' look at every video of every 'great' match to discover the techniques that went into 'winning the game'.

While he was doing this, day in and day out the 'boy' got frustrated. He wanted desperately to get on with playing football in his naturally talented way. But the coach would not allow this. What was the point! The 'boy' had got as far as he could go with 'natural talent'. Now the 'boy' had to be turned into a 'man'. He had to learn the skills, he had to learn the disciplines, he had to learn the tricks, the 'know-how'.

The coach then insisted that the 'boy' study diligently every major football star, past, present and even future, for he knew where these other 'boys' were being taught the very same way as he was teaching. He also knew that they would have new found 'tricks'.

The 'boy' became further frustrated with watching video after video of different styles, analysing, discussing, then practicing the tricks of other 'greats'. "This is boring, when am I going to be a star?" was his oft heard complaint. "You are not ready", was the oft heard reply of the coach.

The coach insisted that the 'boy' go to watch these 'greats' in action at every opportunity and cautioned him to be aware of the 'tricks' he had learned and to see, and more to the point, understand them in operation.

When the 'boy' had progressed somewhat along the difficult road, the coach surprised him by saying he would be allowed to play with other similar 'boys' at a match to judge the progress of like minded 'boys'. The coach was thrilled when he realised that his 'boy' had learned a lot and was fast heading in the right direction. In fact his 'boy' was being pointed out by many as having the 'makings of a star'.

He was encouraged that nobody now mentioned 'natural talent' but rather praised his exceptional skill, style, demeanor and 'star quality'. They commented that that sort of ability came from hard training and knowing this fact they praised him more.

After many more training sessions, video sessions, match watching sessions and playing small matches, each one getting more important, with the 'boy' being pitted against more talented opponents, some of them even professional players, he became very aware, himself, that he knew the 'tricks' of each of these professionals he was pitched against. AND HE USED THEM.

He was thrilled that he could add a trick of another 'star' and outwit the opponent. The more tricks, the more success.

All the boring study now started to come into focus for him.

HE REALISED THAT TO BEAT DAVID BECKHAM, HE HAD TO KNOW ALL OF DAVID'S TRICKS AND WHEN HE WAS HELD UP TO THE TEST, ADD THE OTHER TRICKS THAT DAVID HAD EITHER FORGOTTEN OR NOT BOTHERED TO LEARN. SUCCESS BECAME EASY AND OBVIOUS.

This 'revelation' spurred him on to study more .... long into the day ..... long into the evening discussing with his 'heroes' how they attained success, for now he was mixing freely with them.

Then, one day his coach said: "'Boy', you are now a man ... we have given it our best shot .... now it's up to you."

"I have arranged for you to play at a specially organised TRIAL match this Saturday."

The 'boy' knew he would be picked .... why? Because he had worked harder than anyone else. He knew that he had ALL the skills of everyone on the pitch PLUS his own, his very own special ones ....

He was picked .... he then spent months sitting as a substitute on the benches watching and studying deeper and deeper. He was frustrated, but when he was asked eventually to show what he was made of, what happened?

All the patience, all the skills, all the talent came flooding out .... his frustration turned to EMOTION .... He was angry when he failed, he was elated when he succeeded and he was tearful with the joy of winning ....

His emotion was there for everyone to see, to love, to understand and to be part of ....

He had attitude, he had burning ambition, but most of all he still had: HIS ORIGINAL 'GOD GIVEN' TALENT.

Now think of your own attitude to the Music business.....do you feel you have 'God given' talent? Where has it got you so far? Do you think the story I've told has a lot of relevance to where you are today? Could you do with 'studying' the 'Greats'? And I don't mean casually listening to your favourite chart TOONS. I mean getting to know their vocal tricks, their music tricks, their writing, arranging, structuring tricks. Their performing, playing, clothing. And we haven't even mentioned their 'personal' stuff !!!!!

dec@makehits.co.uk

Dec's advice : Get in touch personally. Email dec@makehits.com to discuss what you want to achieve in music.