It's Only Rock N' Roll

Sometimes it’s only rock n’ roll, and that’s all it needs to be.

Last night, my wife, son, and I were watching the ‘Cobra Kai’ themed movie that came out awhile back with the venerable Jackie Chan and Mr. Cobra Kai franchise himself, Ralph Macchio. The young protagonist in the movie, training an older dude in mixed martial arts, told the guy during a rough hue of brutal, homegrown training exercises, that ‘everything is kung fu’ when it comes to life and training.

I could get behind that. I guess in my life, then, ‘everything is rock n’ roll’.

I did an interview for our local radio station this morning regarding my upcoming induction into the Iowa Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Labor Day weekend. My friend Lindsay Kruse is news director at the station and approached me about discussing said subject, plus my history making a living and maybe a statement in the music and arts field.

%0 years is a long time to be at a vocation that, measured in hours put in to pay, is quite imbalanced, but we knew that going into the field, right?

I knew nothing, as the incredulous 15-year-old that I was, picking up this thing called a guitar and seeing how I could chase a dream and perhaps make a career.

Some career stories I could share and some maybe best left off of an FCC regulated radio station. Of course, you think of stuff to include after the fact, which I did, then messaged to Lindsay almost directly after the interview ended. One poignant question from Lindsay was the ol’ ‘what advice would you give someone who wanted to go for a music career’?

It was hard as hell making a go of it back when I started in the 1970’s, virtually an uphill climb these days.

The revenue food chain has been upended for music distribution and gigs these days. Selling merch at gigs is still a thing, because folks want something tangible to take home with them after they’ve rocked out. Streaming your music pays little or nothing unless you hit the lottery of right place, right time with commanding an audience. I’ve made 28 cents so far over 6months on DistroKid, as people download my music from parts around the world - yay!

Experience in business(because you are running one), figuring how to manage travel and gig costs, plus health insurance? Please - that can be a joke these days. It’s some sad ass shit, as Samuel L. Jackson might digress.

Less paying gigs at the low to mid-level venues, higher touring costs (gas, food, lodging, maintenance), a couple of things for starters.

If you know all that going in, and still want to make it as a musician, do it. In fact, I would still encourage it.

For the experiences that I’ve had, I don’t regret a minute of it, even when I do.

I learned early on that the more tools that you have in your toolbox, meaning skills to earn money, the better. I studied electronics, music instruction, and business management. I needed all those things and more. The hours are nuts, too - you’re working on everyone else’s off time. It wasn’t uncommon for me to work a 9- or 10-hour day at the music store, go home to eat, then go play at a club 9p.m. to 2p.m., four or five nights a week, for a period of my life, several days a week. You did what you had to do.

With that, then, of course, dive headfirst into a music career, kids! You only know what you know until you experience the rest. It can be a great character builder, for sure.

Which brings me to today - I had some great experiences and stories, enough material for my own original songs which I continue to write and sell today to my little market of fans.

Smoke ‘em if you got ‘em, as they used to say. Hey, it’s only rock n’ roll and we love it.