Cutters And The Velvet Rope

By: Diane Untz
Nashville Unleashed

diane untzI think Nashville is one of the most dynamic, healthy, yet competitive places to grow and emerge as an Artist. But…it is a process!!!  I’ve seen a lot of Artists come here on fire, plowing into private conversations, demanding to be seen, expecting to be performing on coveted stages before they’ve built a following, adding contacts they just met on their annoyingly frequent E-list (without permission), crashing industry events, etc. There is no bigger turn off in this city! Trust me! Although we can appreciate your enthusiasm and belief in yourself, it screams AMATEUR! By doing that, you are sending the message that you think you are surely better and should be allowed to skip ahead of all the other people who are in line before you…and we all know how we feel about “cutters”…..I mean, think about it…how do you feel when someone rides the shoulder to cut in front of you in traffic or in line at a restaurant, etc. So, it kind of has the same effect on us in the music industry. The wise take their place at the back of the line and earn their way forward. There is a reverential respect in their approach to this business; a humility and a willingness to learn without expectation or assumption. The more time you spend in Nashville, the more you will come to appreciate the depth of talent here, the importance of building relationships, and the hard-won achievements of the veterans in this town.

You might also find that if you’ll be willing to listen and learn for the first couple years, you’ll avoid a plethora of rookie mistakes that can cost you your career. You really only get one time to make a first impression, so what impression do you want to make? I’m all for an Artist standing out and creating a buzz, but there is a right way and a wrong way to do it.  The beautiful thing about the Artist community here is that they are willing to mentor, to share, and to guide. This is something that is unique to Nashville, I believe. It’s one of the few places that welcomes “the competition” to the point that they actually want to help. There is an overall mentality here that there is room for one more at the table. I’m sure there are exceptions out there, but the circles we run in, people are more than happy to share their experiences and lessons. If you’re smart, you’ll spend more time listening and less time trying to convince everyone how great you are. If you are truly great, word will get around naturally and in a much more palatable manner. Lasting success here is built on talent, humility, likeability, and time along the velvet rope.