How familiar are you with the new surge of soulful independent musicians? These severely talented young artists are so eager to be heard that they often travel from city-to-city, and sometimes abroad, selling the music they create from either the trunks of their cars or the sack on their backs. There are limited, if any, broadcast radio stations that will give their music the time of day, but that seems to be alright. When provided with an opportunity to perform, these artists generally have the ability to draw standing room only crowds. (Howell , 2008) Finding success in the indie soul/r&b world however is tricky in so many ways for the artists that are brave enough to give it go. The first challenge is, creating a quality project that attracts a fan following beyond your network of family, friends, and the co-workers on your day job. In other words, inspiring interest from total strangers. The second challenge is, of course, letting potential fans know that your project even exists at all (which is a whole other discussion). (Clarke, 2007) Whether you happen to be in the industry or just an innocent bystander — also referred to as a fan, many will measure the success of any artist in simple terms: how many units have been sold; how much exposure has the group received; how many can they pack into a room or concert hall? And whether you want to admit it or not, EVERYONE regards the mainstream media as an indicator of whether a group’s success is significant or marginal. I say your missing out if you hadn’t given US a chance to play in your CD changers. The artist on my “INDIE MUSIC” tab have all created some phenomial projects just waiting for ears like yours to feel it. When the time permits, take a listen to what commerical radio can’t provide to the soulful ear. You won’t regret it!!
