A point I keep making, that doesn't seem to register, is the simple fact that as musicians [u]we hear things differently from most people![/u]

As I've often said "The Biz is based on the fact that most of the people who buy their product will give a track 9 out of 10 if its got a good beat and its easy to dance to."

Don't get hung up on the dreck that The Biz tries to shovel into your ears. The commercial side of the industry will never represent 'state of the Art' because artistry is so low on its list of priorities.

Non-musicians cherish fond memories of particular songs because they happened to be popular at the time something special happened in their lives. This explains why most people get stuck into the genre that coincided with the onset of their puberty. Artistic merit isn't even a consideration.

Realistic considerations like eating more than once a week become important if you make the decision to be a professional musician. If you crave pure originalty, check out the smaller venues that host local 'hobby bands'. These guys have day jobs to support themselves, so they don't have to 'go commercial' in order to survive.

There's some amazing stuff 'out there', if you look for it. It won't be in the big stadium shows. The kind of stuff you're looking for tends to grow a little closer to the ground, but it is there.