I've played in a good number of bands. I've written at least a few hundred songs. I've recorded several bands for income. I've spent thousands of hours recording music in my own small studio. I've played all the instruments and all the parts.

I'm not sure how many of you are out there, but your dreams of being a rockstar band are pretty much pointless. There's only one in a few million--if not worse--bands that will actually make it, get heard, and get paid. And the payment you will receive is simply not rewarding nor worth the time you invested. Think about these odds. Look at them: 1:3000000. Hopeful, huh!?

Enter the intrinsic motivation of playing music with a group of people. It is my opinion that the world's best musicians play music strictly for fun or other intrinsic purpose. Think about it. How long have humans been making music? And what percent of that time is spent where there was a market for selling music? A couple hundred years? If that? When was the phonograph invented again?

Even Mozart composed music for a living, and sure, he made a living doing so. Same with the rest of our few-hundred-years-ago composers. But today's music industry is not even close to the one in the times of Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and the rest of those guys. Back then, music was composed for an event of some sort, be it an opera, a performance for royalty, or both.

Today's music industry is nothing more than a bling shot of glam and bullshit. Image is everything, and true talent isn't appreciated like it may once have been. Instead it's a just a pissing or tits contests, with digitally corrected vocals, since our glorious, self-serving, altruistic society can't face reality with open arms. Add quickly flashing lights, visual effects, and you've got yourself a rockstar.

Take American Idol. This almost epitomizes the bullshit in today's music industry. (I say almost because we have yet to see what the future will bring, and I can guarantee we'll see something much, much more full of shit than American Idol ever could become.) People get on stage in front of millions of people to sing songs for the competition. (What ever happened to no false idols?). Contestants are eliminated based on the votes of the audience, on and off site.

Now as you all know, people are generally judgmental, regardless of how much we're supposed to tolerate and respect each other. So do you really honestly believe that the masses vote based on the contestants' talents? Singing voices? Or would you tend to agree with the argument that these assholes vote based on their personal preferences of who's the hottest, talentless fool? Who's got the nicest smile?

So my point of all this ranting is that as a young band, you'd better find some enjoyment in music and play for that purpose. That purpose alone. If you can't enjoy playing music with a group of people strictly based on some intrinsic motivation, then you'd better reconsider how you spend your time. Otherwise be prepared to accept some serious disappointment down the road.