Chapter 1

In the book How to make it in the New Music Business, Ari Herstand mentions a common question for those who are interested in being in the New Music Business. According to Herstand, he mentions that "Before you invest every last penny of your savings, destroy your relationship with four other smelly dudes or dudettes for two months, step back and ask yourself why you want to be a Musician. This may seem like a dumb question at first glance. But it's the most important one you will ever ask yourself. And it will define the course of your life" (Herstand 9). Asking this type of question to yourself can really make you think why you are choosing this path. That said, The reason why I want to become a musician is because I want to release songs so that people can hear my music. Not to mention, I want it to leave an impact for people. I want to use it so I can leave a message for people who are struggling with life so that they can know that they they are not along and they can overcome their struggles. To make things clear, I just want to let people know that it is okay to be human. What I mean by this is that it is okay if we make errors or struggle in our life. With that being mentioned, I love music with a deep passion and want to use it to share my story as well as my creativity.

With the mentioning of oneself asking themselves why they want to become a musician, another thing Herstand also mentions is the misconception of "making it" in the music business (13). He explains that people outside the industry assume that when a person makes it, they are really famous. However, he clarifies that it is defined differently by everyone. That said, the way how I define the term "making it" is that you are recognized enough from the people who support you and you are able to maintain yourself from something you really love (In this case, music can be applied here). So, this is how I define "making it" in terms of the music business.

With the further mentioning of the different aspects of music, another thing Herstand mentions is how we should have a plan. He further explains by making us question ourselves based on where we see ourselves in 1, 5, 10, and 26 years (19-22). That way, it can help track our progress or help us see what we accomplished. In spite of that, Where I see myself in 1 year is that I will have a really good understanding of music theory of and production after taking the classes the I needed to take in order to gain this type of knowledge. I will also release music covers in 1 year. In 5 years, I will release my first single and have a good amount of people supporting me. In 10 years, I will release my first album and have a good amount of people following me and I am able to maintain myself just by having music as a job. In 26 years, I will release a clothing line and also be successful with music in which I do not have to worry about maintaining myself with the bare minimum amount of money I will get.