American Idol - A Reminder of Bad Work Days

I just watched a contestant sing a song he wrote, which was terrible, demonstrating his complete lack of singing ability.

I cringed watching it. Not for him, for me.

I have spent many hours listening to R&B singers trying to impress me. Some of them could sing well, but appeared to be difficult to work with (an absolute kiss of death). Some could sing really well, but had image issues. Some were hot and completely terrible. Some had nice voices, but no sense of rhythm.

For the most part, none could sing as well as they thought they could. Worse yet, most could not hear (at all!), so they had no idea they were as bad as they actually were.

Where AI is most accurate: with music, it's never just about singing. It's about performance. It's about image. It's about picking the right material. It's about being easy to work with.

Really, never underestimate being nice. If you want someone to invest in you and give you a shot, be nice.

Unless you are actually Mariah or Whitney, you are completely replaceable.

Pissing off the producers and the label and the publicists and the recording engineers means you will not work. (Plus, if you make us really, really, really mad, you will not work and you will not be released from your contract. )

It is easier if you are in a band. Good material and good perfomance can outweigh those "I am a golden god" moments, but only to a point. If you are a jerk, I will still pass because if you are a jerk to the people who you want to work for you, how will you be on tour or with press?

There are a lot of talented people in the world, so I prefer to put my energy, knowledge, and reputation on the line for people I would like to see succeed.