Everything you EVER wanted to know.

This blog is for John and anyone else who is interested in me finishing the "Everything you EVER wanted to know" series about the ins and outs of the music industry as I have experienced it. As always- feel free to shoot me your questions and I will try to answer as many as possible. Also, please remember that I do not speak on behalf of my record label, Fair Trade Services, or my booking agency, Elite Talent, nor do I have the ability to sum up a very vast, complex multi-billion dollar industry. I am only speaking from my first hand experiences and observations.

How do you get a song on radio? So you want to know HOW a song gets on the radio? Here is the journey of my new radio single, Heaven Waits for Me, and its long, long, loooong road to *hopefully* playing on your local radio station, September 21st!

If you are in the industry, this song is now available on PlayMPE. Please take a listen.

The Abridged Version I wrote and recorded a demo of Heaven Waits for Me in August 2011 with my friend Steve Miller in Los Angeles. I performed it for the first time on stage in November 2011 in East Texas. I recorded the song in February 2012 with my friend and producer, Paul Moak, in Nashville. My friend Steve, re-recorded the song in May in Los Angeles. My friend Seth re-re-recorded the song in June in Nashville. The last recording, Seth Mosley's, is the one that made the album. The song was mixed in June by Reid Shippen. Mastered in July. And now, it has been delivered to a secure downloading site for radio stations and other industry insiders to listen to and decide if they will play it on their stations. And that's the shortest version possible.

Now for the real story, in reverse order...

The Wait I have put poop, sweat and tears (I'll tell you Annie's poop story from the studio at a later time!) into this album and into this new song. And now- it's out of my hands  and in the hands of radio first, fans second. First up- will radio stations play it?

Will it be one of the mere, industry standard 6-10 NEW songs PER YEAR, that their station adds to the mix? Do their listeners like it? Does it test well in their market? Will they take a chance on it? Does it say something meaningful?

I will spend the next two months playing the song for radio stations, telling them the story behind the song, meeting with their program directors, placing phone calls, writing cards, creating private videos for the stations- all in attempts to persuade them to give my song a shot. Next week I will even play at an event in front of the program directors and DJ's of almost every major station in the country in hopes that they will like what they hear.

Then I will cross my fingers and wait-

Will they partner with me to tell the stories I've written?

The important thing to know about what songs end up on the radio is this: There are thousands of beautiful, thought-provoking, artistic, soulful, life-changing songs out there. But most radio stations can only play about 10 new songs a year. And it's not because radio stations are capitalistic-hearltess-politically motivated- cheesy- ______ fill-n-the-blank for other assumptions you may have made... machines.

Radio stations are working their butts off to stay on the air, pay the bills and stay relevant in a world driven by satellite radio, Spotify and Pandora. And Christian radio stations? Many of them are trying to run a business and carry the added pressure of using their medium of communication to impact the world with the hope-filled, grace-filled message of Jesus Christ.

On the whole, I have been blown away with the thoughtful, spiritually-minded, business-savy men and women who balance business and ministry on Christian radio stations across the country.

How's all that for complicated? It's business. It's spiritual. It's personal. It's a competition. Getting a song on radio is like most things in life...

FREAKING COMPLICATED.

It's never as easy as, "This is the best song ever written and will change the world!"

It's big labels verses little labels, release dates and radio tours. Marketing budgets and station preferences. Content and meaning in conjunction with who pays the bills and what they are willing to pay for.

And honestly, at the end of the day- radio marketing departments, label execs, radio station program directors, station managers, dj's and the artists themselves...

we are all just people working out marriages, raising kids, caring for our parents, carving out time for friends and families and we all go home at the end of the day and live outside the walls of these complicated music structures...

People who deduce "Christian radio" and "labels" and "the industry" to more than just normal people trying to do a good job at work and going home to the bigger aspect of their lives are often over-simplifying (and villanizing) the world. Yes, every system is flawed and broken- but that is not the sum of every system.

Behind every system there are simply people.

And for those of you who want to know more...

The Song I will tell you about the meaning of the song later. For now, the important thing to know is that I wrote this song with my insanely talented friend, Steve Miller, in Los Angeles an entire year ago.

Monday, August 1st, 2011.

I wish you could hear the demo that we recorded in his living room that day. I will forever be in love with it. I got off the plane at LAX, made my way to his apartment, sat down on his couch, listened to him tinker around on his guitar, told him that I wasn't much of a song-writer but I had some things going on in my heart that I wanted to get out and less than an hour later-

the song was written in its entirety.

He later joked, "And you said you weren't really a song-writer. Please." In that moment, he gave me wings to write the rest of my new album, The Becoming. For the first time ever (even though I had written songs like What Do I know of Holy and My Story) I felt like I could call myself a song-writer.

Getting the Song Right Every artist works with a different team of people to get their music out to their fans via radio. Whether they are independent or signed to a record label, there are any number of methods and months between writing a song and hopefully getting it onto the airwaves. This is what the path of one song looks like. Not all songs. Not all record labels. Not all radio teams. Not all artists. Just mine.

First up? Getting the song right!

When I was a new writer, penning songs like "All that Matters" "Sticking with You" and "What Do I Know of Holy" I would toss out lines, ideas and melodies and expect them to stick. If I liked them and they initially felt good- what was the problem? Writing the songs for the first Addison Road album kicked my artistic butt. Turns out- you have to wrestle with a song. And, if you have a record label that is paying for those songs to be created... they get to wrestle with that song too. And so does the music publisher. And so does the guy producing the album. Not to mention as the artist, you can quite often get on stage to perform this new, un-recorded song and all of a sudden realize that it is missing something or that it needs to lose something or that it needs to be played an entirely different way. Or that you just plain hate it.

These are a few snippets of email conversations from early 2012 that I had with "undisclosed industry people" on my team regarding the song Heaven Waits for Me in the months leading up to recording the song in February of 2012.

From one teammate: "Heaven Waits For Me...HMMM...I have listened to this song a lot and I love it. A couple concerns for me are in the chorus: -I’ve spent SOME time with Jesus.” I understand what you are saying here, but could you make that line a little less casual? -The other line that concerns me is: “I know I’m ready” Could we change the tense to, “I will be ready” “I know I will be ready” (whenever that day comes)??? I know that’s a minor change, but I think it pays off the hook more..."

From another teammate: "Heaven waits for me - WHAT A CHORUS!!!!!!!!!!  I am laughing at how great this lyric and melody are.  I also kinda like the vibe of the demo...Okay, this is just me, please let me know your thoughts, but I have listened a ton and the bridge still kinda creeps me out. To me the idea of "take my final breath"  is very cool and has a sweet sentiment. But "maybe its ... maybe it's ...." is it a little morbid or am i reading too much into it?"

From Me in Response to those 2 teammates: -Ok, the chorus lyric can be changed to eliminate the word "some." It sings just fine without it. I'll just add in "yeah" and make it "yeah- I've spent time with Jesus." -I'm not sure about the change in tense though. I feel like "I know I'm ready" conveys a sense of peace and contentedness. Whereas "I will be ready" makes me feel like the person is perpetually working and hoping to be ready for something vs resting in the fact that when the day comes, the day comes, they are already ready. Does that make sense? -As far as the bridge being morbid- it totally is. And I am totally ok with that! I am a morbid person. I've thought about death since I was a little girl- and as an artist I have met more people than I ever cared to meet who have dealt with the sting of death in so many different, expected and unexpected ways- and so this bridge captures that for me. That death is hovering over us and can come in many different ways and that's precisely the point of the song- that I've lived in such a way that no matter what way death comes to my door- it's ok- I've lived fully and I will live ever more fully in God's presence. If it totally bothers you guys and isn't essential to the song, I can come up with some other ideas. But I think it is exactly right for what I want to say. But let me know what you think about that thought."

And that is how the final version of the song that you hear was "worked out."

Song Production After a while- you work out the kinks in the song and it's time to record. I loved the first recording with my producer, Paul Moak. I still love it. But the collective team- you know, the one that pays for the album- didn't feel like it was right yet. The more I listened to their thoughts and ideas, I was able to see where there was room to wrestle with the song and to try pulling it in different directions musically to make it sound a "little less country" and "a little more pop". To marry the two a little better. Paul and I wrestled with it- but couldn't get it there. It's hard to change something you love.

The ultimate decision was to bring the song to another producer and see what it might sound like if we re-created it from the ground up. This decision was hard on my soul. Really hard. When you work with someone as brilliant as Paul Moak- going back and re-working anything with anyone else sort of feels like cheating. But at the end of the day- I knew I at least owed it to the team to try to meet in the middle. Subsequently, we "re-built" the song sonically with two more producers. And the final cut that is now going to radio was produced by the sweetest of guys- Seth Mosley. The biggest differences? Most people would never even notice! They are subtle- still, they are different takes on the song, seen through different eyes. And sometimes it takes several sets of eyes, or ears in this case, to bring something fully to life. Some "ohs" at the beginning of the song and some crazy fun background vocals. Also- some changes to the approach of kick patterns with the drums and a broken down section of hand-claps taken out and replaced with a little more pure form of pop-rock-happiness! Little things.

I now have 4 versions of this song. Maybe one day I can release all four- because I love them equally!

Finally, Radio. There is not much more to say about the radio process that I did not say above. Radio is complicated for all parties involved.

I can tell you that the original release date for this song was September 14th. But now it is September 21st. Why? On September 14th, Third Day has a new song "going for adds" (this is when the record label suggests the radio stations start playing the new song that they are pitching on behalf of their artist). If the choice is me or Third Day- well...

it's better to respect your elders :)

And no Mac Powell- I'm not calling you old! So we moved the date. Third Day will go first and then I will take my shot the next week!

Until then? I sit and wait. And hope. And give you secrets I probably shouldn't give :). Only 21 more days- between now and then I will give you, my blog readers/twitter followers/ and Facebook followers a chance to stream the song as much as you'd like for free. I'll also post the lyrics here on the blog. A story about what the song means to me. And of course- tell you the story about Annie and poop and what it's like to be in a studio recording with a 2- year-old in my arms.

Heaven Waits for Me, the single from my new album, The Becoming, hits radio on September 21st!

Everything you EVER wanted to know.

Part Two in a series attempting to answer people's questions about the music industry. Please note that I do not speak on behalf of my record label, Fair Trade Services (formerly INO records), nor do I have the ability to sum up a very vast, multi-billion dollar industry. I am only speaking from my first hand experiences and observations from eleven years in the industry myself.  

From Beth:  I would like to know about getting into the industry, starting with demo tapes, how to get labels to listen to them, and how to get started (of course with the understanding that this is in no way a "get rich quick or at all" type thing.)

Hey Beth! This is the question we "signed" artist's get asked the most! How do I get in the industry? I would say first and foremost, you have to rephrase that question into, "Why do I want to get into the industry?" Or put another way, "What can the industry do for me that I cannot already do for myself?"

When I was in high school in the late 90's I would pick up a copy of CCM magazine and read about young high school guys and girls who were magically discovered by record labels and got amazing record deals. But that was then. To my knowledge, that rarely happens anymore because record labels are- across the board- losing significant money. So in the past, record labels sought out young new talent, giving record deals to any number of newbies and waiting to see which ones they could "develop" and turn into a pop star or Christian icon. But this is no longer the case.

Today, there seems to be an emphasis from labels to come across someone who is already making their own music, performing regularly, and writing their own hit songs. Granted, there are the Justin Beibers and Carrie Underwood's of the world; super-naturally talented and gifted vocalists that labels will do anything to sign, create, and market. (And if that's you- I encourage you to put yourself out there. Audition for American Idol, America's Got talent, or sign up to be a part of Camp Electric where your voice will be heard by industry insiders in Nashville.)

If you have an insane talent, a cold-turkey deal might be easier to attain, but for the most part the industry has become less about creating new artists (turning a 16-year-old, unknown girl with a good voice into a signed label artist) and more about finding artists who are doing good things in their own right and coming alongside of them.

So, to answer your question I would ask you a question. What are you doing on your own? If you want to get into the industry- most industry insiders want to see you "bloom where you are planted." Perform as often as possible, with as many people as possible. Develop a strong social media presence- one of the absolute best things you can do to get recognized. Hone your song-writing skills. And then go out and perform some more!

Tricks of the Trade

When Addison Road started eleven years ago, my husband took the "fake it till you make it approach." He decided that he would do everything possible to make us look like a "real band" even though we were this crappy college band! Still, if you would have gotten one of our promo packets in the mail, you would have thought we were the next big thing! He had embellished folders made, business cards, head shots, recommendations from people who had us out to play at their home churches. Etc, etc. But the truth is, we weren't nearly as good as we looked on paper! Still, being professional goes a long way and it got us shows that we were way under-qualified for. If you are an artist looking to go somewhere- present yourself well. Have a well edited, short and sweet promo pack (both physical & digital). Take yourself seriously. Call yourself an artist. Seek out shows and book with confidence. Don't let on that you are way out of your league! You've heard the whole, "dress for success"... well I don't care if you dress in Portland flannel or New York hipster, but dress the part. There is much to be said for creating your niche- for creating your portfolio- for creating buzz about your music... even when you feel like you are an invisible speck in the music world. A professional, aggressive approach to developing your niche and presenting yourself well goes such a long way!

Demo's

Make sure your demo is actually good! There are nationally and internationally known bands who record their albums themselves- and they sound amazing. You don't have to have money to make a demo anymore. All you need is a moderately fluent MacBook user. Heck, I could record your demo and make it sound decent- and that's saying a lot! So, there is no excuse for bad demos!  Find someone with a home studio or a MacBook pro. Also, some churches have amazing digital boards and they can actually make a great recording straight from the board. So if you are at a church with advanced sound equipment, ask a tech volunteer if they would be willing to record you from the board.

Getting Someone to Listen to your Demo

Every artist is going to HATE me for saying this... but your best chance at getting someone in the industry to listen to your music is to hand your music off to an artist.

Odds are, if you mail in a demo it will never, ever, ever be listened to. Actually, a long time ago my husband interned for EMI while we were in college. His entire job was to listen to demo's. Just a college kid- who could care less and generally just made fun of everything he heard- was the guy who got the demos. Sending a demo in cold turkey is a waste of your time and your money. And- might actually work against you if you annoy the people at the label!

So how to get it into the label's hands? If it is a really good worship song that is currently successful at your church, network with other worship pastor friends and see if they would try your song at their church. Many big worship songs, like Indescribable and How He Loves, have started in local churches and spread like wildfire. That gets the attention of a label.

Go viral. Everything is viral. It's free. It's easy. And if your stuff is good... it spreads like wildfire too. Post your best song/performance on Youtube and then email the link out to as many people as you can. If you have the email address of someone at a label, publishing company, etc. include them on the email blast. Perhaps they might actually take a listen.

And then back to my first suggestion- hand it off to an artist. I will be honest- we hate this! But I think it's mostly because people pick bad times to do it. Don't hand off your CD at the merch table, while the artist is getting off stage and unwinding, or while they are on their way to the bathroom. This is super annoying :) Give the CD to a volunteer or promoter and ask that it be given to the band- or make plans to be a part of a pre-show meet and greet. Don't eat up any of their time trying to sell yourself, just a simple, "Thanks for being here. I enjoy your music. I'm an artist myself... if you get a chance I'd love for you to listen to my music."

Honest truth is- a lot of those Cd's end up in the trash. But there are some artists who listen. I am one of those that listens. And- if I hear something I really love (or if a local artist opens that I am really amazed by) I pass it on to my team in Nashville. Maybe nothing happens at all- but maybe it does. In my opinion this is at least a good shot. And because many artists turn into producers or own their own record labels (Toby Mac, David Crowder, Nathan Nockels, etc.) the artist's themselves often have a vested interest in discovering new talent as well.

Songwriting

If I were to encourage you to focus on one way to get into the music industry, I would say do whatever you can to become the best song writer you can be. Album sales are not what they were 10 years ago. Ten years ago Christian artist like Rebecca St. James, Stephen Curtis Chapman, Nicole Nordeman... they could sell a million records, no problem. But that is no longer the case. Albums don't sell. Hit songs sell. So album sales are incredibly low and single song downloads are incredibly high. Radio has followed suit by diminishing the amount of new songs they play each year. There are major market stations who will literally only drop ten new songs a year. Thus someone's comment that, "from listening to Christian radio you'd think there are only 6 artists." So if everything revolves around the song... the song has to be your focus. There is no longer room for plain ole' good singers who sing other people's songs. The industry is all about the song... and the heart of what you do as an artist is all about the song. So write the song.

Beth- and other aspiring artists- those are some of the basics.

On a personal note, if you were to ask me how to get started in the Christian music industry... I would give you a maddening answer with no concrete "next step."

I would simply say, fall in love with Jesus. Ask for God's eyes and God's heart for people. Dig into the words of scripture. And then continue to fall in love with Jesus and grow deeper roots into your faith.

There are plenty of singers. Plenty of bands. Plenty of music in this world. What the Christian music industry needs is not another guy or girl or band singing half-hearted, cheesy, quite frankly embarrassing lyrics with no depth about our faith. What our industry needs is excellent, artisitic musicians, with deep lyrics. People with something real to say. Authentic followers of Christ writing music that inspires, challenges, draws others into worship, and brings hope and beauty to the world. We need genuine artists with genuine love for Jesus. Not pop stars.

Fall in love with Jesus. Bloom where you are planted. Write songs and then write some more songs. Play shows. Go viral. Be professional. Make a good demo. Contact people to listen to the demo online. Hand it off to an artist. If you are truly gifted, put yourself in environments where people can hear you (camp electric, talent competitions). Play some more shows. Write some more music... And then keep living life-

you know,

so you have things to actually write about.

I have taken your questions and put them in thematic order. I will answer them over the next 5 weeks. So don't worry- if you asked something- it has not been lost on me. I will answer all the questions to the best of my ability! Thanks to Beth and so many others for putting your questions out there! I hope this series illuminates the in's and out's of our industry and answers some of your burning questions :) 

Everything you EVER wanted to Know

*This is the first in a series of blogs I will be doing throughout the summer to dispel common myths about the Christian music industry as experienced through my eyes*

Artists get a bad rap.

There are the horror stories. "We only eat green m&m's" or "We do not want any volunteers or crew members asking us for autographs" or "We need pink furniture, a green room with shag carpet, twelve lava lamps, and an ample supply of weed" or "We need organic laki-laki root from the base of the Himalayan Mountains brought in by a native, riding a yak, on a plate made from the bones of the cousin of the laki-laki."

I don't know what a Laki-Laki is. I just made it up. But you get my point.

We actually did an interview at XM Sirius Radio in New York city where staff members told us about a huge mainstream, multi-platinum band who recently visited for a live show. Their manager wrote ahead of time to inform the employees at the sprawling high-rise studio that "If anyone made direct eye contact with band members, they would immediately leave," so please, "Instruct employees to look at the ground as they pass band members. No one is to engage in conversation or direct eye contact with any of the artists."

I'm not making that up. And no, I will not tell you what band it was!

It's understandable then, that when the average person hears about an artist's "demands" they cringe and right the artist off as greedy, rich, petty, and way too demanding.

The sad truth is, there is always someone who ruins it for everyone! So yes, some artists- both in the mainstream market and in the Christian market- can be quite difficult to work with.

This acknowledgement aside, I believe the general population has quite a few misconceptions about artists, record labels, radio, contracts, and those little things called "riders" that present our terrible demands!

Over the summer- I'd like to create some space to dis-spell some of those myths based on my own experience within the industry. So, if you have questions, I welcome them! Otherwise, I will dis-spell the common misconceptions that I overhear the average-non industry- person talking about.

Starving Musicians

When we first signed our record deal, five years ago, my dad was completely confused. Being the supportive dad that he is, he wanted to know every single detail. Every person, every contract, every percentage, every rider, every radio station... he wanted to know it all. Who did what, where did money come from, how contracts were formed and how they were enforced. I spent weeks drawing diagrams out on paper explaining the complex web of managers, booking agents, lawyers, publicists, publishers, distribution companies, a&r reps, label reps, radio team reps, radio station programmers, radio station managers, radio d.j.'s, billboard charts, ac format, chr format, producers, album sales, co-writes, and royalties. Well- and a few other things.

We both learned early on why the phrase "starving musician" existed: because there are so many people who get a piece of you! Sometimes it's hard to keep it all straight. But let's just say, that even with a song like Hope Now on the radio, after paying small percentages to the record label, the publisher, the distributor, the managers, and the individual writer of the song... there is very little left over.

With that being said, the industry is tricky and complicated. And both mainstream markets and christian markets are financially suffering right now.

When I say "mainstream" I refer to pop, rock, oldies, country, r&b, classical, and other genres of mainstream music. Christian music is just another genre. Music inspired by faith. There are "Christian" record labels, concerts, radio stations, etc. The industry- artistically- has grown leaps and bounds over the past decade. But financially, it has nearly crashed and burned.

In my five years on a label, I have sold 100,000 records (that's a combination of two different albums).

Taylor Swift's album, Speak Now, sold 1,004,700 million in the first week.

So perhaps the first myth to tackle is the fact that most Christian artists- barring the likes of TobyMac, Jeremy Camp, Natalie Grant, etc. do not make a lot of money. Even the artist's listed do not make millions like mainstream artists do, I am only saying they do not struggle to pay their bills each month- whereas many Christian artist's do. We do not possess the equity that the mainstream market does- nor do we appeal to the "mainstream"- this is most noticeably on display when you compare the number of cd's sold and paychecks earned between the artist's in the two different markets.

We go in with eyes wide open. We have not been duped and in no way feel sorry for ourselves. We work hard, play hard, and love what we have chosen to do with our lives. For me, nothing is better that pouring love and hope into people. Nothing is more fulfilling than writing songs, creating music, and leading people to a place where they can worship or relax or just find peace in the midst of all the chaos. I willingly live in an itty bitty apartment and drive my old clunker to do what I do. I love it. I could do nothing else.

I know many Christian artists. Some of us make more money than others. Some of us squek by. Others live comfortably. Still, others live very comfortably. Some sell a million albums, but most just hope to hit 75,000 these days.

But we all do it because we love it. We feel called to it. No one forces us and for the average Christian artist- though money is sparse- we continue to live this crazy type of life because we can do no other. We love art. We love music. We love God. We love people. And that has all collided into this industry known as "Christian music."

On the Road Again

So how do you "make money"? If you are the writer of a song, you get a small amount of money every time your song is played on the radio. When an album sells on itunes or amazon the money goes to the record label. They function like a bank. They upfront the money for your albums, your radio budget, your producer, etc. But everything a label pays for is "re-coupable" which means you have to pay it all back!!!! So when albums sell, the money goes to the record label. When the record label has been completely paid back, then, any money that comes in is split between the label and the artist. And it's not a 50/50 split! The label has the upper hand- that's just the business of it- they have to make money too.

The label- at least the Christian labels I am familiar with- does not give the artist money to live off of. They simply pay for the album and the promotion of the album.

The artist lives off of concerts. We hit the road over 150 days a year to perform. We count on contracts from promoters and merchandise sales. The more shows you do, the more money you bring in. Conversely, the better your record label does promoting you to radio stations and convincing stations to play your music- the more shows you can book- because the more people know your music and want to see you in concert.

Complicated, huh?

So we count on shows. We rent a bus or a van or jump in an airplane and hope that the money we make covers the cost of travel, food, lodging, AND that we make enough money in merch to pay a small salary to each band member after all of that is said and done.

Imagine then- why a rider is important. It's the artist's way of saying to the promoter- "Hey, we live off of a bus! We have been traveling for over 100 days with our two year old! When we get to your city we really need some grilled chicken instead of another fast food meal or pizza! We really need a nice hotel because we've been sleeping in bunk beds! We really need a green room with privacy because we are a bit exhausted! We really want to give our best on stage and to every person we meet... so help us by making us feel at home. And serve people in the audience by making sure the gear, sound, lights, etc. are adequate, safe, and fully functioning."

While a contract is legal- as Christian artists- it's more than a contract to us... it's an agreement to minister together and for both parties to be integritous and excellent.

This Weekend

Imagine then, how frustrating it was to arrive at a show this weekend where the festival owners told me an hour before the show that the $4500 which they legally agreed to pay us did not exist. Neither did the money exist for any of the other bands.

The volunteers kept saying, "God will provide," and "This is what God planned." They looked at me as if to say, "You're on the radio. You're a Christian with a lot of money. You understand. You can shoulder the blow. You should do the right thing for "God" and take it quietly. The festival owners meant well. And that should be enough for you big time, famous artists with money to spare." One lady even prayed over us that we would be "blessed in other ways" and would "be brought to understand the predicament and trust God to take care of it all."

Problem is, that doesn't pay my bills this morning. And quite honestly, I'm not sure how I will pay them.

The festival said they had a "dream" and they were just doing what "God told them to do" by creating and legally signing numerous contracts, in the $75,000 range, which they never intended to pay, because the money never existed in the first place.

I believe God to be faithful, I have seen his faithfulness in my life over and over. And if you read my blog and know anything about me, you know I am abundant in grace and deeply in love with Jesus. I believe we have a creator who is faithful.

But I would never rely on God's faithfulness at the expense of deceiving people into believing there was funding- when there never was. That's not faith. That is illegal.

Thing is, we paid $4,000 to buy five plane tickets from Nasvhille and Dallas to Northern California. We used some of that to pay very small salaries to the musicians who played- and as I usually do- I didn't take a salary- because I wait until after the show and see what's left over.

The Assumption

So the assumption that artists have money just because they are on the radio is the first misconception I want to tackle.  Some of them do, to be sure, some Christian artists make a really great living- and they use much of their money to bless other people through amazing organizations they have created- like Stephen and Mary Beth Chapman with orphans. Jars of Clay with clean water in Africa. Natalie Grant and safe houses for abused girls. Audio Adrenaline and supporting a particular orphanage. These people do amazing things with the money they earn in the industry.

But the rest of us are just everyday people, balancing bills and trying to make wise financial decisions.

We have heart. We have passion. We have calling. And we make it work- show by show.

To think otherwise makes us bigger than we actually are. Larger than life. Glamorous and other than. And- it hurts us as artists. Because people do what they did to us this weekend and think that it's ok, because, we can take the blow. We're on the radio.

Well, we can't take the blow.

It's a sad testament to the world that one would use the name of "God" to support their misguided dreams and in turn believe the misconception that a band can get back on their feet easily after being cheated out of $4,500.

Misconception # One:

The majority of Christian artists live in modest homes. Drive modest cars. Make a modest income. And rely on the integrity of concert promoters and the contracts that they sign in order to pay our bills.

Being on the radio does not equal being rich.

Do you have questions about how things work in the "industry"?

I'd love to answer your burning questions and maybe help dispel a few myths along the way!