Life experience has taught me that the closer I get to "people in the know" – the movers and shakers, industry insiders (regardless of the industry), people "in the biz," - the more disillusioned I become.  And heaven help me if I actually become one of those people.  This is when you get a good close look at a group's underbelly, when you find out some of the dirty little secrets.  This is when you find out that every group, organization, business, and industry has its own nasty politics.

This happened to me at more than one church.  It happened to me when I decided to become more active in governmental politics.  I've been to conventions and local meetings.  It's not pretty.  I still go to church, but I work really hard to keep the church organization at arm's length.  I still vote, but I try really hard to avoid the political machine, but it would be easy to become seriously skeptical if I let myself.

Around six years ago, I got a foot in the door of the music industry by designing websites for artists.  Three years ago, along with six other partners-in-crime, I put a website together called SmoothViews.com.  Over these last three years, I've learned a lot more than I really wanted to know about the music biz.   There is a lot of doom-and-gloom out there, and we've talked about a good bit of it right here on the Perspectives page.  It would be easy to become skeptical about the future of the music biz.  But then comes along Carol Ann.

Carol Ann is five years old – her mom and dad are friends of mine.  Carol started playing the piano two years ago.  She learned to read music before she learned to read words.  Her grandfather gave her a guitar for Christmas this past year, and although she doesn't know how to play it, she spends a lot of time sitting on the porch swing strumming and singing.  This past weekend, Mom and Dad asked if I would teach her how to play it.  At first, I said no.  I'm not a teacher.  I'm the typical self-taught guitarist who can put all the music theory I know on one side of a 3x5 card (in large print).  But then I thought, you know, I certainly know enough to get Carol Ann started, and how could I not want to be involved with this child's early musical journey?!  She singlehandedly removes all the skepticism I have about the music industry.

I believe we are connected to everything in the universe by music in ways that we cannot begin to comprehend.  I have this belief that music is the language we all spoke before we were born, and it will be the language we speak after we die.  Carol Ann hasn't forgotten how to speak it yet, and I want to make sure she never does!  Carol Ann is the future of music.  And as long as there are five-year-olds (or 10- or 13-year-olds) who are that hungry to learn, we don't really have all that much to worry about.

The next time you are suffering from extreme skepticism about the music industry, find a Carol Ann and walk alongside her on her musical journey.  You might both learn a lot from each other!

-Elizabeth Ware