… but I’m going to talk {well, write} anyhow.

For nearly a year, I have interviewed a band or musician every week and written an article about them for Ocean City Today. It’s my way of introducing the area to the musicians I’ve had the pleasure of speaking with and listening to. Though I’ll admit I loathe writing articles in general, it really is awesome to learn about these people and what they’ve gone through to become what they are now and what they’re aspiring to be.

For some — the luckier of the bunch — music has become a full-time job. For others, it’s a part-time gig that fills up whatever free time they have outside of the time spent at their “real” jobs. For those people, it involves a lot of late nights, early mornings, little sleep and little pay. But it’s what they love and eventually, they hope it will develop into something more.

For even longer than I’ve been writing Music Makers, I’ve been following {gasp …} “original” music and the artists who make it. Original music is just that — the artists’ own. They wrote it. It’s not yet mainstream. And that’s scary, I suppose, and probably worthy of the ridicule they get from so many, right? If you don’t know it, it’s not cool, right? {insert fun *sarcasm* icon here}

Most of these artists started playing in their bedrooms, living rooms and garages before graduating to college parties and then bars. They’re playing Ocean City stages and even some of the bigger venues in Baltimore, Philly and DC. And someday, they might just “make it,” or whatever you kids are calling it these days.

Everyone has to start somewhere — even Bob Dylan played in a little high school band {Lower Class Citizens started as a garage band} and Johnny Cash occasionally sang on his local radio station {thank you, Live Lixx}. Now, those two and their music are among the best known in the world.

Like I said, I have zero credibility on this matter and my opinion is just one, but I really believe people should rethink what they say about local music. Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but when speaking such results in insulting others for doing what they love, then it’s become something more.

You don’t have to like the musicians, or their music for that matter, but at least respect what they do. Everyone deserves respect for believing in something and working hard to get there.