Getting Paid

Well it was bound to happen eventually. I’ve been playing music now for 25 years and just last week I received my first royalty check. Yeah that’s it up there in the corner, a brand new check made out to me for $15.68 for the 730 plays of the song I wrote called Christmas Heart and Soul. Since Sweetie sings lead on this one she’s been bugging me for her half, but so far I’ve just told her that the record company needs to recoup it’s costs and as soon as it does we’ll split it 50-50.

PlayNetwork, for those of you who don’t know, is a company that puts music into stores to better your shopping experience. It’s called foreground music as opposed to background music I guess. They are the company behind the music you hear at Starbucks, Eddie Bauer and Old Navy, just to name a few. I’m fortunate enough to know someone who works there and he’s been a big supporter of my music, both with Sweetie and with The Prairie Dogs and though I have yet to go into a store and hear anything I’ve written, there is rumor that a song or two from Brand New Heart might be making it’s way across the great outlet shopping expanse formerly known as the good ol’ U. S. of A.

So far this foray into becoming a professional musician has gone smoothly. I’ve decided to go against the whole “bling bling” approach to celebritydom. Sure I could put it all into a swimming pool behind the single wide or get a new set of rims for the 402, but in the end I’ve got a feeling it would just leave me feeling used up and hollow. Besides, fame is a fickle mistress, one who’d just as soon leave you after the last drop of living gets sucked right out of your veins.

So I’m holding on to the job at the mill for now. Sure I’m ready to take over the world…but it’s good to keep oneself grounded at least in the short term. In the mean time if you speak Dutch you can go read another nice review of The Prairie Dogs CD Brand New Heartat www.altcountry.nl. Peer, who wrote the review said he’d send me a brief translation and if he does I’ll put it up.

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