The Glass Ceiling

It seems a pity that, after working hard and getting better and better, you discover that nobody (agents, managers, A&R men, producers etc.) seems to be looking for QUALITY in either strict music or in entertainment in general as they tended to do in the 60s, when many A&R people were ex-performers themselves and understood quality better.

We tend now to have people like the dreaded Simon Cowell and lesser known equivalents doing the choosing. Who precisely HAS Simon Cowell discovered of any importance, by the way!? 

No. They are just looking for NEW and YOUNG 90% of the time, because they believe that 18yo fans only want to listen to other 18yo performers. It's not true now and never was, but those A&R people believe this tenet like the Gospel.

OK. On sites like this, there are many oppotunities for beginners  to be in choruses, cruises etc.

What there doesn't seem to be is anywhere where experienced pros. who perhaps have never had that chance of a big break can move their career up a notch and get TV or other high-level work. 100 years ago, you worked your way up the bill. Now, you seem to have to be discovered early and launched skywards or you get stuck under that glass ceiling forever.

Any comment and, more importantly, SOLUTIONS to this problem, gratefully accepted.

Come on agents, managers, prodycers and A&R men...where are you? 

Send to a friend | Digg this! | Del.icio.us | Added by: Earl Okin (22/06/2008)