One of the problems of technology. Anyone thinks they can do music now. OK not anyone. But, you don't know how many peple come up to me and want to know if they can trade CDs with me. They think that they are on equal with me because they've put out a CD too. Granted, they can't tune a guitar, they can't stay in time, and they recorded their CD using Sound recorder in their basement, but by gosh they have a CD, and they feel their product is worthy of a trade with mine. It's a little hard to tell them "I don't want to trade, you are terrible."

What's even worse is people who have spent a lot of money doing a product (even went to Nashville to record) and the studio got them in and out as quick as possible with cookie cutter arrangements that are so pro they're stale. The musicians come in, read the charts, record the album, get paid, and never put so much as an ounce of passion in the singer's project. Then it's really hard to let them know they'll never get there, after all, they know they've just recorded in Nashville!

But, if they actually bother asking me what I think, I give them as honest an opinion as I can. Things like, "you've got some good ideas here, but the song-writing structure need s a little work in these areas." or "I wish your producer had spent a little more time on your vocals. There are some issues in the harmonies in the chorus that should have been fixed." or if it's really really terrible, I pass them along to someone else in our company, LOL.