What a whirlwind! We've been doing this for seven years. That means that if you had a baby the month we rolled out our first edition you now have a kid in school. If you bought a computer or a cell phone back then all the new glitzy features are now antiquated. We were getting glimpses of change at the speed of light, but could anything have prepared us for everything that has happened since then? Within our own little realm, the music business, specifically the “smooth jazz” side of the business, we have done a 180 degree spin. Some who cling to the old ways would say it has been a 180 degree tailspin, but in reality, it has been a spin away from one closed door toward a universe of doors waiting to be opened. Some of these doors will just need a touch and a turn; others will need a crowbar and a sledge hammer. All of them will bring new fans to the music, broaden its horizons, and revitalize the artists who play it.

Let's look at 2004. If you wanted to hear music you turned on the radio. There were not really a lot of radio stations playing this music, but there were about 30 high-profile stations in larger markets that were extremely influential. There was a fair amount of smaller stations too, although they mostly just copied the big ones. You could still walk into a Borders or Virgin Megastore and be surrounded by CDs. As a matter of fact, you could still walk into a lot of stores and buy a CD that was not by a high profile pop artist. If you wanted to discover music or learn more about it you picked up a magazine and read the articles and reviews. The computer was for reading emails, surfing the web, and writing business proposals or grocery lists. There were a few online music magazines but most of them were tied into print publications and just offered additional content or more in depth coverage. Musicians had websites but many of them were not maintained or updated often because the record companies still promoted the music. For the most part, artists still felt like they had to create a certain distance between themselves and the fans in order to maintain some type of mystique, so they didn't post, update, or spend a lot of time at the signing table if there was one at all.  Concerts were promoted by large corporate entities that herded the crowd into the biggest venue possible and basically treated them like cattle or walking wallets.

A lot of the things that have happened since then freaked people out, but by the time they happened their significance was pretty much nil anyway. We lost the radio stations, but in reality the majority of them had abandoned contemporary instrumental music anyway and what they were playing – covers and nondescript background music – was hurting the image of the music and the credibility of the musicians who played it.

Big record companies backed out of the genre, but this opened the door for some smaller labels that are operated by people who really care about the music to step into the spotlight. It also opened the door, sometimes forcefully, for artists to start their own labels and record without pressure to tailor their sound to a “format” as well as being involved with promoting and marketing their music, which has put them in more direct contact with their audience. The concert business shifted toward small independent promoters who stage concerts in more intimate venues where you are treated well and can actually see and hear.  As for CD's, if you want them they are still out there, you just have to buy them online or at a live gig. The good news is that you can preview the songs before you purchase, and the better news is that since artists don't have to be totally “smooth and relaxing and familiar” there are more and more new releases that are strong all the way through, not just for the first few songs. There are more ways to discover music too with services like Pandora and Spotify giving you a chance to hear whole songs, dig deep into artists' catalogs and share discoveries with your friends or with the world. 

Several big and wonderful changes have occurred. We have moved from being a hierarchical exclusive community to being open and inclusive. A small clique does not control the game anymore and the quality of your work and your commitment and passion matter more than a resume full of big names. Many of the people who were big names in the biz are now helping others get their ventures off the ground too. Music marketing has become a grassroots phenomenon again. A person can discover a song, spread the word and create a lot of momentum. As I write this Deodato and Al Jarreau's “Double Face” is at the top of the airplay charts. It started out as a European release that did not have a big promotional budget, but people started talking about it, internet radio picked it up, then some of the more adventurous traditional stations started playing it. We can do that now and we will be doing it more and more often. The big change is that everything you need is right in front of your face. It's in your computer and your wireless device. You can read about music, find out about concerts and get tickets, listen to it, share your thoughts and even start your own website, blog, or internet radio station. It will be fun, it will bring you a lot of joy, because that's what music does, but it will be work and require a commitment to move through the curveballs that life throws at you and keep your eyes, ears and hearts focused on the music. It will help if you surround yourself with a creative, flexible and diverse group of people with multiple perspectives. That's what the group that started this website in November 2004 has done and the changes we have been through personally and professionally have been as crazy as the ones that the industry has been through. We are still here. So is the music. We thank you for your support. The music is getting better all the time and everything any of us can do to get the word out is going to help this genre come back stronger than ever.