Twelve years ago Al Jarreau released his “comeback” album after a recording hiatus while he moved from Warner Brothers to Verve/GRP. In media circles it was a big deal. He traveled the country visiting radio stations, performing, signing autographs and doing print, radio, and television interviews. At the time I had a highly rated jazz brunch show on an adult contemporary station in a pretty big market. He was coming to town to headline the big jazz festival. I asked for an interview. No can do. Brunch shows were small players. We didn't rank in terms of industry politics. We did not report to the trade publication that created the industry's most influential chart, we were not a major market smooth jazz radio station so even if we had lots of listeners and the artists were coming to town we got no love from the industry at large. This year Jarreau debuted his new album on smoothjazz.com, an independent internet radio station that is very successful now but was built from the ground up. They launched around the time the  “no reporter-no interview” incident happened to me. Back then the words “internet radio station” inspired nothing but head shaking and eye rolling.

As independent media we have come a long way. We are making the rules as we go and all of us, media, musicians, managers, concert promoters, record companies, and listeners are feeling our way into a business model that has no precedent when it comes to learning how to navigate it. For years there were standards of legitimacy that were dictated by outsiders. Now, without trade publications to pre-screen us or ratings and circulation statistics to track our impact we are left to our own resources when it comes to proving that the work we do is important. And there are so many of us. It's all very overwhelming.

There used to be a few key radio stations, big name print publications, and influential record companies. The process for getting the word out on a new release was pretty simple, as the story above illustrates. The big record company promoted the music to the big radio stations. When the big stations and big name programmers endorsed it the rest of the radio community would embrace it too so it wasn't necessary to “waste” attention on them. Same with print. A local magazine might get a break if an artist was coming to town but for the most part the effort was focused on the publications you saw on the rack at Borders or Barnes and Noble. The common theme was a criteria for legitimacy. It was clear cut whether you did or didn't meet it.

Enter the internet, which expanded its' scope as corporate radio stations abandoned the music, print publications folded due to loss of ad revenue and readers, and record labels folded or jettisoned their “niche” artists. Now anyone can have a blog, start a website, or launch an internet radio station. It takes time and money but you don't have to have an impressive resume or big name backers. Now instead of a few big players there are hundreds of us with more jumping on board every day. Instead of a radio station with a few million listeners there are hundreds of internet stations with small cadres of hardcore fans. If you are a musician looking at trying to promote your newest release the process has got to be overwhelming. You have to show up in so many smaller spaces just to get noticed. How do you choose? How do you face the accusations of favoritism or the perception of being shunned by those you can't reach out to because there just isn't enough time in the day. I see Facebook posts and Twitter tweets all the time from bloggers, photograhpers, and indie journalists who could not get credentials for events they wanted to cover and internet stations that can't get service from record labels. There are so many internet radio stations that a label would go broke if they tried to service them all and so many writers that it would take a publicist months to track them down.

Those of us who were a part of “legitimate” media at some point want it to be as easy as it was then. The ones who were not want it to be that easy too. The fact is that the new business model requires new ways to work that just aren't that easy. Sometimes we will get the media credentials, free CDs, backstage passes and other perks that are resources. Other times we won't. This is when you get creative with how you are going to work. If you have to cover an event from the back of the venue you just cover it from a different perspective. If you can't budget every CD you need for review or airplay you find other ways to preview them then buy the tracks you need.  Look at it this way. You get to make your passion happen without outside validation. You don't have to be hired. You hire yourself. 

From that point the quality of work and commitment to it are what will bring “legitimacy,” whatever that means these days. Some people will be extremely supportive. Others will not because the business model has changed a lot faster than the ability to adapt to it. Plus, there is only so much time in the day and artists have to create and perform as well as promote. The important thing is sticking with it because if each of us gets the word out to a few passionate fans that has more impact than a radio station playing in the background in an office while nobody notices it. As we create new ways to cover and promote the music we love there are going to be hurt feelings and times when we feel snubbed. It's easier to say than to do but you have to regain your focus, do the work and let it speak for itself. Focus on the audience and not the industry. When you drive a long way in bad weather and get stopped at the door or have an interview no-show two days before deadline this is a hard thing to do. Try to think about the fact that being independent allows you to bring individuality, personality, and quirkiness to your work that would sliced by blue pencils or left on the floor in more “legitimate” venues. That should make you feel better.

To the musicians, managers, and concert promoters all I can ask is that you do understand the importance of independent media. When something is not possible, at least let the person know the reasons. Time, budget, logistics. We have to be understanding but you have to understand that even without the big paycheck of flashy resume we are doing a job. A sports talk host I know put it best when media were blocked from covering a college football teams practice sessions – we are the conduit between the team and the fans. We cover the team so the fans can keep up with what is going on. That's how it is with music media, both big and small.

Someone once told me “do the work, ignore the side shows.” We are redefining the meaning of “professionalism” here. Let's do it with inventiveness, grace, quirkiness, and commitment.