A songwriter whose songs and performance I really admire commented recently that I had some good gigs coming up. That led us to share notes about the psychology of the music business. We agreed that we love writing songs, and playing them in good gigs for listening audiences. But we really hate the process of approaching venues for possible bookings, and beating the bushes to turn people out to the shows that we do book. I waver between periods of time when I’m conscientious about doing all the things I’m supposed to be doing to try to make a career in music, and times when I wonder what the point is and have a hard time getting myself to even the most basic things to get my music out there and heard. And I mentioned that the thing that usually pulls me out of my “why am I trying to do this?” funk is getting unexpected, and good, music opportunities. I’ve had a week of getting word of those kinds of “out of the blue” music opportunities, some of which I’ve already put on my schedule and others you’ll be hearing about soon. Somehow they came at the right time – I’ve been in one of those periods of existential doubt, and gives me the inspiration to keep pushing forward. I wish I didn’t need that external validation, and could be sufficiently intrinsically motivated to keep plugging ahead without others telling me I’m good enough. I’m not sure it’s all bad, though. Other people need to like my music for it to be more than a vanity project. I can sit in my basement and write songs but unless people like them (and the way I play them) enough to want to hear them or book me to play for others, the music business is never going to be anything but a struggle. Well, okay, the music business will always be a struggle in the folk world (and not just for me) and the business is probably no one’s favorite part of music. But the good opportunities that appear seemingly out of nowhere will balance off the pounding the pavement required to reach new people and places. And will tell me that I’m doing something sufficiently right that people want to give me opportunities to continue doing it.