Experienced Veteran Equipped with Arrogance

Obstacles with breaking into the music industry are without number. A no-brainer thought to come across I'm sure, but discouraging none the less.

First, I know I'm an amateur. Truly and completely. I have never written a song. I have never played a gig. What I know is that I do have an untrained voice with talent and potential. As soon as I learn how to breathe without going hoarse in as little as three songs, my voice will be stage ready. What I also know is that despite an entire lack of experience, I have a decent stage presence. My nervousness is waning. I don't get up there and recite a song, standing still, emotionless, with a mic in my face like I'm giving an oral presentation on complex math equations. I let the music move my body, even throw it, as I give it all I have. Full pipes and full emotion. I don't care if its karaoke or a jam night in a shitty bar. I want the people there to stop their conversations, stop sipping their drinks and notice me if even for only a few seconds. I know I can do this because I've seen it before. It has been relayed to me by friends who are there watching. Best of all, strangers tell me. Not many, but enough to know I'm not crazy. One guy I met at the bar has played gigs before and he was very surprised to learn that I have not done so myself.

Second, I don't have a budget to get even simple things that will make low-budget home recordings a reality. I'm in debt right now. I cannot justify buying a condenser mic ($180), an audio interface ($300-$500 depending on quality of sound) and software to work with my machine (don't even ask how much). Instead, to record ideas that I have, I'm perusing ebay to find a Griffin iTalk - a recording attachment that will work with my 3rd Gen iPod. No luck on winning a reasonable bid yet. The two guitars I want to buy are still borrowed. Their combined cost is $375 and the classic guitar (one of the two) has been in my possession with the intention of buying it for nearly a year now. To top it off, until I get up to speed with the website education I'm working on, I cannot afford enough time in the week to practice with these toys and make any real progress.

Third, I know I have no idea how to manage a band, lead a band or even get a decent band to notice me. At work, there is a guy who works next to me who is a guitarist and has been for twenty years and counting. He plays and leads his bands and has been doing that for years as well. I try to pick his brain to get good ideas on how to solve the obstacles above and all I really get are answers that clearly tell me that I'm nothing but a joke to him. *gives finger* Granted, he is not the font of knowledge on the subject of music, but all I want is some pointers without being made to feel like I don't know what I'm doing. I'm already there, you can take your boot off of my face now. To make his arrogance worse, if he's that good and that above me, then why does he need to work in a shipping department to make ends meet? I shouldn't care, but it kinda hurts all the same. Lastly, there is no way I'm giving up because of a guy like him. I'm just bummed out by it is all.

Someday, I will sing for a band that plays originals that I like and helped write. I will tour and play shows in public. I will record an album. It is my wildest dream.