The first thing I told my students in The Entrepreneurial Musician class at Shenandoah Conservatory this semester is “In today’s music business, if you’re invisible, you’re dead.”

A little dramatic but an important point!

Ron Davis warned about being fungible in TEM19 and I have quoted him about 900 times on the podcast since that interview in 2015!

Ric Ocasek, who just passed away yesterday, was someone who sure didn’t fit in. His songwriting career was remarkable. His performing career was remarkable. His producing career was remarkable. His look was unmistakable. He was not fungible.

And for sure he wasn’t for everyone. But the people he was for gobbled up all of the art he produced and told the people within their corner of the world all about it. That’s what great artists inspire.

So thanks for the reminder, Ric. Fitting in is for the timid. Being yourself is not only marketable, it’s also how to lead a successful and fulfilling life as an artist. #RIP