Awareness of Snakes: More Advice for Fellow Singer-Songwriters

By Scott Coner
Country Artist

(Note from Scott: I recently released the new video "Nashville Song" to share the highs and lows of trying to make it in the music industry.)

            When I was a little boy, I used to walk the fence line with my grandpa. I had my small, steel pail with some staples and a hammer. I felt pretty important tightening the fence with him. We didn't always have a post where we needed one, so sometimes we would just grab the nearest tree. It probably wasn't like the fancy fences you might find around Lexington, Ky., but I was always proud of our work. Grandpa warned me often about walking over old tree stumps and logs carelessly. "Boy, walk around those old logs or your liable to find a copperhead," he would say.

            I have been told all my life that if you're out in the woods and smell cucumbers, you might be standing close to a copperhead snake. Those words proved true one night when a smiling music industry executive ordered extra cucumbers on his dinner salad while discussing my musical future. I should have heeded Grandpa's advice after I paid the check.

            The worst I ever came across was a black snake back in my boyhood days. I accidentally found the copperheads years later. I can only blame myself I suppose, and harboring resentment and anger only wastes my time. I have always been a hard worker and have been dedicated to whatever I put my mind to, so I assumed foolishly that everyone else was like-minded. Heck, it only made sense that people that were blessed enough to actually make a nice living in the music business would be dedicated to their craft. I am such a hayseed.

A picture my grandfather (Grandpa Coner) hoeing a field on his Kentucky farm.

            So, here is part of a hard lesson that I have learned: If you are talking to some big-time Nashville mover and shaker, be aware. They will talk in circles, usually being non-committal. I think the commonality of all of these people is that they haven't actually accomplished anything noteworthy in their entire career. They may have some gold albums hanging around their offices or even some gold cassettes, but they weren't actually involved with the project itself. They also have a fetish for nice foreign cars that they drive around town using other peoples' money. In the end, they accomplish nothing for the artist, and it may even offend them if you ask what they have been doing.

            I have had the pleasure of dealing with several of these reptiles in Nashville, one in Europe, and a few in other states. They all slither away in their BMW or Mercedes (possibly with a purple "Co-Exist" bumper sticker) as they begin to detect that they are about to be exposed, and head for the shadows. My "redneck" response would be to beat them until they can't stand up, but apparently this is frowned upon in the musical community. So, in the end, I find a way to turn the other cheek and try to get back on a reasonable path.

            I believe it is important to learn from life’s lessons, but I think it is just as important to appreciate the people that have been good and kind along the way. Throughout my “journey”, I have met countless people that have truly made all of this worth it. I have met great players, talented writers, as well as some talented engineers and producers, and one very cool publicist (my current one!). It is always good to talk with like-minded people, because if you aren’t in Nashville, people just won’t understand your passion for the industry and the music.

            As Christians, we are told to pray for discernment. We are also told to be honest and forgiving. I am honest, and I am forgiving. But, I must not be living right because this whole discernment thing seems to be completely unplugged when it comes to me. I'll just keep forging ahead though, because I love music more than I hate the business of music.

            My advice? If you smell cucumbers, either run or get a sharp shovel. And if they have one of those purple bumper stickers... Well, I'll just keep that to myself. 

(To learn more about hit country artist Scott Coner, visit www.ScottConer.com.)