Finding her own way

[john]

Great discussion here. Here is my long post.

I remain very optimistic for Haley. While her career didn’t just take off instantly, she hasn’t had to get a job waiting tables to pay the rent. She has met artists she has admired all her life, performed with established artists, traveled to Asia and Europe, and so forth. She has worked with a variety of songwriters who have had songs do well. Great life experience and lots of fun and excitement. In some ways, she has been “paying her dues” but overall she has not had to pay the heavy tolls demanded of many struggling artists.

What has Haley accomplished?
-Significant exposure on AI with a memorable underdog story to go with it.
-A go round on making of a CD cycle, and the release of a CD she can be proud of (and she may sell more copies of that in the future than she has to this point).
-Connections of all sorts in the music industry and she has gained lots of respect and goodwill.
-A contract with Ole’ and the use of her songs in various media outlets including television programs, movies, and sports shows. She has a writing related revenue stream.
-She gained the respect of an established jazz musician and leader in the New Orleans music community through what was a “cold call” audition of sorts, wholly unrelated to the exposure she got on AI. That’s impressive and another connection.
(There are lots more to fill in, but I’m going move on.)

I’ve listened to the Stuck in London video that Casey put together numerous times and it always sets me thinking about Haley and Casey and their respective careers. The backup singers that performed on the video are their peers, and many probably fall in the struggling artist category. I’d guess that relative to most of these people, Haley and Casey have had a much easier and more successful go of it over the past couple years.

One reason that I’m optimistic for Haley – aside from her talent – is that there are a number of cards she hasn’t played yet. One, of course, is touring smallish venues. At this point in her career, I see this largely as a way for her to polish her performance skills. But smaller venues can lead to larger venues…. The BG Days show gave us a taste of what Haley can do with a live band.

Another card; video and other new media, could involve Casey or someone else. And perhaps she is making a play with it as she proceeds with her funky-ass project. But Casey is also a potentially great resource for her in various ways. In the notes for his SIL video, Casey credits himself as the director, editor, arranger, and main vocalist. He has many talented friends and he has many videos that he has made and posted on YT. I think he will do a lot of producing in his career and he will become very good at it. Haley could benefit from her relationship with Casey in different ways and I think they have just touched the surface of potential that is there.

From the perspective of a fan looking in on Haley’s life it is easy to feel that not much is happening. But Haley is living her life, and she stays busy and devoted. And after all, even the Beatles had to put in their 10,000 hours, playing in Hamburg and elsewhere before making it big.