Anyone who's ever had serious hopes of being a professional pop musician has heard of South By Southwest. Specifically, they've heard the dictum "You've gotta play South By Southwest." Implied in that statement is the promise that this festival is an essential springboard for a band's career that, upon playing, will rocket the group to the upper echelons of rock n' roll stardom. And of course everyone believes this the first time they play SXSW. They quickly learn, however, that they have been misinformed. We have experienced this disillusionment personally and, while not as life-shattering as one would think, it has certainly reshaped how we view the whole thing.

South By Southwest and its Northeastern counterpart CMJ differ from the "music festival" in the classic sense of the term. Unlike Woodstock or Reading, where already famous artists play for crowds familiar with (or already receptive to) their work, SXSW and CMJ are effectively music industry sample sales, where a horde of unestablished talent competes among itself for the attention of tastemakers journalists, record label employees, radio promoters whom, presumably, are the gatekeepers of fame and fortune. The bands believe that, if they work hard and put on an amazing show, their hard work will be recognized by People Who Matter who, in turn, will discover the Band and Make Things Happen. Consequently, South By Southwest will be the most amazing week of their artistic lives. There are a few myths and one truth to this scenario, outlined below.

THE MYTHS (note: Don't be too bummed by any of this. Remember, there are always exceptions to any rule!):

1. You Will Get Discovered at South By Southwest:
You will no more be discovered at South By Southwest than you will playing in your practice space at home. The likelihood of an A&R rep walking in and signing you on the spot is identical in both circumstances. This is the case for a few reasons, the first being that all of the people interested in signing bands at SXSW go into the festival with a list in hand of the artists who are already hot, and this list is long. If you're not a regular mention on Pitchfork, or aren’t already the toast of Portland, Brooklyn, LA, London, Lisbon, or Chicago, you won't be dropped in on by Jonathan Poneman. He's busy checking out those other acts.

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