The Four S's of Musical Success: An Introduction

The Songs.

The Singer.

The Sound.

The Shtick.

If you get these four things right, you are likely to find some success in music.

I’ve been playing with this theory for over a year and I hope to outline some of its tenets on this blog over the next few months. They come from my experiences as a semi-professional musician, as an amateur music critic and historian, and a casual-but-interested observer of the North American and European pop music industries.

The theory is aimed at people in music; artists, in particular, but also those who work with artists, such as musicians, producers, managers, label runners, bar owners, bookers, etc. I will try to be as practical as possible in my analysis and with my advice. I’ll try not to let my own tastes and biases interfere with my conclusions, though they will greatly inform the discussion.