The Musician Who Made Me Cry (And Got Every Opportunity After That)

I was listening to song submissions in my office when a song came on that made me stop everything I was doing and just listen. By the end of the track, I had tears in my eyes.

Not because it was technically perfect. Not because it had amazing production. But because it was the most emotionally honest piece of music I'd heard in years. And that musician has gotten every opportunity I've had to offer since.

After decades in the music licensing world, I've heard thousands of technically perfect songs that left me completely unmoved. But every once in a while, a track comes along that cuts through all the noise and hits you right in the heart.

In this story, I reveal why emotional honesty beats technical perfection every time, how vulnerability creates irreplaceable music in a world of manufactured emotion, why authentic musicians make better collaborators on high-pressure projects, how one emotionally honest track opened every door for this artist, what the music industry is really hungry for beneath all the polish, and why your willingness to be vulnerable might be your greatest competitive advantage.

This particular musician understood something that most artists miss: in a world full of perfect production and flawless performances, what's rare isn't technical skill. What's rare is the courage to be vulnerable, authentic, and emotionally honest.

Stop trying to sound perfect. Start trying to sound true.