If you listen to the original recordings of rock stars like Sly Stone, Janis Joplin and Lou Reed, you’ll hear that they started out doing their best to sound exactly like everyone else. That’s what the system seems to reward. That’s what gets you a producer and a demo and apparently, a shot at stardom. Except it almost never works. The big step between musician and rock star is the decision to sound like yourself instead of seeking to sound like everyone else.
