As a member of CAMEO, will I be booked to perform at CAMEO Showcase events?

If you are a qualified artist member of CAMEO, you will have the opportunity, on a case by case basis as fits the event, to perform at CAMEO Showcase events. If you are a country artist, you will likely not be considered for a rock show. Also, we cannot possibly include every artist member of CAMEO in every show. As much as possible, we give equal opportunity to everyone who is qualified. If you are not in one show, you may be in the next one.

 

Who decides whether I am a "qualified artist member" of CAMEO?

As the Artistic Director of CAMEO, in consultation with others whose judgment I trust, I do. It is my duty and privilege to decide which artists will combine to create the best possible events that we can put together. I take this responsibility very seriously because I know how important it is to the future of our organization and to all of our artist members.

At all CAMEO Showcase events, we must maintain the standards of artistic excellence that we have worked so hard to establish over the years. Otherwise, we will get tagged as an organization that showcases second rate talent. If that happens, we will never be able to gain or maintain genuine credibility with our audiences or in the music industry at large.

 

What qualifies you to decide whether I am qualified?

It's a fair enough question though, after 20 years as a professional singer/guitarist/entertainer and almost six years as the President and Artistic Director of CAMEO, I'm still occasionally surprised when I have to answer it. Most often, this question comes from someone who is disgruntled because they or an artist that they support were not deemed qualified to perform at a CAMEO Showcase event. Generally speaking, it's not asked to my face -- but I have "heard it through the grapevine" often enough that I'll answer it once more here.

Judging music and musical talent is a very subjective thing. Other than something obvious like a singer who regularly goes off key -- and, even in those cases, it's not always so obvious to the person who is doing it -- there is no scientific measure to which I can point to justify my decisions. The quality of the artist members that CAMEO has showcased over the years should say something about my musical judgment and the judgment of others that I may consult along the way. The decisions that I make are always based on considerations such as what is best for the show and what will best help CAMEO to maintain an image as an organization that promotes truly talented artists.

Am I always "right" in my judgments? Probably not -- depending, I suppose, on who you ask. Do I ever make a mistake in that department? Yes. Over the years, I've made a few but -- in my opinion, at least -- very few. The odd "lemon" has managed to slip in here and there. I doubt that any event organizer could claim a perfect record in this area.

Although I prefer to know all of the acts on a firsthand basis before I book them to perform at a CAMEO event, sometimes I have taken the word of someone else and been disappointed. Some acts are great at making terrific demo recordings and slick promo packages but less adept at delivering the goods in a live performance. At other times, some of our less experienced artists have made poor song selections or other mistakes that prevented their performances from being what they should have been. Mistakes happen. Hopefully, we all learn from our mistakes and make less as we go on. In any case, I can say with confidence that sub-par performances are a very rare thing at CAMEO Showcase events and that, most often, newcomers to these events are amazed at the level of talent that we are proud to present on a regular basis.

 

But isn't CAMEO a community organization? Shouldn't everyone get a chance?

Yes, CAMEO is a community organization. Among the purposes listed in our mission statement is to promote the development of a community of musicians and music lovers. Though presumably all musicians are music lovers, all music lovers are not musicians. The dividing line isn't always clear cut but members of CAMEO tend to fall into one of these two groups and to assume different roles in their interaction and association within our organization. In a sense, everyone does get a chance because we are always willing to give people the opportunity to prove their qualifications to us.

Sometimes people get involved in CAMEO because they hope to perform at our showcase events and are disappointed and even resentful when they are not invited to do that. The only thing I can suggest to those people is this: if you are not qualified to perform at CAMEO Showcase events but still wish to be involved with us, there are plenty of other constructive and rewarding ways that you can be involved -- especially as a volunteer in various areas.

If that's not good enough for anyone, there's not much we can do about it. Perhaps they will have better luck with another organization in that respect. Having said that, I have yet to see anyone who was "rejected" by CAMEO move on to achieve any notable success with any other credible organization. Instead of blaming and badmouthing us -- as happens all too often -- because we can't give them what they want, a lot of people would be better off to take a good hard look in the mirror. In other words ... "don't get mad ... get better!"

If you are an aspiring vocalist or musician, take some professional lessons and work hard at developing your skills. Don't take a lesson or two and think you have "graduated". Don't assume that you are a professional calibre singer because you get a big hand at a karaoke night. Don't forget -- so did William Hung. Being a professional musician is hard work despite all appearances to the contrary. If you want it bad enough, you will pay the price.

 

How can you exclude people from performing at CAMEO Showcase events because you don't think they're good enough? As the saying goes, "wouldn't the forest be awfully quiet if only the best birds were allowed to sing?"

We have no mandate to showcase untalented performers nor have we ever promised to do so. One of our primary purposes is to discover and help develop emerging artists in music of all ages. The term "artist" implies a degree of artistic talent and accomplishment. Do we call anyone who picks up a paintbrush an "artist"? Certainly not, any more than we would call anyone who has ever kicked a ball around an "athlete".

Within CAMEO there are members at every level in terms of their musical talent and performance skills. Some are veteran professional performers, others are amateur singers, musicians, songwriters, etc. Some, to put it bluntly perhaps, couldn't carry a tune in a bucket or play an instrument to save their lives and never will be able to.

How can we be expected to showcase people who are not truly talented or who have not sufficiently developed their natural talent or their performance skills? To do so would be letting down the music lovers who come to our showcase events expecting good music and capable performers. How can we build and maintain a devoted audience for our showcase events and for the artist members that we seek to promote and help develop if we do not set and maintain high standards in this respect? Furthermore, unless we stick to that principle, how will we ever gain the credibility and respect in the music industry that we need to help make the kind of connections that our artists need?

Not everyone who wants to be a professional music artist actually has the talent to be one --- just as not everyone who wants to play in the NHL is a good enough hockey player to do so. Of those who do have the natural talent, only a small percentage are willing to do the hard work that it takes to fully develop that talent.

I don't mind telling anyone who cares to hear it that dealing with this issue has been one of the most difficult things that I have experienced in my six years as the president of CAMEO. I'm not a heartless person. I don't enjoy rejecting people. I do it -- often with considerable personal discomfort -- because it is my job and because unless I do, CAMEO will never grow. If we showcase and promote people who are not ready for it or worthy of it, both our audiences and the music industry will lose all faith in us and we will not be of any use to anyone. I don't enjoy being disliked but it seems to go with the territory. It's a price that often must be paid by anyone who hopes to create anything of excellence and lasting value -- and that, above all, is my vision for CAMEO. I hope it is yours too.

 

What do you look for when deciding whether an act is qualified to perform at a CAMEO showcase?

First of all, their musical talents have to be up to snuff. They have to sing on key. They have to play the right notes.

They have to be comfortable on stage and have some kind of stage presence. I have to feel confident that they can handle the pressure of performing in front of a crowd and won't fall apart or get so nervous that their voices start to quaver and crack and things like that. A CAMEO Showcase isn't the place to practise. Do that before you get to the show.

Another thing that is important to us is that our acts take some care to present a good image on stage. If you show up for a performance at CAMEO dressed like a slob, don't be surprised if you drop to the bottom of the list -- or right off the list -- when we are considering performers for our Showcase events.

It's not only your own reputation that is at stake when you perform at a CAMEO Showcase event; it's also the reputation of CAMEO and, by association, all the artists that we represent.

 

Why is image important? If I make good music, why does it matter how I look or how I dress?

Ask the music industry. Ask the record buying, concert going public. We are in show business. People do care about how you look on stage and on screen.  In the age of music videos, this is perhaps more true today than ever before. When you go to a concert, do you just listen with eyes closed or do you also watch? People want to be entertained visually as well as aurally. We like to look at things -- and people -- that are appealing to the eye. It's just a fact of human nature. When you are buying a car or a house, all other things being equal, do you buy the ugliest car or house that you can afford or the most attractive one? When you shell out your hard earned money to attend a concert, do you want to see a performer who presents an attractive image to you or one who doesn't care what you see?

Like it or not, right or wrong, your image as an entertainer is often almost as important as your musical talent. Imagine two talented female vocalists approaching a high level music agent or manager. They both sing well. One looks like Shania Twain and dresses like a million bucks. The other is plain or grossly overweight and makes little effort to dress in a manner that minimizes the weaknesses and maximizes the strengths of her image. Who do you think is going to get the call? Now, should it be that way? Well, that is debatable -- but the reality is: it is that way.

Does that mean you can't succeed in music unless you look like a model? Not necessarily. There are people who do achieve significant success despite the lack of a glamorous image. These people generally are so strong in other areas that they are able to overcome this apparent weakness. Perhaps they have a voice that is exceptional or totally unique. Perhaps their original songs are particularly compelling or their onstage presence is exceptionally engaging or exciting. In any case, people like this are the exception to the rule and, generally speaking, it is hard to deny that an attractive image is a huge asset to any performer in this business. As an artist trying to succeed in a highly competitive industry, you need to give yourself every edge and every advantage that you possibly can.

The same principles apply to CAMEO as an organization. We need to present a show that is visually appealing as well as musically impeccable if we hope to compete in a challenging and competitive entertainment market. Also, while doing our best to look after all of our artist members, at times we do need to concentrate our limited resources on those who show the greatest potential to succeed, ie, those who do strive to give themselves every possible edge in terms of all the factors that are important to success in this industry. If an artist is unable or unwilling to grasp this concept, how can they expect us to go the extra mile to help them succeed? How can we -- and why should we -- help those who refuse to help themselves?

Also, I personally consider that it shows both disrespect to CAMEO and a lack of professionalism when an artist shows up to perform at one of our events dressed like a slob. I doubt that I'm the only artistic director around who feels this way.

 

Other than a lack of talent, no stage presence or a lousy image, are there any other factors that won't help my chances of performing at CAMEO?

Yes. Here are a few ways that some talented artists have effectively removed themselves from our list of performers:

• showing up for performances drunk or otherwise intoxicated to the point that their performance or onstage demeanor are adversely affected. That may be acceptable in some venues but it is not the image that CAMEO wants to present. It shows a lack of professionalism and also disrespect for our organization and the audiences who attend our shows.

• being rude or crude or otherwise conducting themselves in an obnoxious or disrespectful manner towards any of our patrons, stage crew, venue staff, volunteers or their fellow artists. A little class, respect and common courtesy go a long way.

• failing to return CAMEO phone calls or emails or otherwise keep in proper communication with us -- especially in regard to things that are important concerning an upcoming showcase or other CAMEO project that they are involved in. If, amidst all the other responsibilities that are involved in organizing a show, I find that I have to chase around an act that is apparently too busy to get back to me, I will soon become too busy to knock my brains out trying to create a beautiful show that they can be part of. I rarely send emails or make phone calls just to chat. My time is too limited and I am far too focussed on my duties as an event organizer to do that. Acts that cannot respect my time -- as I do theirs -- are not worthy of my time. This also applies to acts who cannot respond in due time and in a professional manner to communications from our stage manager or other CAMEO personnel. Most of these people are volunteers who unselfishly spend a great deal of their own time and effort to create excellent opportunities for our artists. If those artists cannot respect that time and those efforts on their behalf with some common courtesy, we will move on to help others who are worthy of our time and efforts. My guess is that these artists probably aren't going anywhere in any case. Others in the industry who receive this kind of treatment won't be any more inclined to help them than we are.

 

What's all this stuff I hear about censorship at CAMEO? Is it true that CAMEO censors their artists?

It depends on what you call "censorship", I suppose. At times we have disallowed certain material at CAMEO events for what we consider very good reasons. All organizations have to decide what they want to represent and what they do not. This subject is dealt with a lot of depth here for those who would like to consider it in the depth that it truly deserves.

The short answer to this question is that we do not allow material at our events that glorifies or promotes murder or criminal violence, hard drug abuse, sexual violence or child abuse. My question to anyone who considers our exclusion of this kind of material intolerable is simply this: which of the above do you think we should support?

 

CAMEO does some good things for its musician members. But what's in it for the "music lover" members?

It's true that membership in CAMEO has more tangible benefits for musicians and others who are interested in a career in music. For the most part, our mission statement commits us to events and programs designed to help emerging musical artists. In the course of doing these things however, I believe that there are some significant if less tangible benefits of CAMEO membership for those who are not in that category.

Discounts on tickets to our events at which they can enjoy the fine music provided by our top performers is one example. Watching the growth of some of our promising young artists is another. Also, over the years, a number of our non artist members have become stalwart volunteers, enjoying and learning from those experiences and having the opportunity to be intimately involved in creating many beautiful and memorable events with us.

Often our events, especially our festivals, involve hundreds of people and many excellent contacts are made, both personal and professional. I believe too that there has often been a special feeling -- even a kind of "magic" -- in the air at CAMEO events that is hard to define, measure or assign a tangible value to. Nevertheless, it is there. Considering all these things, are there a lot of better ways to spend $25 a year (the price of a basic CAMEO membership)?

 

A lot of the work of CAMEO is done by volunteers. How well does that work out?

Good question. Indeed, most of the work that it takes to keep CAMEO alive is done by volunteers. The efforts of dedicated volunteers are really the lifeblood that enables many non profit organizations to keep doing good things in their community.

Over the years, I have worked with and supervised hundreds of volunteers. Often, it has been an extremely rewarding and enjoyable experience. At other times, it has been incredibly frustrating and disappointing.

There are all kinds of volunteers. People become volunteers for all kinds of reasons.

Some really believe in the cause; they volunteer because they really want to do something unselfish that is of value to their community or to certain members of that community. Doreen Anderson, our Vice President/ Youth Coordinator who also wears any number of other CAMEO hats at various times, is a prime example of this kind of volunteer. Doreen, who for six years has never been paid a dime for her indefatigable efforts on behalf of all of CAMEO, gets a particular sense of satisfaction from doing things to make life better for the young people who are involved with us.

Some volunteers get involved in CAMEO primarily because they enjoy the whole experience of being involved in musical events. Some just enjoy being around music and musicians. Some enjoy the social aspects of volunteering more than anything else. Some want to learn or practise new or little used skills in various areas. 

Whatever their reasons or primary motivations, all of these volunteers can be like pure gold to an organization like CAMEO -- if they are are capable, conscientious and reliable, if they roll up their sleeves and get the job done and, most importantly, if they see that the job is done well. Volunteers like this never say, "Well, I'm only a volunteer" as a lame excuse for laziness, unreliability or shoddy work. This kind of volunteer works well with other volunteers and volunteer supervisors. Finally, these are the volunteers who protect the image, the reputation and the integrity of CAMEO by conducting themselves with grace wherever and with whomever they work.

Without a core group of such "elite volunteers", a few of whom have been with us for years, CAMEO could never have accomplished the things that we have. Certainly, we could not have accomplished these things in the style that I am proud to say that we have over the years. No matter what difficulties and discords may have existed at times under the surface -- due to the stresses and strains faced by any group of people working closely together under strict deadlines -- for the most part, new visitors to CAMEO are amazed at the smooth and professional way in which our events are conducted.

My hat is off to the elite volunteers who are such a huge part of that accomplishment. I am often amazed, grateful and proud to see the dedication that they display. We can never have enough people like this and, without them, CAMEO would be missing a huge part of not only of its efficiency but also of its charm and class.

 

What about the other type of volunteer?

Sure you want to get me started on this one? OK ... twist my arm. The other type of volunteer -- the kind that makes life difficult for any organization -- is generally there for all the wrong reasons.

This type, for example, may volunteer just to get close to the cute chick who sings in one of the bands or works somewhere else with us. They tell us about all the great things that they want to do for us. They come to volunteer meetings and say all the right things. We think we can count on them. Then, if things don't work out with the cute chick, guess what? Poof! They're out of there -- often leaving us in the lurch at the last minute and letting down everyone involved.

Needless to say, volunteers like these are more of a liability than an asset to any organization and, simply put, more trouble than they are worth. Please --- if you want to get involved as a volunteer for CAMEO, be reliable. Be honest. Do what you say you will do. Be as dedicated and conscientious as you can be. Do your work well to the very best of your ability. Help us to grow and improve. There is little doubt that we will all be better for your efforts and that you will find it a rewarding experience even if it is difficult at times. Thanks in advance.

As an artist member of CAMEO, will I get paid for performing at CAMEO events?

At various times, in various venues and under various circumstances -- you may or may not be paid a cash fee.

At times, that fee may be more like an honorarium. You may get paid in tickets.

In the case of professional musicians that are hired for certain events, we often pay a professional fee for their services. Often those services involve not only their own performances but also backing up other performers such as vocalists within our organization who do not have a quality band to accompany them. As best we can, we compensate these artists for the hard work which that entails. Though at times our member bands do volunteer these services or play for a reduced fee to help out, musicians, like any other professionals, are deserving of a fair fee for their work.

 

So, some performers do get paid. Why don't I get paid when I perform at CAMEO events?

If you haven't been paid for performing at CAMEO events, one reason may be that you have not demonstrated any significant "drawing power", ie, you haven't developed any kind of fanbase or following. Without that, the harsh reality of the professional music industry is that you will likely never be paid what you think you are worth for your performances -- by CAMEO or anyone else.

It's not a simple matter of how good you are as an artist. If you are embarking on a career as a professional musician, of course, developing your musical skills, building a repertoire and all those strictly musical tasks are a necessary starting point --  but unless you add some promotional skills and some hard work in that department to the package, don't expect the bucks to come rolling in.

It's simple economics, really. If noone is willing to buy a ticket to see you perform or to spend money at a venue that hires you to perform, where is the money to pay your fee supposed to come from?

One of the first things I had to learn when I played the bar circuit across BC for over twenty years: my employers weren't hiring my band just because they liked our music. They weren't in the music business; we were. They were in the bar business and they had to sell their own product to survive. If we didn't put effort into getting the word out to customers who enjoyed our music -- or become somewhat adept not only as musicians but also as entertainers who could keep people in their seats spending money once they got there -- guess what? Those bars didn't call us back. How could we expect it to be otherwise? Bar owners may or may not be great lovers of music but -- first and foremost -- they are business owners. If they don't spend their entertainment dollars wisely, they will not long have the luxury of picking and choosing their favorite bands -- because they will be out of business ... and we may be out of a job!

Higher up the professional music ladder, the "stars" often get paid huge fees to perform at concerts and major music events. Why? Because the promoters that hire them expect their "star power" to draw sufficient ticket buying customers to justify those huge fees. Often the promoters guess wrong. Many of them end up going bankrupt. Promoting major events of any kind can be a very risky business as we well know. Artists who don't take care of their drawing power to help minimize those risks will soon lose much or all of their earning power.

There is no mystery about it -- it's basic economics, the law of supply and demand, all those "business" principles that many of us "artistic types" are so often reluctant to apply our minds and efforts toward. We don't want to be "salespeople"; we want to be artists. That's perfectly understandable. It's also one of the reasons that the old cliche of the "starving artist" is often so apt. How about a little musician humour here? What do you call a musician without a girlfriend? Homeless!

 

But ... shouldn't CAMEO pay all the performers?

Good question. I wish that we could -- and I expect that someday we will be able to do so on a far more consistent basis. In a perfect world, we would be able to pay most if not all of our performers at every show. Noone would be happier than I to do so ... but in the real world that is often easier said than done.

One of the things that CAMEO has often done, in lieu of paying cash fees to artists with dubious or nonexistent drawing power, is to give them event tickets. Sell the tickets, we say, and the money is yours.

A few artists have done rather well this way. One of our acts sold up to sixty tickets to each of a number of major events. This artist -- and the people who support this artist -- have learned the value of developing and nurturing a devoted fanbase and have been rewarded for doing so.

On the other hand, we have had many acts who seem hard pressed to sell even a few tickets to an event. One such act that initially enjoyed being showcased at our festivals and other major events soon began to insist on receiving a guaranteed cash fee whenever they performed. As this act had never demonstrated any degree of drawing power, we were unable to guarantee any such fee. They moved on, apparently disenchanted with our organization. Oh, well ...

Along the way, we've added incentives for acts who do work hard on their drawing power such as our Audience Development awards. These include perks such as professional recording studio time and promotional photography services. At our upcoming Awards Showcase, for instance, every solo artist that sells ten tickets or more (or band that sells twenty or more) to the show enters a draw for ten hours of studio recording time.

 

Why can't CAMEO do the "audience development" and let the artists do what they do best, ie, just play music?

If, by "CAMEO", you mean the handful of us who do the behind the scenes work that keeps CAMEO going, we do spend a considerable amount of time, effort and money on audience development. Every time we host a major event, hundreds of posters and thousands of flyers go out there. Press releases are sent to many Fraser Valley newspapers. Generally speaking, for every major event that we host, articles that focus on the local performers but also cover the event itself will appear in all or most of the newspapers in every Fraser Valley community. Usually, we get some media sponsorships or support and there are newspaper ads and radio coverage. We send out hundreds of emails and make phone calls to members and supporters. The events are promoted on the CAMEO website and listed on various other websites. We do the best we can with the limited resources that we have. Promotion is an essential but also a costly, time consuming and never ending job.

So why leave it all up to us? As I often point out --- you, the artists, are CAMEO! It's your organization -- an organization that directly benefits you, the artists, more than anyone else involved. Why not roll up your sleeves, dare to step out of your comfort zone and do your part --for the benefit of not only yourselves but also for CAMEO, the causes we support and your fellow artists?

Ideally speaking, CAMEO is strength in numbers .... the whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. That's how it's supposed to work.

Let's say, for example, that you are the leader of your own band, one of 20 bands playing at a CAMEO Music Festival. If you push, pull and persuade -- whatever it takes -- the members of your own band to work hard on the promotional front and bring out 50 fans to the festival ... and if the other 19 bands do likewise -- that's 1,000 fans in total! Your 50 fans now have the opportunity to see not only your own but 19 other bands. Your band now has the opportunity to make new fans from the other 950 people brought by the other bands. Everyone wins. Not only do the individual bands have a great opportunity for exposure and fanbase development -- but also the organization gets a financial shot in the arm and is able to do more in every aspect for the artists we strive to support. For example, 1,000 paying customers give us the power to pay more performers, hire a bigger headliner that will give us greater drawing power, do more and better production and promotion, etc, etc, etc ...

Let me be a little "presidential" here and say, "ask not what CAMEO can do for you, ask what you can do for CAMEO." Am I just a wooly headed idealist -- or does it make sense that we all stand to gain by following this simple principle?

The "E" in CAMEO stands for empowerment. What a wonderful ideal. Who wants to be weak and ineffective? Who wants to be part of a weak and ineffective organization? Why not do what you can to empower your organization so that it can effectively empower you and others like you?

 

Are you satisfied with the progress that CAMEO has made since it began?

Frankly ... No. I had hoped that by now we would have come much further than we have. On the bright side, we are still alive and, considering the challenges of being chronically underfunded that we have faced since we began, we have accomplished a great deal: hundreds of events including five music festivals, playing an important role in the development of some very talented artists, a website that gets significant traffic, a great deal of media coverage for our organization and our artists ... and much more.

Just the fact that we have survived this long and are still making things happen is an achievement. We have proven that we are not a "fly by night" operation and that there is indeed some substance to our organization. At this point I feel that we are well positioned to seek and to acquire the significant support and sponsorship  from government and other sources that we sorely need to expand and improve. Also, we have recently elected what I feel may be the most effective board of directors that we have ever had. I'm optimistic that 2007 will see CAMEO make a quantum leap that will vastly improve our ability to create greater opportunities for all of our members. It won't be a moment too soon.

 

What is the biggest disappointment you have experienced since CAMEO began?

There have been a number of setbacks and disappointments along the way -- as is to be expected in any ambitious enterprise or project. Probably the one that has hurt the most is to discover how little loyalty and gratitude really exist in the world these days.

It is very disheartening to see that the very people who have received the most honors and benefits from their association with CAMEO are often the first to desert us when they do begin to achieve a little bit of success. These members seem to have looked at their membership in our organization without any regard for the ideals of CAMEO but solely in terms of short term costs and benefits to themselves personally.

This kind of thinking seems to run more or less as follows: "I needed CAMEO when I was starting out. The minimal annual membership fee was a bargain that made a lot of sense for my career at the time. I got my picture in the papers a number of times due to press releases sent out by CAMEO. I was honored at CAMEO's annual award shows. I got the opportunity to open for some major acts at CAMEO Music Festival/Retrofest 2005. I made some very good contacts. Being a member of CAMEO was a good deal for me then. Now I'm starting to get somewhere. At least I think I am. I'm getting some attention from music industry hotshots. I don't need CAMEO anymore. I'll let my membership lapse and go on to bigger things. CAMEO who?"

Here's an example. A few years ago, I was asked by the father of an extremely talented young artist if I could help his son hook up with some other good young musicians to form a band. This young man had been involved with our organization for a few years at the time, had performed at a number of CAMEO events and received a great deal of publicity and exposure from CAMEO on posters, our website, in newspaper stories, etc, etc. Happy to help in any way that I could, I hooked him up with some other talented young people who were involved in CAMEO and they formed a band. They went on to become involved, indirectly but at least in part due to other connections made at CAMEO, with some major music industry players and subsequently were signed to a recording contract. We were very pleased with the progress they were making and proud to have played a part in their success.

Imagine our surprise and disappointment when one day the band appeared on a Vancouver television program and, in answer to a direct question by the interviewer about how the band got together, the young artist that we had done so much to help answered simply, "Oh, we met at this talent showcase." Not a CAMEO talent showcase ... no mention of the crucial role that we had played at all ... just "this talent showcase". Doreen Anderson, our Vice President/Youth Coordinator, one of our co-founders who has put her heart and soul, countless hours of her time and considerable amounts of her own money into creating opportunities for people such as the young artist in question, watched it and was literally heartbroken. Can you blame her?

The really sad part is that this is not an isolated incident. It's happened more than once and no doubt will happen again. With some much appreciated exceptions, it has become an all too familiar pattern. People say to us, "don't take it personally." Pardon me --- but please spare us the cold comfort and the cliches that really say nothing at all. How can we not take it personally? When we are booking acts for a show, sending in their photos and contact information to a newspaper reporter, writing up bios for the website or an event program for them, providing references for them, etc, etc, it is personal. We treat them as individual persons that we are happy to help. At what point are they supposed to become "impersonal", just numbers or cogs in the machine? Or are we and CAMEO the cogs in their machine?

Is this just a taste of how these artists will conduct themselves if and when they ever do achieve major success and perhaps become "stars"? Will they remember any of the people who helped them along the way? If it is true that they no longer need an organization like CAMEO, does it ever occur to them that perhaps CAMEO needs them? That perhaps other new artists starting out just as they once did will need them and the benefit of the experience, exposure and success they have gained along the way and that if they maintain their ties with us there will be opportunities to act as "musical mentors" to someone else?

Do these artists have any appreciation at all for the valuable help given to them by CAMEO when they needed it? Do they suppose that paying a very low membership fee for a few years -- and then, in effect, dumping the organization once they no longer need us -- really covers the costs of keeping an organization like CAMEO going so that in the future it will be around to help others like them?

Perhaps we are naive. Perhaps we are wooly headed idealists hoping for more from human nature than we realistically have a right to expect. Perhaps we need to reassess our whole outlook on CAMEO and its relationship with its members. Perhaps we need to do what most other organizations end up doing, ie, operating on an impersonal, "business is business" basis.

What do you think? I would appreciate hearing your thoughts.

 

Any other disappointments?

OK, since you asked ... next to the above, the thing that has surprised and disappointed me the most over the past several years is that people in local communities are not more supportive of their own talent. Unless someone famous is on the bill, all too many people just don't seem to care. They don't seem to realize how talented some of these artists who live in their own midst really are. They will pack a local theatre or drive many miles and pay big money to see the "stars of yesterday" who have some measure of fame even though their hit producing days have long since passed. Yet when we showcase the "stars of tomorrow" in their own community at an outrageously affordable price, we have to work like dogs to be sure of selling enough tickets to break even on every event.

I can't tell you how many times people have stopped me on the street to say, "It's a good thing you're doing with CAMEO, Ron. Keep up the good work. We support you." I say, "Well, thank you very much. I appreciate you saying that. Are you coming to our festival?" "Er ... No, I'm busy that weekend ... " Indeed they are ... and a lot of them are always busy!

Now, don't get me wrong; it's nice to hear encouraging words and I do appreciate them. But encouraging words don't pay the bills and -- pardon me for being blunt but this is a "candid comments" page, after all -- talk is cheap! The real supporters of the work we do are the ones who show up at our events. These events are always extremely affordable, the entertainment value that we provide is extremely high and they are always in support of very worthy causes. If any community or group of people are really interested in keeping excellent events and programs such as the ones that CAMEO puts together alive and operating in their midst, shouldn't they do more than just talk about it?

 

You sound like one disappointed and stressed out guy. What keeps you going? What's the good news?

It's true that I have often been disappointed and stressed to the limit during the past six years of my efforts to keep CAMEO alive and to see that it grows -- and that it grows in the right way. For months on end prior to every one of our major events, I run. I run hard and I run scared. I run so that we will be able to pay the bills and fulfill our obligations to our artists, our audiences, our sponsors, the venues in which we stage our events, our community -- and all who are affected by and involved in these events.

I have never before faced a challenge as huge as this responsibility entails. I have never worked as hard at anything else over an extended period of time. To be frank, that period of time itself is one of the things that keeps me going. I've put six years of my life into CAMEO. I can't quit now. I have to see it through.

I realize and take responsibility for the fact that, personally and in regard to the organization as a whole, though we have indeed worked hard, we have not always "worked smart" to the degree that we could have. We are learning and getting better though, little by little.

Up to now, it has seemed at times that the sheer force of persistence, more than anything else, has kept us alive, learning and growing. Doreen Anderson and I -- upon whose shoulders the entire weight of CAMEO seems to have fallen on many occasions since we began -- are two pretty determined people. Over the years, we have nurtured CAMEO like parents nurture a child and indeed that is how it has often felt -- as if we were in charge of the development of a promising child that needs constant care and attention so that it may one day grow up to do great things in the world. For whatever weaknesses we may have, we also have considerable skills and strengths, many of them developed painstakingly through our experiences with CAMEO in its formative, growing years. We want to be involved in leading CAMEO to some kind of promised land. But I am not Moses and Doreen is not Joan of Arc. At the management level of CAMEO, we cannot do it all by ourselves.

That is why we are very happy at this point to welcome to the CAMEO Board of Directors some very capable people that we expect to assume their own share of leadership in our organization. We are optimistic that these people will be instrumental in helping us to take CAMEO to a new level this year. That motivates us and keeps us going as little else could.

The fact that there are currently several longtime CAMEO member artists who seem poised to make breakthroughs to major success is another encouraging sign. It means that some of our work is bearing fruit. We are fulfilling one of our most important purposes. In the long run, CAMEO as an organization will rise or fall with the artists that we strive to help. Some of these artists -- when they do hit the big time -- will give credit where credit is due. They will acknowledge that CAMEO has played an important role in helping them to reach that point. In the same way that CAMEO has striven for so long to give credibility to these artists -- to promote them when noone else had ever heard of them, to encourage, support, recognize and honor them -- these artists will give credibility to CAMEO. They will be the proof of the pudding in the music industry and the community at large that we need. Along with this will come the support and honor that our organization needs to do bigger and better things.

So, yes ... as disappointed and stressed out as I may get at times, I am actually pretty optimistic about the future for CAMEO and the artists that we support. Do me a favor though if you are involved in CAMEO. If you notice that I, Doreen -- or anyone else who has assumed a great responsibility for the welfare of CAMEO -- seem stressed out, don't tell us to take a deep breath and relax. Don't just blithely tell us not to worry or that everything will work out fine. Do something to help. Give us good reason not to worry. Also, don't complain about things unless you are willing to pitch in and help correct the problems you complain about. It's only fair, don't you think?

 

What's next for CAMEO?

In 2007, I expect that CAMEO as an organization will take a quantum leap. Perhaps, as many individual artists or bands do after years of hard, often unrecognized work, this year we will finally become an "overnight success".

I expect that we will continue to do as we have always done -- little by little, to raise our standards of professionalism and excellence in every aspect -- but that in some ways it will seem that a dramatic change has taken place.

I also expect that many of the same people who have clamored for a change or grumbled about our shortcomings will be the very ones who cannot handle the demands that these changes will make upon them if they expect to keep pace.

Stay tuned ................... we press on!

 

**************

 

Thanks for staying with me. I hope this has been helpful. On behalf of our Board of Directors and all of CAMEO, I wish you all the very best in 2007.

Ron Hughes

 

Coming soon: more common questions, straight answers and candid comments