What drew me to ‘Talent Is Timeless’, both the contest and the platform, was the apparent openness in acknowledging ageism and seeking to provide a platform to sidestep, or even reverse it, in terms of it’s philosophy towards talent and how it’s valued, or at a minimum, to give all of us ‘one more kick at the can’. Dean Batstone

Like any artist creating music…professional, semi-professional, or amateur…I’ve continued to seek exposure of my work. For some, it’s any stage where we can share a song or 2…or perhaps it’s a songwriting workshop where we can network and exchange ideas in a positive format…or a contest or competition. It may include random mailing and posting to industry opportunities for others, or even introductions through common connections. It may simply be co-writing with a new musician friend. In my case, I’ve tried any and all of these. I’ve had some successes AND been kicked squarely in the teeth, too! No one will advocate for your art as diligently as you do, so resilience, for me, is part of the strategy of being noticed.

About 20 years ago, I heard that a rather large and successful, multi-media giant in the Canadian entertainment industry [I won’t name them, as it doesn’t serve this story], was actively seeking to invest in Canadian talent. I perused their recent signings and did glean that perhaps there was a slant towards younger talent, which was neither a surprise nor a deterrent.

I sent them a package…a short bio, a couple of recent photos and 5 songs. I received an email, followed by a follow-up phone conversation inviting me to Toronto for an in-person interview. They liked my songs. They must have…they flew me there and put me up in a hotel downtown. That felt pretty good. The next morning I had a 10:00am appointment at their 10th floor offices with the CEO and his A&R guy. I walked in confidently and was quickly introduced. They said out loud they loved my songs and the next question out of the top guys mouth is “How old are you?” Assuming it didn’t matter, as they’d seen my promo and liked my songs, I blurted out my age confidently – I was late 40’s at the time.

I credit the CEO for being forthright…blunt in fact…as it short-tracked the meeting without leading me on in any way. He said, and I quote:

“You’re too old to invest in!”

That was it for them, except to say they did offer me, in months to come, the opportunity to attempt to write for some of their younger artists. I swallowed the bitter pill of rejection with a good dose of self pity, but also did submit songs when offered the chance.

Point of this story is ageism is real in the industry and this is only one example of the many times I’ve been confronted with it, in one form or another. What we DO when confronted by it is up to us. What ‘Talent Is Timeless’ is doing is why I’m here – it’s doing something positive!

What I did is all I knew how to do – try to express how I felt by writing about it. I’ve always believed the most sincere art comes from the experiences closest to us….and I’ve also believed releasing those feelings in the form of creativity helps purge the feeling, good or bad, and allows a space in our hearts/minds for the next thing to grow.

I wrote a song. Every song attempt doesn’t have to be with the intent of writing a hit and that’s my message here. If you can turn a negative into a positive, you are controlling your story…and keeping the story positive for you is how we grow and continue to write. Don’t let criticism or rejection keep you from following your heart.

Here’s what I wrote. It doesn’t even refer to the specifics of the story…but if it’s your style to do so, that’s OK too. In my case, I used symbolism and a little attitude to address how I felt – which distills down to ‘It’s their loss!’

Protect your heart with your art.

Can’t Break Me

One long train out on the trestle
I’ve been waiting for that call
4 long pulls, shaky windows
Wake this man about to fall
I’ve got a brother thinks I’m shallow
Got a sister thinks I’m free
I’ve got a baby, who loves a cool rain
I’ve got myself this shady tree
Push this man off of the mountain
You’ve got yourself a mountain without me
Lost again, but then, who’s counting
I don’t break that easily
You can’t break me
Now I’m rolling over bridges
I thought bad judgment had burned down
And I’m riding this broken highway
But I love that dirty sound
Push this man off of the mountain
You’ve got yourself a mountain without me
Lost again, but then, who’s counting
I don’t break that easily
You can’t break me
What’s a flat tire when you’ve got friends
What’s a man who never bends
What’s a highway that never ends
But a road to ride again
Got my Shovel deep in the white line
Gonna chase that big steel down
‘Powderfinger’ in my back pocket
I’m a train wreck, glory bound
Push this man off of the mountain
You’ve got yourself a mountain without me
Lost again, but then, who’s counting
I don’t break that easily
You can’t break me.
Copyright © words and music by Dean Batstone