New Jersey Stage Issue 73 | Page 55

singing along with us. But when we get back on the road, we’ll be armed with more songs, and maybe it’ll be even better than before the pandemic. Perhaps we’ll be a part of hundreds of bands creating a musical renaissance! Most of the success you’ve had has been of your own making. Why is it worthwhile to invest so much time, effort, and sacrifice into your DIY music? An artist will always say that life without art is death. It’s something you’re born with, the internal drive to keep on pushing no matter what difficulties you are faced with. Many people look at entertainment as a race to fame, but it’s the journey that makes it all worth it. Our success has been our own making, but true success is never giving up and always moving forward. Walt Whitman self-published ‘Leaves of Grass’ when he was 36 and continued to write every day adding to the book until his death. The final edition is his legacy and proof of his journey. Listen to “Last Straw” by Houston and the Dirty Rats NJ STAGE - ISSUE 73 INDEX NEXT ARTICLE 55