Myra Pearce

With the release of her first CD, a local country-western singer, Myra Pearce is among those in the music business who is on the cutting edge of a new trend that is reshaping the structure of the industry.

Technology and the internet are opening up new opportunities for singers as much as it is for any other group.

Long dominated by a handful of big name labels, the number of successful artists in the business were squeezed through chutes of corporate standards and biases and have always been kept artificially low in relationship to market demand.

To go around the industry giants was near impossible. Costs of marketing and access to the means of production were formidable barriers to the many thousands of otherwise highly talented and capable artists, but today even the very meaning of success is being redefined for many singers and musicians, alike.

Myra Pearce grew up in Eastern Washington (state) believing she could only be a success as a singer if she were picked up and put on one of those big company labels. Calling it "media induced hype," it's a common perception among young artists that there is only one way to make it in the business, Myra said. To finally understand there are other ways "was very liberating."

All that kind of thinking does to close off opportunities that are right in front of you," Myra said.

The internet is offering artists, of all sorts, a new avenue to tap into the market and to reach the consuming public more directly. And other aspects of the industry are moving over and making these interlopers. As competition stiffens, and as this new category of artists create their own following retail vendors are increasingly willing to consider selling their music on consignment. Even radio disc jockeys increasingly receptive to stepping out of the traditional realm of how they choose the music air.

In addition to the production end of the business is becoming more dispersed - example there is a highly professional production studio in Bozeman, a fact that made it a whole lot easier Myra to put her CD - "Somebody Loves You" - together. She went to Nashville for the first phase of production, but was able to complete much more relaxed and cost effective manner, because the actual production could be done in Bozeman.

"There's no doubt it," said Myra, "Hollywood has discovered Montana," and that fact will broaden the opportunities here. The Bozeman studio is routinely used by a broad range of people in the entertainment industry to do "voice overs," commercials, and other production more conveniently for the artists, actors and actresses who - like Myra - would rather remain in their Montana homes as opposed to traveling to Nashville or Hollywood.

In fact, says Myra, who served her stint in Nashville, "Everything great that has happened to me in music has happened to me right here in Montana." And, as it does for many other products the "Montana mystique" holds a special allure in the music business as well. To be a singer from Montana is a big plus in the rest of the world.

With her first CD in hand, Myra - who belts out a song with as much voice, energy and foot-stomping excitement as any Tanya Tucker - Myra is among the leading edge of artists who are taking their own destiny in hand and directing the marketing of their work, themselves. There are some real advantages in that, note Myra, who knows close-up the kinds life-consuming demands and expectations that are placed upon artists who sign with the big companies.

But, so new is this trend that there are few models to refer to - yet. No "how to books," says Myra. But she does have a few friends in the industry who are already "on line" and their levels of success are more encouraging - and they are generous in sharing direction and advice as to what works and what doesn't.

One of the big discoveries is that the internet opens the market up to the whole world - it's not just a matter of competing in the United States. And that puts "independent artists" like Myra, more on the same footing with many artists who really are only "big names" in the U.S.

Country and western music is very popular in countries like Germany and Japan - and if they like your music, says Myra, over the internet, they can order your CDs.

Myra does not regret the five years she spent living in Nashville. Those years have her a lot of connections and intricate understanding of eh business - a lot of friends and top-notch talent from whom she not only learned much but who are important contacts as she moves forward now.

"Music has always been in my heart," says Myra who grew up surrounded by music. At thirteen Myra was given her first guitar. "I learned to play enough to play at cattlemen's conventions, rodeos and other local events, which provided me with a lot of opportunity," said Myra, who is looking back is somewhat amused at her own precocious ness as a youth. But it served to give her a lot of experience and confidence as an entertainer. Also important as a career-launcher and door opener was being named Miss Rodeo Washington.

At about age 18 Myra and a friend decided it was time to test the waters. They sold their horses and saddles, packed up and moved to Nashville.

Myra primarily supported herself, as many wanna-be-young artists do, working as a waitress. But, she also met some important people - people like Marty Robbins and one of the biggest names in the song writing business, Kostas, whose songs are commonly sung by artists like Garth Brooks; as well as "legendary producer" Norro Wilson.

Myra's greatest successes involved song writing - in fact, she believes that to write songs is one of the best things a singer can do in defining themselves and developing their own distinctive style. That's important, says Myra, about an industry that is rather notorious for producing what she calls "cookie cutter acts."

"Writing forces you to become introspective. You are forced to look inside yourself," said Myra. "It's striking a vein of gold. It is freedom."

"Looking inside herself," Myra realized that Nashville didn't hold all that she wanted in life. Unlike many artists, Myra said "I wanted a life for myself." She realized she wanted a family and "I loved the west. I was no southern girl."

Myra did what many of her friends considered a death-knell for her career. She got married and she and her husband, Marcus Grinestaff, moved to Wyoming and later to Huntley, Montana. They now have two daughters, Alyson, 10, and Marissa, 9.

In some respects the choice may have removed some opportunities, admits Myra. There were invitations to do things that would have required her to leave her little ones for extended periods of time, and upon those she passed. There is no doubt in Myra's mind that her family comes first. "There are friends who don't understand," she said, but they don't understand how having children completely changes one's perspective.

Sometimes, Myra said, she would get on the phone with Nashville friends in the business and wonder if she should be doing something different, but she said one corporate executive told her most adamantly, "No. Stay right where you are. Everyone her wants to be where you are."

Myra greatly credits her husband, Marcus, for helping her keep her dream alive. He was the one who kept after he to put out a CD and has always been very supportive of the time she needs to put toward her music every day. No matter what, Myra spends at least two hours a day, playing, writing or singing.

A devastating blow for Myra was the recent, untimely death of her mother, Alice, who also had always been a very strong supporter and promoter of her music. Myra muses that at least her mother had heard - Myra played them for her over the phone - the first two cuts of Myra's first CD. Myra dedicated the CD to her mother.

Two more CDs will soon follow. The first one has none of Myra's own songs on it. She sings those written by some of her friends (many by Kostas) - one written especially for her. The next CDs will include some of her own songs.

Myra is also fast becoming computer literate, as she works on setting up her website.

Soon anyone anywhere in the world, will be able to learn about Myra and her music at www.myrapearce.com. For more information call (406) 255-6780 or write: AlyMar Records, P.O. Box 31515, Billings, MT 59107.