By Phil Frazier

The following relates to Solo Artists, as well as bands. To make the writing easier, I'm couching it toward a person - but it could relate to a group, as well.

It seems personality has a lot to do with whether one's popular or not. There are different arenas of music in the world off Net, but my focus here is for the Net.

On the Net we have a different sort of thing going on because people form opinions about a person based on what they post. How one looks or how the band looks is a major factor as well, but that's another topic which I'll get into in another piece.

When we post on a BB who are we speaking to?

Some people never post so we have no idea what they're like. Maybe that's a good thing? The moment one starts posting others start forming opinions of them. Does one's personality relate directly to their music? Can we base our entire view of a person on what that person writes on the Net?

People can create a Net personality, so how are we to know if that is how they really are? Some people put on that they're really friendly, helpful, and constantly compliment others and download other's songs. Are they doing this to be popular so people will listen and perhaps even buy their music?

Some people are better writers than others. The better writers are not necessarily brighter than those with lesser skills. Some people are better at expressing themselves orally. Writing is a matter of talent, skill and practice. Terrible spelling isn't necessarily a sign of low intelligence.

Yet, how one writes on the Net does have an effect on the readers. Reading others posts is how opinions are formed.

How important is that we know what a person is really like? If we listen to their music first before we form an opinion of them as a person but then find out we dislike them, how does that effect our feeling for their music? Do we need to know about their personality and their lives? Do we think about a person while we are listening to their music?

If we dislike a person based on what we've read on the Net, is that person never going to get listened to or if we do listen, we tend to either not rate their music or give it a "Bad" rating?

Do people that have pleasing Net personalities get more listens?

Do they become more popular even if their music is mediocre or even substandard?

Does like-ability transfer into Net success?

On the opposite end, does a person who's controversial and/or perceived as negative garner more success?

How important is personality as it relates to success or failure?

Phil Frazier