No matter which hub you land in, you need to meet people — and as many as possible. The music business is about relationships, and you can't have relationships with people you don't know. You need to make the acquaintance of writers, publishers, producers, musicians, artists, and potential artists — the people you need to know in order to do what you're here to do.

Hi, My Name Is …

Rule number one: You don't meet many people hanging around your apartment watching TV. As a matter of fact, put your TV in the closet, so that it's still in good shape when you have to pawn it for demo money. Don't worry, there will still be Seinfeld reruns when you have a mantel full of Grammies and all the time in the world to watch them. Get out there and meet some people! Where? Well, if you did your homework, you should have a list of hangouts and a couple of friends who can introduce you to their friends and friends of friends. Get to it!

Be Who You Are

Don't be someone you're not. It's easy to put on airs because you want to impress people and fit in. If you're a performer, you can probably patter with anyone for half an hour (or however long the breaks are in the clubs you played on the road). The difference here is that you really need to get to know these people and they need to know you. Publishers have B.S. detectors so sensitive that they can spot a politician twenty miles away. They'll see you coming. Your goal is to end up working with these people and you'll have to be yourself when you do that.

Find Your Tribe

Find people you like who like you. You're going to be here a while, maybe the rest of your life. Do you want to do business with people you don't like? Someone who sees your potential and likes you as a person may take you under his or her wing. Someone who sees your potential but doesn't like you probably won't. Spend your time with people you relate to and trust; they'll be more likely to want you to succeed. Add to that the fact that you'll be much happier this way, and that's a win/win situation.