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# Know Who You Are, Use What You’ve Got…And Let The Rest Find You
- URL: https://www.backstagecircle.com/know-who-you-are-use-what-youve-got-and-let-the-rest-find-you/
- Published: 2026-07-26T13:49:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-06T23:24:48.000Z
- Author: Myk Gordon
- Tags: Music, Advice

The '60s and '70s heralded the Golden Age of singer-songwriters in the recording industry. The arrival of FM radio created a broadcast and consumer market for Album Oriented Rock (AOR) that paved the way for the labels to forefront singer-songwriters as feature artists without the immediate pressure for a hit single. Artists like Carole King, Joni Mitchell, James Taylor and Neil Young to name a scant few, had the opportunity to develop and grow over multi-album deals.

Along with the label support though came the ultimate pressure to come up with a commercial success. Bruce Springsteen was heralded as the ‘new Dylan,’ but despite two brilliant and critically-acclaimed albums, until *Born To Run* was released as his third into what became a juggernaut success, he was under enormous pressure of being dropped by the label.

Far into my own career as a singer-songwriter/recording artist, I can only dream of the kind of commercial success and longevity Springsteen has enjoyed. Even he, as remarkably self-aware as he is, is surprised as anyone, and has said repeatedly he would have done it all anyway. That’s music as a calling. While I have struggled many times with this existential dilemma (how to survive, whether to keep going, measuring success) it only occurred to me recently that I have *always* invested in my *own* artist development. A recent sit-down with a major music executive verified this. He told me my music is great, that I’m a ‘journeyman’ artist, and just because I had yet to write *Born To Run* doesn’t mean I won’t. In other words, not breaking through to a wider audience is not the measure of success or career-trajectory.

 I’ve been blessed along the way to have had other inspirational feedback on my talent. In the early '80s in Toronto, Jake Gold, manager of the Tragically Hip (and later, *Canadian Idol* judge) excitedly told me backstage “get yourself a band, you’re gonna go far!” In the '90s I met with Zack Werner (music lawyer, A&R, also *Canadian Idol*) who assured me I was “a world-class songwriter.” Well, as the saying goes, all that praise and five bucks gets you a cup of coffee these days.

 There’s one conversation however that really stood out. Around 1997 I was again in Toronto playing regularly around the club circuit—I even had some residencies. One regular gig was at The Cameron House. After a particularly punchy set with my power trio, the sadly recently-departed and much beloved Toronto musician, producer, mentor and publisher and collaborator David Baxter grabbed me aside and gushed: “I’m a little drunk, and a little giddy as I’m just back from my honeymoon in Paris, but you’ve really got something amazing!” He continued, “But there’s just one thing. And I saw this with Alanis (Morrisette) before her big success—you haven’t quite figured out *who* or *what* you are yet.” His suggestion was to “go be a side player for other bands for a while” to develop my own voice and sound. It was difficult but sound advice, and I followed it. Until recently, it dawned on me that the artists I idolized and even tried to emulate—say, Jimi Hendrix or Pete Townshend—don’t sound like *anyone* else! As obvious as that sounds, it freed me up to realize that I do have my own voice as a writer, singer and guitarist, and that greatness comes from owning and honing that uniqueness.

*Myk Gordon is an acclaimed singer, songwriter and recording artist who just released his second album,* Born To Be*, with multiple Grammy Award-winning producer Steve Berlin (Los Lobos). He also holds an MSc, PhD, is a psychotherapist and 6th Dan Aikido teacher.*