So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star

The Web is making it easier than ever for independent musicians to find an audience -- and cut out middlemen

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August 12, 2002 at 4:00 AM UTC

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David Nevue, 36, has been a solo pianist for more than 15 years, spending his nights and weekends playing at coffee shops, special events, and malls around Springfield, Ore., a town of 51,700. During the day, he worked for online-security company Symantec. No matter what he tried, however, his music career wouldn't catch fire. His first album, self-published in 1992, gathered dust at local shops.

Then along came the Internet. Around 1995, Nevue created his first Web page, www.DavidNevue.com. In 1996, he launched a site for piano enthusiasts, featuring music reviews and links to other sites, plus information on everything from sheet music to the history of the piano.