Dustin Becker

Maybe his job is not like yours. You probably don't get to wear your shirttails out, and flip-flops won't fit the dress code in your office. There's also the musician-as-slacker stereotype to think about. But since when does a relaxed dress code mean someone doesn't work as hard at his chosen profession as anyone else does at theirs? Dustin Becker most definitely has a job - and a plan. It's just not the nine-to-five type of thing.

Dustin Becker's early years won't take up much screen time if VH1 ever gets around to his "Behind The Music." Moving into Tyler from Austin about five years ago, Becker was playing with a basic rock band - performing a lot of covers, singing other people's music. After following that band to Frisco, north of Dallas, he became disenchanted with the way things were going. I'd been writing music the whole time - the kind of music I liked, and liked to play - so I decided to try the solo thing," Becker said. "That makes things a lot easier. You only have to rely on yourself."

Back in Tyler, Becker began writing and developing his own music. When he'd play live, he began to work in a few of his own songs amid the covers. "I started to do these acoustic sets with a friend, Delano Guevara. We did a lot more of the mellow stuff - from Dave Matthews to Damien Rice and some others." Becker said, his voice audibly picking up after discussing rock cover bands and moving onto the music he personally loves. "That's what I really enjoyed. You don't have to play those full band gigs and go through all that - I mean, electric guitar is just such a hassle. With the acoustic stuff you just set up, play and do exactly what you want to do. It just makes things so much easier playing that way. Then, playing live just tends to bring everything together. People enjoy coming out to see those shows a little more, I guess."

Becker has always had a great interaction with his crowds. He's approachable - and not to be found wearing leather pants or a too tight sequined shirt onstage. Stop by his gigs at Cimarron or Down Under (or check him out online at dustinbeckermusic.com) and you'll most likely find him in jeans and his flip-flops. His appearance is what some might call "carefully disheveled," and it fits in well with the rest of his method - an easygoing 24-year-old, but there's more to it than a first glance might reveal. Becker understands that every part of a performer - from attitude and building relationships to handling a crowd and playing music that has a chance to succeed - is like writing a good song. You have to have all the parts in place to give yourself the best shot at success. When writing a song, booking a gig or preparing a full-scale marketing plan to jumpstart your career - music is still a business, flip-flops and all.

"I moved here with a girl - who I happened to write a lot of those songs about," Becker chuckled, pointing to his first release: the EP "Change." "I liked the town because it was still small, and I didn't want the big scene. I got some of my core classes out of the way, and started to play around town. But, I quickly realized that this (playing music) is what I want to be doing. This is what I love to do. And, if I organize it - and I do, I run this thing like a business - then it's a great job to have. Every day, when I'm out there working; I'm doing these things to progress my career. I'm not working for anyone else. The job is meeting people and making connections, being out there pushing CDs. But, the cool part about it is that, when I'm done, I get to play a live show. (The music) is the payoff for me."

Becker is doing more than just paying lip service to being "organized." He started his own company so that everything is run out from under its umbrella. "I keep my own books, and everything," Becker said, with a grimacing smile. "It's just like anything else. You want your product to be known all over, by a lot of people. So, it's just an efficient way to get the product in front of your chosen audience. We're trying different marketing plans to hit our target demographic, which is 21-50 years old. That's a little bit more of a mature crowd; they're more laid back and really into the songs. So, from a truly business-like perspective, I have to design a way of getting my music into the kinds of places where it can succeed and catch on."

For live shows, Becker tries to stick to more of a listening-room atmosphere. "Because," as he says, "When you go play at a bar - which is fun from time to time - people aren't usually there just to hear your music. People want to hang out and socialize, and I realize that. So, we aim our product at more intimate venues." At a show in a noisy bar, you're likely to hear a few more of those covers - and less when Becker knows he has the audience's attention. That's not to say a crowded show can't be fun. H - by Will Knous BSCENE Magazine