All the Garth Brooks or Tammy Wynette wannabees need to read Gabriel Farago's book before thinking of heading to Nashville, Tenn.

The singer, song-writer, producer and all-around music industry buff said "Secrets to Success in Country Music" has tips to breaking into music for the average person without a major record label and without a lot of money.

And his advice translates to someone wanting to rap like Dr. Dre or manage a major studio.

"It's for all genres of music," said Farago, who has been in the industry since 1978.

Since the book's release last year, Farago has offering free workshops open to the general public. He will be in Casper tonight.

He will talk about his "seven points" to making it.

The first and most obvious point is someone has to have talent. This can be difficult for a lot of people to understand, though, especially if their moms tell them they are good singers.

A person has to have direction, Farago said. Many people think you have to win a contest or be discovered singing in a bar to jump into the business, but this rarely happens.

There are a lot of actions people can take themselves to succeed in music, he said.

In his seminar, he will teach people how to get their recordings played on the radio without a major label and how to approach those major labels. He will show people how to set up their own tour or back-up band.

About 98 percent of musicians make the same mistake, he said.

"They think that they are really good and they're going to Nashville to get signed by a big record label," Farago said. "They're amongst so many in Nashville."

They think they are "all that and a bag of chips," but they won't even make it past the secretary, he said. "It's a horrible mistake, because people will be on the next bus home."

People have to be persistent and follow their dreams, if they really want a music career.

As a World War II baby born in Hungary, Farago came to the United States when he was five in 1949. He and his family didn't speak any English.

Farago said he likes to tell the story of how he went from "a 5-month-old baby running from the Russians in World War II to going to Nashville" to inspire people.

He had five records on the "Country Top 100" and has worked with the likes of Tammy Wynette and Willie Nelson.

During the seminar, he will be on the lookout for talent. On occasion, he does find someone he wants to help further. He encourages people to bring demo CDs.

"I ask people spur of the moment to sing for a talent evaluation," Farago said. "They get feedback from their peers and not just grandma or mom."

Contact reporter Allison Rupp at (307) 266-0534 or allison.rupp@trib.com.

Break into song

If you go

What: A free seminar on how to break into the music industry hosted by Nashville insider Gabriel Farago. He will also host a talent evaluation.

When: Tonight at 6:30.

Where: Natrona County Public Library

For more info: Call the library at (307) 577-7323 ext. 2.