I recently read how the music industry is dying. How is this news to anyone? The comments are all arguing the same thing what is an independent artist to do to make a living. Live shows dont pay and the ones that do are once in a blue moon, no one buys music, merch only sells for big name bands, yet making good music is a full-time gig. The whole system needs a rethink, for starters perhaps: 1.) crowd-funding (think like kickstarter, I wonder how many people would be interested in sponsoring their favorite artist, local or pro (for a lack of a better term) on a monthly, membership-like basis if there was an appealing kickback of some sort, like free music and tickets to their shows. ) meets 2.) endorsement sponsorships (applicable companies only, all while maintaining sustainability as well as authenticity, nobody wants product placement in lyrics) meets 3.) residency (funding from local government stipends/ art endowments programs/grants, etc...) Most musicians I know would not need that much money to make it by week in week out to viably work on their craft. Lets face it, the music business is an atrocious business, who in their right mind would ever say to themselves: I want to work in a business where I work all hours of the day and night pouring my soul into my work which is at best stolen or given away for free and at worst ignored entirely. The only person who would even think of consenting to such abuse is someone who loves what they do AND believes in it. I can speak for myself in that I have no grand dream of becoming the next Beatles or making millions of dollars like some artists still make (which the chances of that happening are the same likelihood of winning the lotto). But making an honest living, enough to live right by, doing what I love doesnt seem like it should sound so crazy. Yet, many of the hometown hero musicians I have known have resigned to disfiguring their dream to keep it alive by playing in cover bands to cover their costs, which if you are not a musician are more than one would think (Im speaking purely of just getting the job done: equipment expenses, travel expenses, etc...). In many cases they have given up their voice for a handful of dimes, its not like playing in a cover band isnt a paltry income either. I am fine driving my 20 year old car, Im fine not being able to afford all of the luxuries of life but I do have certain desires; and to eat well and have a roof over my head are not the least of them. Ive sacrificed a lot of things over a lot of years to have this relationship with music still thriving in my life, though there have been plenty of times I have felt bitter over that relationship not being more financially prosperous and despite all the BS of the industry I still know, no matter how tough a pill it is to swallow, that I am responsible for that outcome. All this said I still love the music I make 168 hours a week AND believe in it despite the difficulty that can create at times. The last 100 years have seen so much shift in the way music is bought, recorded, sold, listened to, marketed, discovered, and so on, so to have any expectations on the game staying the same, as they say, is asinine. The whole disparity of the music business is a call for a creative solution that will come I have no doubt, because people love music. Music can do what nothing else can and their are few words for what exactly that is. No one knows this better than musicians thats why we became what we are for better or worse. Its value is ephemeral which is a beautiful yet sometimes frustrating thing, but that is exactly what keeps it alive: its inability to be defined. Ive spent a lot of time thinking about this and I write this not to vent or appeal to pathos that I am some charity case because I do feel successful as a musician because I am still doing it and still get more from it than I could ever have imagined. I write this to get the gears of other minds with the same burning passionate desires greased so that this magic thing we call music that sustains our lives in ways profound can carry on and continue to expand. I would love to hear any thoughts you may have, thanks for taking the time to read and respond (in advance).
Posted on: Mon, 09 Jun 2014 00:37:24 +0000
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