Need to rant on

Dacoro · 12-04-2008, 12:29 AM

Well a lot of times it's not just the music they make, they even base marketability on how whoever they're signing looks. But yeah, you're right. Most people don't care how creative the music is. Oh well, I'll be forced to try and create great music for myself, but I most likely won't be able to make a living off of it. I'd probably only be wasting my time if I was attempting to make music and live off of it.

**Janszoon** · 12-04-2008, 12:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dacoro

Well a lot of times it's not just the music they make, they even base marketability on how whoever they're signing looks. But yeah, you're right. Most people don't care how creative the music is. Oh well, I'll be forced to try and create great music for myself, but I most likely won't be able to make a living off of it. I'd probably only be wasting my time if I was attempting to make music and live off of it.

Well, it always been hard to make as an artist. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

Dacoro · 12-04-2008, 12:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Janszoon

Well, it always been hard to make as an artist. That doesn't mean you shouldn't try.

True. I still am going to try, I can't imagine myself doing anything else with my life.

MakeitLegit · 12-10-2008, 02:48 PM

Talent doesn't always mean good. It is possible that your music/style of music just flat out sucks.

Ever heard someone play and you just cringe but someone else, usually the player, thinks it's great? It's uncomfortable.

Before blaming the entire music industry and its customers (REALLY broad stroke), look at yourself.

lolliot · 12-11-2008, 12:33 AM

I honestly can't imagine that it's ever been easier for someone to live off of the music they create than it is today, with the wide array of distributional channels that exist outside of those controlled by the big record labels.

15 years ago you were pretty much **** out of luck if none of the major labels would give you a go, because they controlled every viable channel of distribution, whereas today in the digital age, if you are hardworking and make music that appeals to "someone", you can pretty much make a living completely only your own. Additionally there are a lot of smaller independant labels and subsidiaries of the bigger ones that will help you out with the promotional part if you have any sort of talent.

Even though I've only been alive for so long, I think music couldn't possibly have been any better than it is today, because I have so much music to choose from, and it makes it so much more likely that I'm able to find something that appeals to me and I'm able to connect to on an emotional level. I don't have to be labelled by the categorical definitions of the major labels and listen to what they think appeals to me, and that's absolutely amazing in my opinion.

If you think that there aren't anyone out there making good, meaningful music, you haven't exactly gone out of your way to find it. There are thousands of bands and artists out there making music because they love it, and working hard on writing and touring 300 days a year to make the wheels go around, all because they love music.

As for what's actually being aired in the various media outlets, well that's a completely different story, and I would be more than inclined to agree with your sentiments about that. Luckily we're not confined to it anymore!

Mark Lint · 12-12-2008, 06:04 PM

I concur with the previous post (lolliot). The mistake is thinking that the music business is like high school, where there's a small, easily reachable population and official channels (e.g. the music dept, organized school events) to get recognized. Capitalism is a free-for-all, and you need to work very hard to get what you have to offer hooked up with people who will even look at it, let alone enjoy it or pay for it. People suffer a glut of media and are wary of anything that smacks of marketing. They're used to local things, like bands they can actually go see for $3 and sit right in front, as being crap for the most part, and are not tolerant of things recorded at anything less than a totally professional level. So, expect to work VERY hard, to have to devote as much time to business as to perfecting your playing/writing, and really, you should probably anyway not expect to make a living off of it, as even professional-quality players have a hard time doing that, especially doing original music.

There are so many styles of music an so many different goals to shoot for as far as style goes that most musicians think that most other music besides theirs and their idols is crap. I think this is profoundly misinformed. Most people don't think THEIR music is crap, or they wouldn't bother to make it and suffer for it. Hint: they're probably not all idiots to think this. Any music that connects with people is, by definition, effective at making a connection, which is not to say it isn't lowbrow, or technically simple, or violating whatever standard of quality you might use for your own music. Moreover, chances are even cheesy professional music (e.g. background players on American Idol or people recording commercials) are actually WAY more technically proficient than you'd imagine, as they're actually professionals and practice all freaking day for 20 years.

So, while I think the attitude expressed by the original post is not uncommon, it's pretty unfairly dismissive of others' efforts and seems like a setup for disappointment.

12-11-2008, 12:33 AM	#25 (permalink)
lolliot Groupie Join Date: Nov 2008 Posts: 5	I honestly can't imagine that it's ever been easier for someone to live off of the music they create than it is today, with the wide array of distributional channels that exist outside of those controlled by the big record labels. 15 years ago you were pretty much **** out of luck if none of the major labels would give you a go, because they controlled every viable channel of distribution, whereas today in the digital age, if you are hardworking and make music that appeals to "someone", you can pretty much make a living completely only your own. Additionally there are a lot of smaller independant labels and subsidiaries of the bigger ones that will help you out with the promotional part if you have any sort of talent. Even though I've only been alive for so long, I think music couldn't possibly have been any better than it is today, because I have so much music to choose from, and it makes it so much more likely that I'm able to find something that appeals to me and I'm able to connect to on an emotional level. I don't have to be labelled by the categorical definitions of the major labels and listen to what they think appeals to me, and that's absolutely amazing in my opinion. If you think that there aren't anyone out there making good, meaningful music, you haven't exactly gone out of your way to find it. There are thousands of bands and artists out there making music because they love it, and working hard on writing and touring 300 days a year to make the wheels go around, all because they love music. As for what's actually being aired in the various media outlets, well that's a completely different story, and I would be more than inclined to agree with your sentiments about that. Luckily we're not confined to it anymore! __________________ Silent Sound Waves - Just a music blog.

12-04-2008, 12:29 AM	#21 (permalink)
Dacoro Groupie Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 9	Well a lot of times it's not just the music they make, they even base marketability on how whoever they're signing looks. But yeah, you're right. Most people don't care how creative the music is. Oh well, I'll be forced to try and create great music for myself, but I most likely won't be able to make a living off of it. I'd probably only be wasting my time if I was attempting to make music and live off of it.

12-10-2008, 02:48 PM	#24 (permalink)
MakeitLegit Groupie Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 36	Talent doesn't always mean good. It is possible that your music/style of music just flat out sucks. Ever heard someone play and you just cringe but someone else, usually the player, thinks it's great? It's uncomfortable. Before blaming the entire music industry and its customers (REALLY broad stroke), look at yourself.

12-12-2008, 06:04 PM	#26 (permalink)
Mark Lint Groupie Join Date: Dec 2008 Posts: 16	I concur with the previous post (lolliot). The mistake is thinking that the music business is like high school, where there's a small, easily reachable population and official channels (e.g. the music dept, organized school events) to get recognized. Capitalism is a free-for-all, and you need to work very hard to get what you have to offer hooked up with people who will even look at it, let alone enjoy it or pay for it. People suffer a glut of media and are wary of anything that smacks of marketing. They're used to local things, like bands they can actually go see for $3 and sit right in front, as being crap for the most part, and are not tolerant of things recorded at anything less than a totally professional level. So, expect to work VERY hard, to have to devote as much time to business as to perfecting your playing/writing, and really, you should probably anyway not expect to make a living off of it, as even professional-quality players have a hard time doing that, especially doing original music. There are so many styles of music an so many different goals to shoot for as far as style goes that most musicians think that most other music besides theirs and their idols is crap. I think this is profoundly misinformed. Most people don't think THEIR music is crap, or they wouldn't bother to make it and suffer for it. Hint: they're probably not all idiots to think this. Any music that connects with people is, by definition, effective at making a connection, which is not to say it isn't lowbrow, or technically simple, or violating whatever standard of quality you might use for your own music. Moreover, chances are even cheesy professional music (e.g. background players on American Idol or people recording commercials) are actually WAY more technically proficient than you'd imagine, as they're actually professionals and practice all freaking day for 20 years. So, while I think the attitude expressed by the original post is not uncommon, it's pretty unfairly dismissive of others' efforts and seems like a setup for disappointment.