A man named Bob Lefsetz writes a ferocious (sometimes ferociously funny) blog largely about music and the business of it. He upsets a lot of people but mostly those with a vested interest in the old model continuing as it was (ie the scale of profit).
I have been getting rather tired of hearing how music is dying and we’re all finished!I don’t believe it either…music is far too essential to human beings for reasons i really can’t be bothered anymore to try and rationalise. Either i don’t have the mental equipment or just maybe it’s a conundrum that doesn’t want to be solved (for a good reason).
No matter…… today it reminded me of my own predicament (it’s all about me, me, me remember?). Lefsetz made me recall that the customer is king and that’s how it should be…imagine a state approved top 20…and only that!
I love music and the love of it caused me to want to make it too; at LEAST as good as the stuff that inspired me to take up such a painfully risky business (and the business is often the least painful part of it!). I don’t have a right to a living making it. Equally i have always felt that the only way to show respect to an audience was not to consider them AT ALL in the making of the music, it’s not a civil service. Imagine if it was (and actually we don’t need to, there are plenty of acts doing their damndest to get our dollar by giving us what they think we want)?
Right now i’m looking at certain facts and what they might mean for me;….fact; i am 46 yrs old and don’t see why that should be a problem (but it is)………fact; i like to play live but there seems to be no demand for me to do same (sorry but 150 odd people in a city as big as London says much to me….and it’s NOT all about publicity)…….fact; i have 3 sons and am not prepared to miss their childhood chasing the dream of big numbers.
What am i saying?
Retire? Me? You’ll have to kill me first! What then?
Something i haven’t mentioned…FACT; the internet is the single best thing to happen for music since music was ‘invented’. And the best thing for music fans; you can get what you want WHEN you want, new or old. Of course i prefer the sound of analogue recordings, of vinyl but that shouldn’t matter to you, YOU are the person who matters in your world. In fact the sooner we all wake up to the fact that when it comes down to it we are the ONLY person who really gives a toss about ourselves and our lives the sooner we might all take FULL responsibility for them!
In many ways i see that this revolution of being has already begun and on a worldwide scale. Witness the massive groundswell of resistance to the Iraq War (and forget the fact it happened anyway….change can be maddeningly slow)
Me? I’m taking responsibility. I am writing and recording as many songs as i can. I don’t have the right to your hard earned money and i can’t stop you from hearing it for free (in a digital era the concept of a supply and demand market is WAY up the Swanee).
But i CAN try to make music so damned good you will feel you just HAVE TO HAVE it, the real thing…..and pay for it (maybe he can make more?).
My mission, Jim and i choose to accept it!
When the new tracks go up feel free to say what you like, it’s your RIGHT! Who knows; you might say the one thing that makes the next track what it needed to be! I won’t do what you say (just because you say it) but it may be the thing that makes a difference……for both of us!
Art is a conversation (i believe)…it takes two….at least.
On these terms i love you……….. and maybe you’ll love me
I remain humble
Music is a gift. I accept it as i hope you do
Rocking in the free world! gotta love it
Fondest regards,
CVBlack