Big music will surrender?

[sventvkg]

 

Well, I will say this - An artist who makes a really good living from writing and performing music has a lot more money and time and energy to put into music than an artist who is working a 40 hour per week day job. Therefore, it is in the best interest of the artist to make enough money so they don't have to do a day job, right? On paper, that's true. In reality, it's borderline impossible to make a really good living writing and performing music. You have to sacrifice a lot and risk your financial security and at least part of your financial future on the long shot chance that you'll end up making a good living. Most people have figured out how crappy their chances are, so they say "Well then I'll have to do it part time" or as a hobby. But if I had no other job but to write, record and perform music, would I be a better artist than I am right now? Sure. Do I regret anything? Nope.

 

 

I have no beef with hobby/part time musicians and if you into it and feel driven to be able to be a musician at that level, more power to you. At least you are still playing unlike so many that have quit to "get a real job". However for me, it's not an option and I have had some good composing, Audio post and Engineer/Producer Jobs that I just hated because I couldn't concentrate on my own music and my chops were going to {censored} because I didn't have the time to play,sing, practice and write. I'm internally driven to be better. To continually improve as a songwriter, player, performer, singer etc and it has nothing to do with money. It's my life and it makes up the majority of my self identity and what I really care about. If I didn't do music full time my development on so many levels would stay the same and in some area's regress and that's not an option. Plus I just get pissed off and depressed doing anything else for money so I compromise by doing gigs where I can't play ALL my own stuff all the time but they are high paying and allow me ample time to work on my stuff, still perform and work on improving that aspect as well. It's a tradeoff I can live with. I will say that it would not be possible to live the "American Dream" with the big house, cars, retirement etc that I think is a {censored}ing lie anyway, but I make a living, have nice instruments, travel and have a good time. Also, I look young for my age due to no stress of hating my job and living the material existance.

 

Anyway, I don't give a {censored} about downloading in the least. All I care about is continuing to refine and find tune what i do and it has nothing to do with anything other then internal drive. If you're really good, there will always be the ability to make a living. Even Woody Guthrie talked about that in his Autobiography; that he had no problem making a living traveling around during the depression because people wanted to hear what he had to say. The vast majority of what's going on out there {censored}ing sucks or is mediocre at best. Those people can go {censored}ing teach. I don't have the time for it because i'm gigging my ass off, traveling, writing and loving my life! It's what we make of it people! Have fun because it's a short trip!

[sventvkg]

 

Musical genius does not need profit motive, I agree with you. But musical geniuses will do better work if they do it full time, yes or no? It's not the only factor, but it's a good reason for musical geniuses to want to make money, no? I do like the topic/debate. I think your POV is interesting.

 

 

They do but Musician Geniuses do not do other work. They are too driven to be artists to waste their {censored}ing time doing something else and if they do, I would submit it's some mindless bull{censored} job where 90% of the time they are working on their music in their head anyway.

[richardmac]

If you are playing other people's music for money, that is indeed a compromise. It's an extremely logical one, because as you say, you can work on performing skills.

 

But while the American Dream may be a lie to you, understand that for a lot of us, it is not a lie - it's how we live, and how we want to live. Not everyone has a job they hate. I very much enjoy my job. Not as much as I enjoy putting back a beer at a college football game, but hey.

 

The lie might be that everyone "should" live that way - house, two cars, two kids, job, retirement policy. Not everyone should live that way. Not everyone should have kids - if you don't want them, don't have them.

 

But the flip side is true - At 43 years old, the most powerful, emotional moment in my life was when my daughter was born and I held her for the first time. I'm living the way I want to live, too. I'm not trading what I've got with anyone else I know.

 

To each his own.