Steve Ison wrote:I get amazed how riled and depressed i always get with your posts n comments Chris-tho i still kinda enjoy reading them lol...I suppose its 'cos on some level your constantly pragmatic,reductionist philosophy is true and you can't argue with it...Its true in the buisness sense where everything simply boils down to the $$$..
It crushes the imagination, makes art seem meaningless and belittles and insults people whilst pretending all the while its serving them..
It's like the artistic sensibility is to do with freedom, idealism, affecting people emotionally, beauty, magic, individuality and quality of consciousness.... It's the opposite of cold hard business which cares about none of those things.....Everything gets crushed into the same question..Can we-or can't we sell it? That's the 'meaning' in business.. In that world Achey Breaky Heart is a far superior song to anything ever made by any indie anywhere-'cos it made more money... Insane from an artistic perspective-but undeniably true from a business one..
It kinda explains why often the best marketers for music are rarely the best artists..If your headspace is constantly geared toward selling-fitting yourself into a marketplace-your creativity's gonna be chained to that-and not be as free and individual in expressing your love for the music-which ultimately means the most to people in the end..
And yet, the thing that people come to me for relentlessly is to answer the question: how do I make some money doing what I'm doing? How can I get into your festival, onto your stage or your radio program... how can I sell more tickets, more records, more downloads - where's the store who will accept me?
I make music today because it satisfies my soul. Once upon a time I performed for a living - it was how I paid my bills - and I did 'okay' with that - I didn't have to be creative; I was a living jukebox within a preconceived style of music.
Every single musician I know comes to me with the same questions --- how then can I not be pragmatic?
I love the artistry of music - at every level, from the novice beginner regardless of age to the virtuoso wizened by age and experience .... but I can't play every level of music on my radio program or put every level of music on a festival stage...
I recently did sound for a local music school --- kids from 6 to 70 performing --- many of them for the very first time ... it was thrilling! I did not have to worry about whether they or I made money. The venue I work at booked it without considering whether it would make money for them, because, of course, they knew it would (when kids are involved, the parents come out - and money is spent).
I cannot quantify the experience.
