--this little piece I've been reading may hurt a few feelings, but it needs to be said...--
"Fame is a bee. / It has a song / It has a sting / Ah, too, it has a wing."
– Emily Dickinson
First, let’s get rid of some myths. Musicians sometimes fall victim
to the notion they are doing something so precious and valuable that
they can’t understand why the world isn’t shoving money in their
pockets and adulation on their heads. “Why am I not famous yet?”– a
question rarely asked out loud but certainly poking around inside many
musicians – especially those aspiring to the heights of fame and worldly success. Is it me, or is there a bit of an entitlement mentality here –
that the world owes you a living, or something?
Well, surprise, your “work” is no more valuable than the
auto mechanic’s and the zookeeper’s. Let that sink in.
Reality check: The “culture industries” we play in perpetuate the myth by allowing the marginalization of “art” on the one hand, and the divinization of the same on the other. “Art,” according to this view, is created by the very
few and must be protected behind marble and glass in buildings
resembling temples of old.
The message is clear: Look, but don’t
touch. At the same time, “Art” is elbowed out of reach of the common
man, and the training of the same must happen in credentialed
institutions of “higher learning,” else you may not wear the badge of
“Artist”.
This might seem odd coming from someone employed by the world’s
top contemporary music college, but I base it on observation of
hundreds of music careerists over many years. While most musicians I
know take a humble stance in relation to their work, the myth persists
and can affect musicians’ inner lives to a great degree, sometimes
without them even knowing it.
Let’s face it. The upward climb can seem to last forever. In reality, it is
never-ending — unless you are planning on hitting some predetermined
plateau and squatting there.
Don’t fall into the trap of feeling that the race is not going well just
because you’re not at the finish line yet. The race has something to
celebrate all along its track. What becomes tiresome to the aspiring
musician is not achieving some significant milestones. We’ll address
that later.
Perhaps it’s helpful to remember all those ten year “overnight”
successes. Indie rockers Death Cab for Cutie released their first
record in 1998 and didn’t get their wider recognition until their first
Grammy nomination in 2008. It took almost ten years of total
immersion into his craft as a songwriter and vocalist for John
Stephens to make the transition to Grammy-winning John Legend.
And, lest we forget, when the Beatles landed in NYC in 1964 for
their first U.S. appearance, they had already been together since
1957 and had clocked an estimated 1,200 gigs, many
consisting of eight hour sets at Hamburg and Liverpool clubs!
Here’s the reality: A full-time performing (or, songwriting, or
recording, or what have you) career may not be in the cards for you.
The unrelenting laws of supply and demand are real, and are being felt
more today than ever before. This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try for
it. Of course you should, and many will achieve it. But musicians need
to give themselves permission to be weekend warriors with non-music
day jobs too.
That’s OK, ok?
Being a full-time “artist” is a fine goal, but try seeing that goal in light
of Meister Eckhart’s words: “An artist is not a special kind of person.
Rather, every person is a special kind of artist.” A business meeting is
a jazz jam; a DIY rock band is a management team. Don’t let
industrial age divisions of labor blind you to the possibilities for
creative engagement everywhere and anywhere. You can create in
myriad ways with myriad means in myriad venues.
Of course, the myth of the Artist is currently crashing on the rocks of
the DIY revolution where everyone from your kid sister to Jay Z are
seizing control of the means of production to put their creative
thumbprints on the new music landscape. This revolution is
empowering millions while at the same time creating more competition
for everyone. I tend to agree with Producer Richie Zito that with the
current technology, there is a tendency for artists to record long
before they’re ready. He reckons it’s like cooking. You can have all the
ingredients in the world, “but if you take it out of the oven too soon,
it’s not going to taste good.” Here, here.
Just because you can record and release tracks and CDs doesn’t mean
you should. No wine before its time.
Insert from Peter Spellman's "Developing Music Careers in Uncertain Times" - eBook