A Quiet Voice
March 25, 2008 – 9:14 pmin the land of wanna-be big shots hoping to be the next ____________________ (fill in the blank) and realize their dreams of “making it” in an industry that hates you, i, as a quiet voice in a vast sea of nobody artists, have a spot of advice.
stop. stop everything you are doing, and get back to what you really do, and that’s make your art. i think it was an ad for the website called Taxi that did it for me (no I’m not linking to it, you can find it on your own). This site probably has thousands upon thousands of artists signed up, jumping through hoops all in the hopes that their craft will be heard by a Someone, and that Someone will want to hear more, and maybe start writing checks (which will inevitably come with a huge cost attached) out to your name. The concept of this site offends me, it offends me deeply in that why I, or any artist with even just the smallest bit of self respect, spend a considerable sum of money in the infinitesimally small odds that “something happens?”
allow me to expand on my advice. stop spending that money, your hard earned resources on what is actually a gamble with considerably worse odds than a Las Vegas casino, and instead invest that money on you and your art?
what in the hell do you need a record label for? why do you need to be part of an industry that doesn’t like you and would figure new and creative ways to separate you from your money?
You don’t need them. Any of them. Look, you want to have your art published, right? I mean, that’s pretty much the point, yes? Well, get it done, do it yourself for crying out loud! There are places like Lulu which will manufacture your CD free-of-charge in an on-demand basis (which goes a long way in cutting out waste). Need merch? Try Spreadshirt. Need a record pressed, well there’s always United and Pirates Press. Look, it takes a bit of work on your end, and I may be off my rocker, but I consider that work fun, I mean, look at it this way, you are in control, in the driver’s seat. You call the shots, you are getting the job done.
I’m a big proponent of DIY, hell I’ve been active in the community for close to 20 years, and I run this other web site called DIYSearch, so I drank the kool aid long ago, but for love of all that is holy, stop giving these jackasses your money and you invest it with yourself.
So, let me repeat myself, stop wasting your time, money and resources on ridiculous scams, schemes and “promotional avenues” to get your name/art out there, and start actually producing something. Yeah that’s right, this is a challenge. I dare you. I dare you to stop with the Taxis of the world, and turn that time and money into a real product. Make something!
The big thing for me was never to make records, but to make ‘music’. The only things my band ever recorded were simple tapes so we’d remember how the song went the next week or so.
The live experience is much more important, and if you do want that contract, the easiest way to get it is to show a fan-base, which you get from playing live. Stop playing for yourself, talk to the folks at that coffee shop that occasionally has live acoustic music, or the restaurant that has rock night, or the club that has open mic auditions, the festival that allows community groups to play. Get out there. Do something. Play your music.
Reply to SiliconJesus@sj:
i can’t speak for anyone else, but for me the live experience is the narcotic end of the art. quick fast high, a lot of work to get it, and leaves just as fast.
i like recording. i love the process of creation, and like a painter or a writer, i share my creation through the releasing of things (demos, cds, records…)
have i completely abandoned the idea of performing live? no, but it isn’t my priority. having a huge fan base? nope, not a priority either, the same as a painter just wants to produce, that’s what i want to do. if someone else happens to like it (or consume it) then, that just made the experience for me that much more richer.
@blinder
You are sharing your art. You’re using a different medium, but its one where people ‘get’ your music and have feedback to you. I guess I’m just trying to say there’s another way to get there.
Reply to SiliconJesus@sj:
yes i understand, but the whole point of things like Taxi is to get “discovered” by an A&R type, and what’s the end game of that? putting out a record. yes, booking a tour is also a big part of that, but i chose to ignore that side of the business and stick to the side i gravitate to… it was just convenience
@blinder:
Cool, I was misunderstanding the motive.
Reply to SiliconJesus