I had a weekend off. I played the Brenham Opry with Ricky on Thursday night and was done with gigs for the weekend. I had lots of kid time - went to the park a couple of times, saw "Coraline", hung out.
Sunday I went to Austin with a girl friend for a day trip. I know it sounds crazy but when you are constantly busy like me a day trip is about all you can do. And I packed it in. I saw Gary Claxton at Ginny's for Chicken Sh!t Bingo, Lucas Hudgins at the Mean Eyed Cat and Heybale! at the Continental Club. I had a blast. I missed work the next day - but it was worth it.
Usually when I have conversations with musicians, the inevitable happens. We talk about the Current State of Affairs in Country Music. And when you play hardcore country like me and my friends do, it usually seems like a sad state of affairs. . . .
It is a constant battle with me - I go back and forth between frustration and depression and my unwavering perseverance and hope. I don't hear the hope side from friends. They say things like, "No one wants to hear country music anymore" and "Hardcore country music is too different from what's on the radio - it can never make a comeback." A friend had a conversation with someone in the industry this weekend. My friend told this Industry Person, "We're making this tribute record." The industry person said, "Why? I sure hope you don't lose your a** making it."
Everyone knows that the record labels are in it for the money and that Corporate Greed has taken over the industry. The record labels want to KNOW that a record is going to sell - and sell big. Number of units is the name of the game. . . . but do you see my point yet?
We're all so distracted by profit margins and costs that we have forgotten about the MUSIC. My friend responded, "We know we're not going to make a killing on this album but we love this music and we feel like it deserves to be heard."
THAT, my friends, is what the music "business" is SUPPOSED to be about. The MUSIC. We, as artists, CANNOT fall into the same trap that has gripped our corporate money-loving record label executives. WE must remain true to the music - even if everyone else thinks differently.
And why turn your head to Nashville? My friend on MySpace, RoyJoeBob responded to one of my recent blogs (called "Take a Chance") with this:
"Your latest CD is an example of great music and well worth the money I did pay for it. My point being; I have the choice now of what music I want to hear. While it is not easy to find on the radio, it is out there and I do find it. So, here are my questions. If Nashville is not a place that respects true country music, why do so many of the good folks who play good country music aspire to be a part of it? If they are lucky enough to get signed by the big record company, what are the chances they will have any control of their music anymore? Should their efforts not be in creating a mecca of country music elsewhere? And if they did create this new country music capital, would money not corrupt it as well? While I appreciate all the musician’s needs to make a living in the field they choose, perhaps I am selfish in my opinion that things are not quite so bad for the true country music fan. I just do not want to see good folks like you give up because of the difficulties in making a living playing this type of music."
For one thing, a lot of us artists are still tempted by this dangling carrot called "The Possibility of Making a Living at Playing Music". A major label can turn your head - "Here's your chance." Here's someone with power and the ability to make things happen. Except that they don't pour a lot of money or effort into you. Again, they've got to stay low risk. So, they're going to promote you as cheaply as possible and pray that something will happen to make you the Next Big Thing. Sure, the odds are against you - but it's hard to keep your head out of the clouds. All you want is a chance - and why turn it down?
RoyJoeBob is singing my song. Create a country music mecca somewhere else. The spirit of the Grand Ole Opry is dead - that spirit of musicians coming together and hanging out and creating the music they love left awhile ago. And YES, RoyJoeBob is certainly right - your new mecca will again become corrupted and become about the Mecca and NOT about the music.
So where are you left? Once again, you are left as the individual - the music artist. It is up to YOU to be true to yourself and true to the music inside of you. Because ANY organization in the world is going to forget about that. They will get distracted with corporate tax law and legal issues and profits and a million other things that have nothing to do with creating music. But YOU, the ARTIST, the one who straps the guitar, fiddle, bass, drums or steel guitar on their back (glad I don't play steel or drums - ha.) - YOU are the one who at the end of the day has to "take care of your instrument", as Gary Carpenter says. And he goes on to say, "Take care of your instrument and it will take care of you."
When it is all said and done, the music is what you are left with. Fame comes and goes. Critics love you and then they hate you. Money is there one day and gone the next. But the MUSIC stays. And the COOLEST thing about music is that true music fans are the same way. They stay. Through your packed shows and through your shows with 10 people in the audience. Because the FAN is all about the music.
I have no answers for how to make it big in music today, but I do know ONE thing. If this music is not made, it WILL die. If artists disregard genuine music for a day job or for crappy music, then we will lose that portion of our souls that makes us real, emotional and part of something called "life" and not "Robot World".
You must ask yourself, "What are my values?" Do you aspire to fame and fortune? Or are you aspiring to express the music that is inside your soul? If you choose the latter, then focus on THAT. On the music. On the people that love the music. Forget the mainstream. Forget the naysayers. Should I say it again?
DO WHAT YOU LOVE.
Sunday I went to Austin with a girl friend for a day trip. I know it sounds crazy but when you are constantly busy like me a day trip is about all you can do. And I packed it in. I saw Gary Claxton at Ginny's for Chicken Sh!t Bingo, Lucas Hudgins at the Mean Eyed Cat and Heybale! at the Continental Club. I had a blast. I missed work the next day - but it was worth it.
Usually when I have conversations with musicians, the inevitable happens. We talk about the Current State of Affairs in Country Music. And when you play hardcore country like me and my friends do, it usually seems like a sad state of affairs. . . .
It is a constant battle with me - I go back and forth between frustration and depression and my unwavering perseverance and hope. I don't hear the hope side from friends. They say things like, "No one wants to hear country music anymore" and "Hardcore country music is too different from what's on the radio - it can never make a comeback." A friend had a conversation with someone in the industry this weekend. My friend told this Industry Person, "We're making this tribute record." The industry person said, "Why? I sure hope you don't lose your a** making it."
Everyone knows that the record labels are in it for the money and that Corporate Greed has taken over the industry. The record labels want to KNOW that a record is going to sell - and sell big. Number of units is the name of the game. . . . but do you see my point yet?
We're all so distracted by profit margins and costs that we have forgotten about the MUSIC. My friend responded, "We know we're not going to make a killing on this album but we love this music and we feel like it deserves to be heard."
THAT, my friends, is what the music "business" is SUPPOSED to be about. The MUSIC. We, as artists, CANNOT fall into the same trap that has gripped our corporate money-loving record label executives. WE must remain true to the music - even if everyone else thinks differently.
And why turn your head to Nashville? My friend on MySpace, RoyJoeBob responded to one of my recent blogs (called "Take a Chance") with this:
"Your latest CD is an example of great music and well worth the money I did pay for it. My point being; I have the choice now of what music I want to hear. While it is not easy to find on the radio, it is out there and I do find it. So, here are my questions. If Nashville is not a place that respects true country music, why do so many of the good folks who play good country music aspire to be a part of it? If they are lucky enough to get signed by the big record company, what are the chances they will have any control of their music anymore? Should their efforts not be in creating a mecca of country music elsewhere? And if they did create this new country music capital, would money not corrupt it as well? While I appreciate all the musician’s needs to make a living in the field they choose, perhaps I am selfish in my opinion that things are not quite so bad for the true country music fan. I just do not want to see good folks like you give up because of the difficulties in making a living playing this type of music."
For one thing, a lot of us artists are still tempted by this dangling carrot called "The Possibility of Making a Living at Playing Music". A major label can turn your head - "Here's your chance." Here's someone with power and the ability to make things happen. Except that they don't pour a lot of money or effort into you. Again, they've got to stay low risk. So, they're going to promote you as cheaply as possible and pray that something will happen to make you the Next Big Thing. Sure, the odds are against you - but it's hard to keep your head out of the clouds. All you want is a chance - and why turn it down?
RoyJoeBob is singing my song. Create a country music mecca somewhere else. The spirit of the Grand Ole Opry is dead - that spirit of musicians coming together and hanging out and creating the music they love left awhile ago. And YES, RoyJoeBob is certainly right - your new mecca will again become corrupted and become about the Mecca and NOT about the music.
So where are you left? Once again, you are left as the individual - the music artist. It is up to YOU to be true to yourself and true to the music inside of you. Because ANY organization in the world is going to forget about that. They will get distracted with corporate tax law and legal issues and profits and a million other things that have nothing to do with creating music. But YOU, the ARTIST, the one who straps the guitar, fiddle, bass, drums or steel guitar on their back (glad I don't play steel or drums - ha.) - YOU are the one who at the end of the day has to "take care of your instrument", as Gary Carpenter says. And he goes on to say, "Take care of your instrument and it will take care of you."
When it is all said and done, the music is what you are left with. Fame comes and goes. Critics love you and then they hate you. Money is there one day and gone the next. But the MUSIC stays. And the COOLEST thing about music is that true music fans are the same way. They stay. Through your packed shows and through your shows with 10 people in the audience. Because the FAN is all about the music.
I have no answers for how to make it big in music today, but I do know ONE thing. If this music is not made, it WILL die. If artists disregard genuine music for a day job or for crappy music, then we will lose that portion of our souls that makes us real, emotional and part of something called "life" and not "Robot World".
You must ask yourself, "What are my values?" Do you aspire to fame and fortune? Or are you aspiring to express the music that is inside your soul? If you choose the latter, then focus on THAT. On the music. On the people that love the music. Forget the mainstream. Forget the naysayers. Should I say it again?
DO WHAT YOU LOVE.
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