My Dad is an insurance broker. Come to think of it, if you're in Texas, look him up for insurance. Why? Because he's a broker and he's not trying to sell you on one thing. If you can get a better deal somewhere else - he'll tell you. Imagine that.
One thing that insurance is about is about managing risk. And what insurance companies have done is work harder and harder to make sure that they keep their risk as low as possible - so low that you pay huge premiums and they pay less on claims - or deny them completely.
It is a problem with society. CEOs lay off entry level workers but still maintain their million dollar stock options. And it has corrupted the music industry. There was a time when a record label would take a chance on an artist because they had "potential". Not anymore. The labels want a KNOWN. They want zero risk. They want to sign someone that they KNOW is going to sell - and not just sell, but sell BIG.
The problem is that it's a faulty business model. Anyone will tell you that you can't start any new product line and know for sure whether it will sell. That's what research and development is for. A company finds focus groups. They test out the product to see what the reaction is. But the recording industry has decided to skip R&D with new artists. In the old days, you'd release one album and that was one phase of R&D. The next album was the second. And if the third didn't hit, then you probably got dropped. Nowadays you don't get to the first album. And if you do, that first album has to HIT - and in a big way. Or you're sent back to the state you came from with a bag in hand.
Risk is a part of business. And everyone wants to minimize their risk. The artist nowadays has gotten to the point where you HAVE to invest in YOURSELF. You cannot rely on a record deal. You can't rely on your talent - or even good looks. There are thousands of wanna-be "stars" lined up for American Idol auditions. You are just one of the masses. So you can sing? Who cares. So you write music? Good for you. So you can play an instrument really well? Enjoy that all you want. THE INDUSTRY DOESN'T GIVE A RAT'S A**.
But here's the good news. Here's the hope. The FANS CARE. They are so starving for good music, that they are looking for it online in off-the-beaten-path places. That is why they download. They want to pick and choose what is good - why pay $15 for something that might only have 3 good tracks? Download the ones you like.
It is also why Sirius and XM Radio have overtaken FM Radio. Because fans want to hear artists they are into - the artists that they go see regularly at clubs. A country fan does not want Jessica Simpson - a non-country performer with a VERY pop sound - shoved down their throats. A hardcore country fan won't listen to anything on FM radio. They're not into either Nashville or the Texas Music thing. They'll tune into Willie's place - and hunt for real country through CD baby or, if they're savvy, http://www.honkytonkinmusic.com.
It's time to take a chance. Take a risk. If you're an artist - invest in yourself. Aren't you worth it to yourself? What's the worst that can happen? You spend too much money on a "hobby" - but you can look yourself in the mirror and say, "I tried. I did my best. I put my time, effort and money into something that I believe in."
If you're a fan, quit puking on that crap that the mainstream tries to force down your throat. Open your eyes. Look around. There is some great music to be found.
One thing that insurance is about is about managing risk. And what insurance companies have done is work harder and harder to make sure that they keep their risk as low as possible - so low that you pay huge premiums and they pay less on claims - or deny them completely.
It is a problem with society. CEOs lay off entry level workers but still maintain their million dollar stock options. And it has corrupted the music industry. There was a time when a record label would take a chance on an artist because they had "potential". Not anymore. The labels want a KNOWN. They want zero risk. They want to sign someone that they KNOW is going to sell - and not just sell, but sell BIG.
The problem is that it's a faulty business model. Anyone will tell you that you can't start any new product line and know for sure whether it will sell. That's what research and development is for. A company finds focus groups. They test out the product to see what the reaction is. But the recording industry has decided to skip R&D with new artists. In the old days, you'd release one album and that was one phase of R&D. The next album was the second. And if the third didn't hit, then you probably got dropped. Nowadays you don't get to the first album. And if you do, that first album has to HIT - and in a big way. Or you're sent back to the state you came from with a bag in hand.
Risk is a part of business. And everyone wants to minimize their risk. The artist nowadays has gotten to the point where you HAVE to invest in YOURSELF. You cannot rely on a record deal. You can't rely on your talent - or even good looks. There are thousands of wanna-be "stars" lined up for American Idol auditions. You are just one of the masses. So you can sing? Who cares. So you write music? Good for you. So you can play an instrument really well? Enjoy that all you want. THE INDUSTRY DOESN'T GIVE A RAT'S A**.
But here's the good news. Here's the hope. The FANS CARE. They are so starving for good music, that they are looking for it online in off-the-beaten-path places. That is why they download. They want to pick and choose what is good - why pay $15 for something that might only have 3 good tracks? Download the ones you like.
It is also why Sirius and XM Radio have overtaken FM Radio. Because fans want to hear artists they are into - the artists that they go see regularly at clubs. A country fan does not want Jessica Simpson - a non-country performer with a VERY pop sound - shoved down their throats. A hardcore country fan won't listen to anything on FM radio. They're not into either Nashville or the Texas Music thing. They'll tune into Willie's place - and hunt for real country through CD baby or, if they're savvy, http://www.honkytonkinmusic.com.
It's time to take a chance. Take a risk. If you're an artist - invest in yourself. Aren't you worth it to yourself? What's the worst that can happen? You spend too much money on a "hobby" - but you can look yourself in the mirror and say, "I tried. I did my best. I put my time, effort and money into something that I believe in."
If you're a fan, quit puking on that crap that the mainstream tries to force down your throat. Open your eyes. Look around. There is some great music to be found.
You are so right, Leslie. Fans of real country music have come together to form support groups in order to inform each other about all the great country music still being recorded today.
I haven't bothered with FM radio since everything on FM went sour in the mid-nineties. It never even crosses my mind to turn to a "country station" anymore. I listen to XM and Sirius and I search the web for the kind of music that I want to hear.
My iPod has over 9000 songs on it now and I don't think that FM radio would play more than a small handful of them. I talk real country music to anyone willing to listen - and we trade band names like I used to trade baseball cards when I was a kid. We turn each other on to new music the same way that I did back in high school - word of mouth from trusted friends.
I hand my iPod to friends and let them flip through the artist list while answering their questions about each of the bands they are curious about.
In other words, those of you with the talent to make the kind of music me and my friends want to hear give us hope that there will always be country music. It may not be on the radio; it may not be on a major label; but it will definitely be appreciated by those of us who know the difference between pop and country.
Thank you for what you do.
Posted by: Sam Sattler | February 20, 2009 at 06:01 PM