Music to Fill Your Pants To

January 16, 2006

I’ve been enjoying a relaxing weekend off. While my old job was physically demanding, the new one is quite mentally demanding. Sometimes one day off isn’t enough and I don’t feel fully ‘recharged’ until I’ve had a couple off in a row. I guess that’s why I get every other weekend off. It works out well. I’m not sure I could go five days straight in a row with this job (ya know… if I was to have every weekend off).

I spent today exploring the web for new music. I performed a housecleaning on my iPod and music library a few days ago. I got rid of over three-hundred songs and suddenly had the room and hankerin’ for something new. I got a nice iTunes gift card for Christmas, so this gave me a good opportunity to hunt down something new. I found a couple of websites filled with little known or unsigned bands. Between the lot, I was able to find a nice chunk of music.

The majority of the unsigned bands/artists are giving away their music online in what I can only assume is a technique to gain a fan base. I’m sure most, if not all, of them will pull the freebies when/if they get signed. I’m sure the record labels aren’t really down with free music. Greedy bastards. One of the folks I discovered today is unsigned not because of lack of talent (he’s actually quite good)… but because he wants to remain unsigned. He’s been offered recording deals on several occasions. But he keeps turning them down and chooses to play intimate shows in small venues all over the country.

Is it possible that some artists (of any kind) are actually more interested in creating their art than in fame and glory?

Much like professional athletes, musicians have become some of the highest paid people walking the planet. Both professions require a large amount of hard work and a hefty chunk of invested time. But both are also what I consider “playing” professions. People play sports for a lot of reasons, but on some level, all do so because they enjoy it. The same can be said about music. The creation and performance of music is something that, at its core, is ultimately about being able to do something that you enjoy. Sure… it’s nice if other people like your creations. But most people who sing, play, or write do so because they like doing it. Initially.

Why do you sing in the car? Why do you sing the shower? Why do you play the air guitar while dancing around the living room? Why do you play a real guitar while sitting on your bed, alone? Is it because you expect someone to burst through the door and give you money? Do you sing in the shower hoping and praying that someone will recognize you on the street and poop their pants in excitement over meeting you? No. You do all of these things because they bring you pleasure. You enjoy doing them.

Enter the record label.

Say someone does burst through the door with poop-filled pants and offers you a recording deal. They’re going to pay you to do what you love to do - make music. They’re going to give you access to expensive equipment and they’re going to shove your new album down the throats of an eager population. They’re going to schedule you for a worldwide tour to promote your new album… which of course will take up almost every moment of your time for the next year… ya know… between travel and performing and doing talk shows and the Tonight Show. And finally all of your hard work will pay off and you’ll be rolling in it.

Not too bad, huh? Getting paid to do something that you enjoy is never a bad thing. It’s what most of us can only dream about. The problem is that, before too long, you’re no longer making music because you enjoy it. You’re making music to keep your pockets lined. Unfortunately, I’ve seen Cribs on MTV. I know what people do when they start to make money. They blow it on excessive, silly crap. So they have to keep signing deals and making record execs rich so that they can continue to buy more excessive, silly crap (or pay for the excessive, silly crap that they’ve already bought on credit). It’s a vicious cycle spun out of greed and gluttony… two of those ‘deadly sins’ we’re all guilty of committing now and then.

Many times you can tell when the shift occurs. The first album or two put out by a new artist/group has a certain sound… THEIR sound. After a couple of albums, things begin to change. They need to grow their fan base. Or reach a new audience. Or appeal to whatever new group the recording industry is tripping over at the time. So their sound has to change. It’s no longer a reflection of what they feel. It’s a reflection of what the masses want to hear. It’s a reflection of what their manager thinks will sell. Hence the term “sell out”. By this point, it’s official - you’re in it for the fame and glory. Not all signed artists make the change. Some do not and you can almost bet they’re the ones with smaller record sales, but more fulfilling careers.

So I say hurrah to the artists out there who continue to stay true to their calling. I say more power to the artists, unsigned and signed alike, who continue to create music that is an expression of themselves and not a cookie-cutter expression of what will sell. You can really tell when someone is performing something meaningful on a personal level… and when they’re just trying to rake it in.

I needed to hear some meaningful art today to remind me that it is out there. Thanks… artists.

Category Posted in Human Nature