This morning, as I sat outside in my usual “WHAT THE CRAP IS HAPPENING TO MUSIC?” Mood, I went through something that I see every one of my contemporaries, and anyone who has ever been involved with music, thought about being involved with music, or pretty much any form of artistic expression:
“WHAT’S THE POINT-ISM”
“I’ve written all these songs, and many are really good, but no one will ever hear them at all…”
WHAT’S THE POINT?
“I put things up on the Internet and no one outside my friends or relatives see or hear them…”
WHAT’S THE POINT?
“I keep going to writers nights, open mics, playing to no one….”
WHAT’S THE POINT?
“I get streams or “likes” and don’t even make enough to pay for a Burger.”
WHAT’S THE POINT
“Even if I get a paying gig, it usually doesn’t even pay enough for the gas to get there?”
WHAT’S THE POINT?
“Now, people just speak into a computer or phone and a fully recorded song pops out in minutes. Where is that going?
WHAT’S THE POINT?
So yes, we all go through the same thing. We all have the same struggles. So the question is WHAT DO WE DO ABOUT IT?
I can’t say what others may do, but I have to look at it myself? I’ve been writing songs for nearly 50 years. I have had a few cuts, writing deals, have been a performer all my life, have achieved a few nice things, but I’ve never achieved those huge hit songs, million selling performances. I’ve played to more TABLES AND CHAIRS than most people. (Yeah, I wrote that.) LOL! But I’m not a household word.
BUT, I’ve had many more good times than bad, so that is what I try to focus on.
If you are doing this, you have to understand that it is NOT a Musical ATM machine. You don’t put X amount of money, effort, time in, and get X amount of rewards, money, out. It is not a DIRECT LINE. It’s a “friend of a friend of a friend of someone who heard you who told someone else. You don’t write a song, work and work on it, record it, pitch it, get it cut. You don’t just do a show and fame and fortune don’t show up on the horizon.
As a matter of fact, I always like it when someone says, “I don’t want to be rich and famous.” That way I can always say,
“YOU PICKED THE RIGHT BUSINESS FOR THAT.”
Most writers, artists, people involved in any artistic endeavor will probably never earn a dime from it. Even the big time, monster hit writers have only about 5% of their overall lifetime of work, receive any attention at all. And today, all people have to do is speak into a computer or phone and Artificial Intelligence will write what they want in just a few minutes.
SO WHAT’S THE POINT?
In short, sometimes there’s NOT A LOT OF POINT. “WE DO WHAT WE DO FOR THE LOVE OF IT, SURE AIN’T FOR THE BUCKS”
A person I know once said that. In short, WE DO THIS FOR US.
I often liken all this to the game of GOLF. What is Golf? Millions upon Millions upon Millions of people who spend Billions upon billions upon billions of dollars on equipment, lessons, clothing, travel, joining clubs and organizations, subscribing to television networks and Golf related publications, and yet less than a percent of a percent of a percent of people will ever even be in a BEST BALL competition, much less going for a PGA card.
What is music? Millions upon millions upon millions of people spending Billions upon billions upon billions of dollars on equipment, lessons, recordings, travel, joining clubs and organizations, subscribing to music related services, and related publications, and less than a percent of a percent of a percent, of people will ever make a dime, or be recognized in any way whatsoever for their creative endeavors.
WHAT’S THE POINT?
That is what we all must decide for ourselves. What is it worth to you? If you knew in advance you would never make a dime from it would you still write, perform, record? Yes, you would. There are different reasons we write. Commercial is only one of them. Self-therapy, hobbyist, relationships, or just plain because WE CAN’T NOT WRITE. It’s all part of it and all valid. If we succeed, that is all gravy. But not always necessary. Like Golf, we are always playing against ourselves. Want to write a better song, hang with some better people, work our way through our own lives.
So for me, WHAT IS THE POINT?
Well, when I write some of these things and someone approaches me on a writers night, or just being in an audience and saying
“Man, I really appreciate what you wrote. It helped me through a tough spot.”
When I perform on some of the shows I do, and someone says “Your song really helped me because its exactly what I’ve been going through.
Or when a friend calls me out of the blue, and says we are booked on another BLUEBIRD SHOW after just doing one a few weeks ago.
When it leads to another co-write, a slot on a benefit, a trip out of state to perform in front of people I’ve never met.
When you find that ABSOLUTELY PERFECT phrase or musical section, and you feel that hair standing up on the back of your neck.
When you hear that “Ahhh.” From an audience.
When people quote your lyrics back to you. When you make a difference in someone else’s life. Including your own.
THAT’S THE POINT.