I love that thanks to sites like Twitter and Facebook, I can keep tabs on my fellow colleagues and what they're up to. I'm noticing that as the year comes to a close, the 2010 hustle for many is all about that paper stack. Money. Cash. Cheese. Dough. Those coveted rectangular pieces of minted paper that determine our worth, economic standing, and class. And in one sense, I am happy to see my music-mates start thinking more along business lines.
But only in one sense.
What I'm also seeing, unfortunately, is a marked turn away from the important values that brought us to this business; the passion, the love, the desire, the hunger to make art and have it be received by engaged listeners. OK, CLEARLY, this is nothing new, and I'm not surprised by it, nor am I angry. I think what I feel is just a poignant acknowledgment that due to today's dire economic times, there's going to be alot of my contemporaries who are going to make some hard compromises in regards to their music & artistic vision. This is being coupled with an understandable yet strange boost in ego & arrogance. That is to say, these people are now seemingly all-of-a-sudden the end-all-be-all when it comes to what they do, therefore, a fee should not only be expected, it is asinine to think you'd be getting something for free from them.
Really?
Let's be very, VERY clear about one thing when it comes to me and why I'm here doing what I do: I love it. I don't understand all the reasons why I love it, but I do. Like I've said in many posts & blogs before, if I chose to make a different path in music, such as traditional composition, opera performance, or teaching music, not only would I still be happy, money would come quicker and with far more ease. But for me, pop music is not only a passion, it is a challenge that I wake up every day happy to face. Finding that right formula for a song, a beat, a mix...it's all fuel for that fire. So I'm trekking that path to find those formulas and make great pop music. Not for the cash - I wanna be comfortable in this game, trust - but for the sheer love of it.
So, my fellow music-heads and hustlers, remember, this money-thing some of you are lusting after, it's so temporal it's not even funny. I could go off on a super-tangent about how the dollar bill is actually in danger of crashing completely and will render our paper stack utterly useless, but I don't want to scare you (Do a Google search on: The Amero). But even if our economic system survives and booms again, I promise it will be so much more rewarding for all of us if we keep focusing on the passion that brought us to this place. Seriously, the payout will mean so much more.
Two things I want to leave you with here pals:
1. In this business, you are expendable: if you reach out and grab more than you can hold, you may get slapped on the wrist. Not only slapped, but possibly cut up at the fingers. Your talent is always measured by what the current successful members in your field can do, and this will always call into question your fees. No, you have nothing to prove to yourself, and God has blessed you with talent & skill, but pride and greed are both big sins that can really screw you over.
2. Never rule out the barter system: To be honest, it's one of my favorite ways to work. Yes, I charge where I think it's appropriate, and thanks to my experiences and knowledge, I know how to appropriately negotiate my money. But when working on my level (unsigned indie), it's always a great relationship-builder to do an even exchange of goods & services so as to better both parties involved. We can always find something we need from each other in this business, why not work that out?
Take it as you will, and you may not agree, Oh Chaser of the Paper, but I hope that I made you think, at the very least.
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