6/5/11

Do What You Do.

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As the Summer of 2011 approaches, I'm finding that my life is truly on a path to success. I feel this because where I am right now is exactly where I asked to be (i.e. back to work, booking gigs, and working on my music). The specifics of these fulfilled requests are certainly not what I expected, but I reiterate to myself and my readers that God is not interested in putting you where you want to be, only where you need to be. Thus, I am confident that the work I put in this month is going to render some amazing results and new experiences that only get better as the temperature rises in the city. This kind of work-mode I'm in has given me a fresh perspective on the industry, particularly in how those who are involved in the music business tend to comment on it & reflect on its finer points - myself included.

Because I am an avid social network presence and self-promoter, I come across alot of iFodder from folks who work in the business. Such chatter is always important in the progression of music & art. However, what I've seen recently is a kind of cult-like complaint board. Folks are taking to the blogs, micro-blogs, and status message phenomenon to repeatedly express their discontent with what has happened to the state of mainstream music. Mind you, I have no problem admitting my contributions to this pool of anger & resentment, but looking back now, I'm seeing that there is a paper-thin line between such talk going from important to impotent, and I think we as a creative culture are crossing that line with less and less reservation or fear of retribution.

Knowing this to be true, one may wonder if there is a resolution to this newly found epidemic. In my humble opinion, the tongue-in-cheek response seems to fit nicely - on the surface at least: if you don't have something good to say, don't say anything at all. Looking more closely, my conclusions have led me to understand what our predecessors in music knew long before we got upset about the latest Pop trends: if you want something better for yourself or wish to be part of something greater than yourself, stop talking about it and get to work. In other words, shut up and do it.

Like many of our distractive Post Information-Age devices and social forums, simply ranting about what is happening to music via our technology isn't enough. In fact, it's virtually (pun intended) fruitless unless actions are being taken to make up for what so many of us feel is a lack of integrity in the Game. It has been said that real businessmen move in silence. Similarly, real musicians, artists, and creators, often do better and make more headway by letting their work speak for itself. This, of course, does not apply to the necessary promotion & networking that goes into building or maintaining a creative brand, but it directly applies to the frustration and outspoken nature of those who feel that music has somehow died or is dying. Music is an energy; and like the properties of energy, it cannot be destroyed, only passed from one medium to the next. If we keep on treating music like a dying animal, its only response will be to move on to a more appreciative space.

In any case, I would personally rather do less lamenting over the state of things and build more on what my gifts have allowed me to put forth into the world. I would like my work to speak for itself, and seeing as how it already has, I know it will continue to do so as long as I keep working. Will I continue to point out some of the less amicable points about the music industry and be staunchly critical of artistry & brand-building? Of course. But only because I expect nothing less than the same for me from both my Pals and my peers.

Will I revert to my older self, violently jaded and contentious about the business, eager to hate on something that I don't understand artistically, sacrificing time that could be spent on writing a new song or letting new fans know about my work? I pray that those days are over, and I pray that others on a path to the aesthetic will do the same. The time has long since come to leave the bitching at home & go out and do great things with our art. Stand out or sit down.

Later Pals :-)