I'm no expert, but I don't think it's harder today to make money in music. You need less talent (you don't even need to be able to play or write music), and you don't need connections or a contract with a record company. because of this , there is probably much more competition than before, so for any individual it may seem harder to break out of the crowd of wannabees.
I laugh at this one guy I know - he spent decades stealing music, then tried to go into the music business, only to find that there is no money in it, due to it all being stolen.
Why pay for stuff you can steal online?
My response has been one of not buying any music at all, nor stealing it.
David Byrne - isn't he the guy who had trouble finding a suit that fit him?
I think that what killed my second born as far as being a professional artist goes (because the talent is certainly there) was being exposed to professional art.
It is very much doing the same thing over and over with small variations in order to continue selling. And it's not even the Big Bucks, just the fact that the artist finds a niche and there you are.
She was telling me about going to see a sculptor's work with her class at her "competitive entry" art high-school and each piece was a glazed slab of clay with holes in it. The slabs were a variety of shapes. The holes were a variety of arrangements. The glaze dripped from the holes in a variety of colors and thicknesses.
She imagined being stuck making clay slabs with holes in them the rest of her life...
Now, what artists will do is go through their "periods". 'This was during his "blue" period' or 'This was her "realism" period.' So they make lots and lots of nearly identical pieces of art, explore all the possible variations, perfect the work... and then when their soul dies they take a break and then try something else.
The best advice would probably be to take business courses or hire someone to be certain that you've built some flexibility into your life for those "have to find myself and my vision again" periods.
6 comments:
I'm no expert, but I don't think it's harder today to make money in music. You need less talent (you don't even need to be able to play or write music), and you don't need connections or a contract with a record company. because of this , there is probably much more competition than before, so for any individual it may seem harder to break out of the crowd of wannabees.
I laugh at this one guy I know - he spent decades stealing music, then tried to go into the music business, only to find that there is no money in it, due to it all being stolen.
Why pay for stuff you can steal online?
My response has been one of not buying any music at all, nor stealing it.
David Byrne - isn't he the guy who had trouble finding a suit that fit him?
Well, I know nothing of David Byrne or of music for that matter. But as for artists, the old saw still applies:
Poets start in gladness and end in madness.
I always liked David Byrne. Maybe because I was touched he did a song about me and a few others, Psycho Killer.
I think that what killed my second born as far as being a professional artist goes (because the talent is certainly there) was being exposed to professional art.
It is very much doing the same thing over and over with small variations in order to continue selling. And it's not even the Big Bucks, just the fact that the artist finds a niche and there you are.
She was telling me about going to see a sculptor's work with her class at her "competitive entry" art high-school and each piece was a glazed slab of clay with holes in it. The slabs were a variety of shapes. The holes were a variety of arrangements. The glaze dripped from the holes in a variety of colors and thicknesses.
She imagined being stuck making clay slabs with holes in them the rest of her life...
Now, what artists will do is go through their "periods". 'This was during his "blue" period' or 'This was her "realism" period.' So they make lots and lots of nearly identical pieces of art, explore all the possible variations, perfect the work... and then when their soul dies they take a break and then try something else.
The best advice would probably be to take business courses or hire someone to be certain that you've built some flexibility into your life for those "have to find myself and my vision again" periods.
Maybe Palladian will show up and tell me I'm wrong. :)
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