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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | "W. Colter" <deedlemusic@sbcglobal.net> |
| Subject | Not done yet |
| Date | Fri, 11 Jul 2003 10:33:57 -0700 (PDT) |
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Kevin had the unmitigated nerve to write:
>>>>Ah, but you see...our definitions of "making it on their own" are not
the same...I do not equate "making it"
with making lots of money. I believe "making it" is writing music that
you can record and sell and establish a name for yourself and see your
work be enjoyed and appreciated by fans.
As long as an artist's primary drive is money in the music industry,
they won't succeed. Those that are doing this mostly for the money,
and even HAVE a lot of talent, almost never get anywhere. need to
prioritize.>>>>>
Uh huh, wow, thanks for the advice, there, Kev. It always amazes me that fans have more awareness and understanding of a career in music than I do. Really, you should go into business as a counselor for all these poor artists who have been breaking their asses for years trying to make a life for themselves in music. Better to know up front that this is just going to be an expensive hobby and just be satisfied with that, huh? Yes, you're RIGHT, Kevin -- dreams? aspirations? wanting to make a fucking difference in the world via the sung word -- phhhht! If I can just make KEVIN happy with my music then, by golly, I've actually ACHIEVED something with my life and it's ALL BEEN WORTH IT.
Give me a major break, and all the rest of you who have NO idea of what it takes or what it means to be a musician/artist in these times. Why on earth would you think that you have any business telling me or any other musician what the hell we should be satisfied with or assume what my, or any one else's, priorities are? Do you think any of us would even begin to tell you something like that about YOUR life's work, your business, your industry, what you went to school for and built your life around? Screw you and the sanctimonious horse you rode in on.
Let me tell you something, dear friends and fans -- watching the music business -- the construct which allowed me the ability (not the guarantee, the ABILITY) to achieve my life's goals -- die a horrific death over the past five years has been one of the most disempowering, depressing, insanely fucked up things I've ever had to endure. Listening to music fans spout utter bullshit about how one needs to "prioritize" and "do it for love" (as if we haven't prioritized EVERYTHING and done EVERYTHING for love, dear god -- we know more about sacrificing for one's art than you'll ever know in 10 lifetimes) -- adds such insult to injury it's nearly driven me out of music for good.
Perhaps those musicians who've never had aspirations can take your advice, Kevin. I'm not, and have never been, one of those kind. Most of the artists I call friends have not been one of those kind either. We all know that what we've planned for ourselves and been working for is now a lost cause. We all know we'll have to content ourselves with a few hundred or a few thousand sold, that our life's work is now a hobby. Until you know what that FEELS like, and can show some of that respect that you purport to have, I suggest you zip it.
Wendie
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