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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | Steve Alter <shteevea@yahoo.com> |
| Subject | Patronage (was IKE and financing new recordings, etc.) |
| Date | Sun, 20 May 2007 20:14:34 -0700 (PDT) |
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Been slammed at work, which has really cut into my ability to respond to many of these fascinating threads. Hate when that happens... ;-)
I've been really surprised at the virulent response to IKE's offer, especially in the context of the larger discussions of art and commerce, and the inability for professional musicians to make a living off of their craft.
I worked in the non-profit professional theatre for 12 years before, yes, giving up my life as an artist so I could actually pay may bills, have a family, etc. For anyone not familiar with the business models for such institutuions, don't confuse "non-profit" with "no money"; I was on staff at theatre's with annual budgets of $5M - $14M. We would employ anywhere between 150 - 200 artists each season, amazing actors, directors, designers and craftsmen, the cream of the crop trying to eke out a living in professions with 95% unemployment rates.
Where did the money come from to pay these folks for their art? Well, anywhere between 40% - 50% of it came from donors, some in huge increments from corporations and foundations, and some from individuals giving as little as $10. We, and the artistic community we were part of, could not survive without that support. (This was on top of the not cheap tickets we sold, which accounted for the rest of our operating income.) And while you'd occassionally get static from Mrs. Boeing or Mr. AT&T, nobody interfered with our freedom to producing our art.
Now, I know you're all saying, "Well, that's a non-profit endeavor, you're supposed to be subsidized." Fair enough, but there are plenty of folks who cough up significantly more money to be a "producer" on a Broadway show, who know they will never get anything more than their name in the Playbill and some fancy appetizers at an opening party. Hollywood has been doing similar things for the past decade, where your investment in a major motion picture ultimately amounts to you getting a certificate for your participation (and being able to brag to your friends if that's your gig -- which it probably is if you're throwing $5K - $10K on something like that.)
The commercial music industry as we knew it is dead. If it used to be a crap shoot to hit it big, I don't know what you'd call it now. Even the indie label route has become significantly more difficult and less remunerative in recent years. Virtually every musician in this group, many of who I am big fans of, have indicated that if there ever could make a marginal living off of their music, that it's impossible to do so now. So, why not seek patronage for your art? I mean, most bands I know ARE non-profit concerns, why not just make it formal? Set a living wage for yourself, determine what you can earn from sales of merchandise and ticket sales and raise the rest from people who love your work enough to subsidize it.
I don't love IKE, but I do like them, and I did love The Caufields and was rivited by John Faye the first time I saw him play more than a decade ago. He's a guy -- like Bobby Sutliff, like the GBW/Splitsville boys, like Mike Viola, like Chris Stamey, like Mitch Easter, like Marshall Crenshaw, like Tommy Keene, like Doug Powell, like P. Hux, like Bill Lloyd, like Robert Harrison, like The Nines, like any number of other hugely talented artists working in the pop ghetto - should sell a lot more records and be able to make a living off of their music. If $50 helps any of them continue to do what they do, I'm happy to write a check, no strings attached, because I want to support them, not for my own ego or because I want some skin in the game.
Digital distribution may be squeezing independent artists right now, but the Internet enables you to find, connect with and monitized those core fans who are willing to make a fair value exchange to support your creativity.
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