Why I'm my own patron of the arts

Musicians with day gigs suck, right? I hear this all the time. It's just not true and their seems to be little dialogue about why this feeling prevails. A lot of people complain about how the internet is full of garage bands and weekend warriors. But here is the first point I'd like everyone to consider: can you tell just by listening to someone if they have a day gig? I certainly can not. I don't really see how anyone could. So for disclosure, yes I have a day gig. It was not always the case. If we approached music like we approach sport, I have lost my amateur status.

Now, does everyone deserve to be paid for their art and set their prices accordingly? Yes to both, but in practicality it's quite difficult for us to really set our own prices. As independent artists, we try to price based on the prevailing market trend. A CD tends to be about $18 retail. A download $0.99. Those prices were set by the major labels and Apple. Both benchmarks are completely artificial. You read it here first, but the $0.99 download will not keep pace with inflation. As long as iTunes is a portal to music, singles will be $0.99.

Why does the price of music either stay stagnant or fall? The same reason housing prices are. Just as there are more houses than buyers, so is the same for music and listeners.

So one reason to pick on the non-full-time musician is to pretend to be the gatekeeper for the industry. The pro might reason that if they don't have to put up with us weekend warriors then there is more opportunity for them. But the very first thing I learned on my first day of college is that the music business is intensely competitive. So to this group, I'd say deal with it. You are not the gatekeeper for the industry. No gatekeeper is going to open that gate for me no matter what I sound like.

How about the listener? Does the listener feel somehow cheated if they fall in love with a garage band? Again this is just a prevailing attitude. Is it because most people can't listen critically to music to be able to decide for themselves what's good and what's bad? Kids loved to ostracize me for my love of the Beatles, Yes and the Who growing up. It certainly wasn't what all the cool kids were listening to. The music marketing industry thrives on everyone listening to the same thing. This is how multi-platinum albums are made.

How do we define a full-time pro? I think such people are incredibly rare. I love the playing of John Goldsby. He plays with the WDR big band in germany and has made several recordings. He's obviously "in the club". But he is also a magazine contributor and author of a few books. Yes, they are about playing the bass, but is that the same as playing music? He also teaches university. Freelance writing and adjunct teaching don't pay a hill of beans, but I'm sure it's a contribution to keeping the lights on.

How about the full-time pro, that does instrument repair? Or perhaps has a spouse who is the major breadwinner? Trust fund baby? Has any revenue stream that's doesn't come from playing gigs or selling recordings? Are they a "full-time" pro?

Outside of the record I buy or the gig I hear, it's really none of my business what a musician does.

So my thought is, I'm my own patron of the arts. I'm the first person that earns money elsewhere to then give to support my art. The outside world is free to join me in hiring me for gigs and buying records, but ultimately I support myself. Supporting oneself is the only definition of independence that matters.

In closing, judge music with your ears and your heart. That's what you were given them for.

An Open Letter to Chris Hodges

Chris,

A few weeks ago, you posted a blog "Is It Worth It?" Everyone else can check it out at http://christopherhodges.com/blog/2010/12/16/is-it-worth-it/

You ask the age old question of how to balance music with everything else. Let me assure you that you are not alone. Everybody goes through this question multiple times. So the short answer is yes, of course. So long as it is still what you need to do.

I'll give you a few examples. One is the drummer in my group. I haven't seen him in quite a while, probably over a year. He was up front with me, and said that he wanted to spend all the time he could with his son before his son finishes high school and leaves for college. He knows that he only has a few years left and wants to make the most of it. Do I think he is no longer a drummer? Of course not. Will he be calling me every week to play or hang very soon? He will. But for him, the best choice was to put family first. I can't really fault that.

Another example. I don't have children for a variety of reasons. One of them is that I never wanted to leave them alone while I play gigs. Now, I don't point this out to make you feel horrible. It's just an example. Most adult musicians have children and leaving them is part of the deal. You leave for work too. Has to be done. For these cats playing has to be done too.

The best thing to do is ask yourself is each situation worth it. Even with kids out of the equation, I came to a crossroads where I had to decide if I could continue to live in two worlds. I reasoned the whole point of a day gig is to provide for my wife and I. So doing that half-way, and playing pro half-way wasn't getting me anywhere. Perhaps I chose the easier path (though bass players never have to worry about being outsourced to India), but working on my career got me closer to the concept of "security" that got me to fill out an application to begin with.

However it hasn't been 100% career. I play at least 1 night a week, more right now. I've made certain choices like turning down transfers because I didn't want to quit a band. I live close to work, so I can spend more time practicing and writing than commuting. I use vacation time to play gigs or go on short tours.

It does mean that I have to prioritize gigs. I base the worth of a gig on three categories. Bread/Music/Hang. The formula isn't exact, but as an example if the bread is awesome, but if the music and hang stink I might take it. Other gigs I take just for the hang. Especially since my day gig is now a career, the bread is often the least of my worries. So for many gigs, the evaluation fails on many levels and I just don't do it. More time to spend with family or on housework or paying bills.

You do have to ask yourself: is being a full time pro the only way to feel connected to music?What you really might be trying to do is determine your own self worth. This is a tough question and I suggest you keep exploring this question through music. It's taken me a long time to get to a space where I'm ok with what I do musically and otherwise. You will get there too in time.

Peace,

Matt

2011 blues collaboration

Hi, Happy New Year!

If we haven't met before, I'm a jazz player. I've got a new collaboration in mind. What I'd like to do is just collect some blues riffs. These can be as simple or complex as you want to make them. What I'll do at a later date is combine them all into one song. I'll then find a band to record a demo and post the final results. This riff can be written down, or just recorded as a simple audio file. I'll transcribe as needed. If you only sing, then scat something into your phone and send it my way. Whatever works!

I'm not going to put constraints of tempo or key, but obviously I'll have to push the riffs around as needed to get them cohesive. I'll keep the basic architecture of the notes and rhythms intact.

Please post your riff as a comment on this blog. If you can notate the riff, that's certainly my preference as it saves me the time of transcription. The final results will be creative commons.

Your virtual friend,

Matt/Stonewing

www.twitter.com/stonewing