Muppets playing in my bedroom. 
Heather at Firestone’s. Me playing in my bedroom.
I’m feeling kind of good about myself. Maybe a little self-righteous. I’m watching a video of Acacia singing along with me and Sharif and Kristen performing Valeri and I can hear Artem Loving it all in the background, catch Acacia mirroring my guitar strike behind me… I can either look at this as people who Love a song that I wrote a Lifetime ago… or I can look at this as people who STILL Love a song that I wrote a Lifetime ago… either way… DAMN we’re good.
My friend Susan posted that meme that’s been wandering around social media for some indeterminate amount of time… you know the one… “people pay $5 at Starbucks for a cup of coffee but won’t pay a dollar for music… support local music, etc”.
It’s a good message, but maybe a little outdated in the specifics of what it’s referencing. Nowadays the main thing that stands in the way of people making a dime off their distributed tunes isn’t people stealing* it on (hehe) Limewire or something, Apple – despite the percentage they take with iTunes – has done a great service for artists in that they’ve made it easier to buy than to steal. They charge quite a fee for the service and are making a killing – but you know what? They’ve trained people to value a song at a dollar+. I can still sell a good length album for $15 again and if I’m smart enough to take them out of the equation I’m in a BETTER position than I was years ago because a) my fanbase is older and more solvent and b) my costs have gone down.
*it’s people getting in their own way by distributing it for free via Youtube – but that’s another rant for another time
After the house concert in Gettysburg, we got to crash at Doug’s place. It was a wonderful night – great show, great dinner – and then beyond that, a great breakfast and just good quality time. Story telling and bonding like I haven’t had in a very, very long time. The next morning we got up and did a little sight-seeing, and on the drive home surprised ourselves by realizing we were about to pass by our friend Jaqui MacMillan’s place just back over the Maryland line – Magnolia House is absolutely stunning, even in winter, and we checked out her drum space, her incredible house, the studio and some of her latest paintings…. so good to see her! We also had a very, very interesting conversation about the ACA.
That’s neither here nor there. I “liked” the pic and moved on… but then someone speaks up and throws out the concept that people urging others to support the arts by paying for it are encouraging a false structure in which artists are closed out of things because they’re monetizing their product… and that sharing is more important than paying for the art because what an artist REALLY wants is to be HEARD / SEEN and he then said “so please steal my stuff and share it liberally if you like it”. In typical artsy-non-business-smart fashion he then doesn’t link to his art.
The beauty of late night snow. It cancels a couple of shows, but this winter’s been a dramatic beast. TO the right – more of the same – but some of the sloppiest, nastiest slush I ever done seen! I took some video of the sound… sploosh sploosh slorp! Yet another snow in mid-February. Amy and I go a’tromping around Catonsville, but I have trouble keeping my phone dry enough to capture the world around me… give me a sec and I’ll dry it off!
“Aggressively avoid … the commodification of art while shutting out artists. More importantly, please speak up when people spread the uninformed, harmful untruth that sharing art hurts artists.”
I left a short version of this fucking ESSAY that I then proceeded to spend entirely too much time on as a return comment….
I’m in the fortunate position that I create music and art and that people purchase it, pay me to play it, and I’m doubly-fortunate in that I can make a Living this way. Part of that is avoiding and minimizing my exposure to the use of high-percentage / pay-to-play situations and making intelligent business decisions. I find it ironic that the “criminals who run the digital musical industry” generally charge a lower rate (30%) than the commission at most art galleries (50%). [a) being referenced as something you shouldn’t support under any circumstances and b) being referenced as something that you SHOULD]
We’re in a capitalist society and people are willing to make an exchange for what they value and there’s nothing wrong with taking advantage of that. However, I think every artist has the right to create and disseminate their creations in whatever way they see fit. The person giving their work away for free in no way effects my desire to be paid for what I do. More importantly it hasn’t affected my ABILITY to be paid for what I do. I show annual business growth and I shall eternally be grateful that people support me and my art, but I will never take it for granted.
The world owes me nothing. There is no inherent support by our society of our art, and there is no financial return implicit in our creation of it – every fan is hard won and I’m grateful for every sale. I’m not owed anything because I create, but if I can Live off my creations – then it gives me more time to create some more – and I am again fortunate in that I have a fan base who’s willing and able to support the band and that has a deep belief in allowing me to do just that. They share, they “Like”, they wind cables, they haul gear, they find me creepy elephant costumes and yes… they buy my music.
Do I have a “right” to make a Living this way?
Quinton Randall Vinnie Valerio Baggypantsrich My friend Lubya after realizing that my fingerpicks are perfect for back scratching.
I don’t go to Starbucks and tell them that if they really believed in their coffee they’d give it away (though they do every once in a while to drive sales), I don’t go to teachers and tell them that if they really believed in children they’d teach for free (though they work a LOT of unpaid hours), and I certainly don’t go to [the company that this guy’s profile states he’s a writer and editor at] and tell them that if they really believed in what they were doing they should give THAT away either…
…though note to said company, I think that by “Developed by imminent legal authorities and compliance specialists” your writer and editor meant “eminent”. [first thing on the company’s webpage]
Sorry, maybe that last bit’s a bit snippy.
No, I’m not OWED a Living income – perhaps no-one in a capitalist society is.* But people will support art not just how best they’re able – but how they’ve been taught to value it. I agree that sharing it is important – but we’re now in the midst of a world that believes that “sharing” a FB status about protesting is just as important as going to the protest… and it’s just not.
*again, Living wage… another argument for another time!
Cecilia Grace Mike Geezy Speaking of guitar girls – the fabulous Acacia Sears joining 3/5 ilyAIMY on February 17th, 2014 at the Teavolve open mic.
My last almost-fist-fight was in Dayton, OH because someone got in my face about how I was an appalling person who wouldn’t let music be free because I wouldn’t give him a free CD. I’m not offended that he didn’t want to pay me for my disc… he doesn’t owe me anything. If he’d taken the merch off me he certainly would have but beyond that, the idea that anyone else has ANY right to dictate terms to me about what I want to sell my work for is bullshit. Let me know when it’s okay for me to show up at YOU much you should be selling YOUR time for and we’ll have that conversation. Venues, critics and iTunes don’t tell me what I can sell my music for. Fans tell me how much they’ll BUY it for.
I’ve had my art stolen off gallery walls, I’ve had CDs walk – But I have more respect for someone who thinks my art’s worth stealing than for the person who claims that art’s too priceless to put a pricetag on.
