May 3, 2010

The Business Of Music Is A Whole Different Animal From When I Began

The business of music is more often than not a world of small minds and little soul, where success is dictated by the ability to locate trends and accordingly manufacture the most lucrative product available. In this context, the lowest forms of capitalism emerge in insidious ways: the isolation and ghettoization of easily controlled “genres” and the encouragement of planned obsolescence as ways to keep up the flow of “product” become the techniques for success. Vision, integrity, significance and expression — the driving forces behind the creative act — are sacrificed as mere obstructions to the workings of business. Bill Laswell has made a career out of fighting these forms of decadence and stasis in the name of creativity and magic. In 1990 he formed axiom records, the ultimate vehicle and outlet for projects that consistently challenge beliefs in various networks and levels of the status quo, delighting and angering his fans and critics alike. His work is based first and foremost in daring and original ideas that consistently transcend existing boundaries of genre, geography, culture, and context. Sorcery: the systematic cultivation of enhanced consciousness or non-ordinary awareness & its deployment in the world of deeds & objects to bring about desired results.

The business of music is a whole different animal from when i began,” says Davis. She advises potential industry insiders to go to school and get a degree. “you have to know what you’re doing because the money is greater, the risks are greater, the audience is greater,” she explains. Davis also suggests being “voyeuristic-listen to every good conversation you can and listen to the bad ones and be able to differentiate between them. Although it can be hard for women to find positions in the music business, plus-size women don’t seem to find it especially difficult working in such an image conscious industry. “i don’t remember my weight ever getting in my way at any level,” recalls Davis. “i look in the mirror and see perfect because i don’t look from the outside, i look from within. I host my own stages-I’m the one who gets up in front of a thousand people and I’m the one who introduces the band. I’m the one who begs people to sign up on mailing lists and buy cds and support live music. So, if my weight was an issue, i don’t think i’d get up in front of people talking the way i do.

The business of music is boring and uninteresting, and they tend to avoid such matters altogether. But i usually discover that those who can’t be bothered to learn the business end up becoming victims of unscrupulous sharks in the water. It is my firm opinion that if you are going to continue to write songs and if you hope to promote them beyond your own living room, you will eventually encounter these matters — either armed with knowledge or vulnerably nave. It is my hope that these articles will at least provide you with some basic information that will allow you to be taken seriously as a songwriter. Since it is my humble attempt to be “hip” in the way i approach the top ten questions, i will follow David letterman’s example and start from the bottom of the list and go up. Most of us begin writing songs simply because we can’t help ourselves.

The business of music is changing rapidly, and i think over the last year and a half I’ve learned more than i ever have, being from a digital standpoint, from a record standpoint, learning what the fan relationship means. Because for the longest time, the label and whomever else stood between the artist and the fan, which made it hard for the artist to get their direct point across. All you knew about the artist, really, was music, and the only way you could talk to them was basically through fan letters or things of that nature. Now you got twitter, you got facebook, stuff like that, so I’ve used a lot of that to my advantage, which was very instrumental in the success of this album.

The business of music is changing rapidly, and i think over the last year and a half I’ve learned more than i ever have, being from a digital standpoint, from a record standpoint, learning what the fan relationship means. Because for the longest time, the label and whomever else stood between the artist and the fan, which made it hard for the artist to get their direct point across. All you knew about the artist, really, was music, and the only way you could talk to them was basically through fan letters or things of that nature. Now you got twitter, you got facebook, stuff like that, so I’ve used a lot of that to my advantage, which was very instrumental in the success of this album.

Learn more about music business authority. Stop by YourMusicBiz’s site where you can find out all about music business gem and what it can do for you.

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