"Playing records I wasn’t sure I liked to people who had no idea who I was. I had gone cold, cold to the music, to the reactions and to the point of it all. I was changing what I thought I liked, so that I would be liked. I am not a chameleon. I am not Madonna, I can’t stay abreast of the current styles and keep changing with it just to stay in fashion or retain some kind of credible status or career. I have had my moment. If you know me well, you would have sensed a change in me over the last two years. I have always suffered with problems of confidence, but I know that’s not why I am throwing in the towel. I feel like I have to change so much of what I think is ‘me’ to carry on. What I believe in, how to talk to people, how to behave. I just don’t think I can be so arrogant and harsh to stand out anymore. There is so much noise out there that people have to shout louder and louder to be heard. And for what? I am beating myself up over something I no longer believe in for an income that is stressfully patchy and more often than not, very low." (Stanton 2009, my italics).
The entire post is interesting, but the most interesting part of it all, I have put in italics. This is something I have talked about earlier in my blog, if not in the exact same way. For many people it seems like there is an altruism here: The record industry is changing. The ways of consuming music is changing. The economy of music is changing. The marketing of music is changing. I have previously gotten replies from people saying that "these days it's up to artists to market themselves through myspace and other venues, and if they don't - it's their own fault that they aren't selling records?" - pretty much that has been the message.
It is true that music is changing in all the ways above. But for that sake it is not self evident that people have to change with the music, or else everything is their own fault. Like Domu I feel that there are certain things I cannot or will not do. One such thing is to try and shout the loudest of all to be heard. My music is about sincerity. When was the last time you heard someone shout sincerities at the top of their lungs, just so that no one else is heard?
The self-promoting individual is a certain type of person. This type of person is not who I am. And like Domu, in order to be successful in a business type way, I would have to give up something that I believe is of the essence, something of my essence. Take the instance of a discussion. There are two ways to look at it: If your argument is not heard, it can mean that your argument wasn't strong enough. Or it can mean that your argument is not heard, because everyone is shouting instead of choosing to listen. I think all too often that the quiet riot is giving way to loudmouthes who really have nothing to say.
I have not chosen the same path as Domu. But on the other hand, I am struggeling to rediscover how it's possible for me to stay positive and inspired about music, when the information flood is drowning most species, but the fishes who choose to swim with the current.
Yours whispering
Jonatan
The entire post is interesting, but the most interesting part of it all, I have put in italics. This is something I have talked about earlier in my blog, if not in the exact same way. For many people it seems like there is an altruism here: The record industry is changing. The ways of consuming music is changing. The economy of music is changing. The marketing of music is changing. I have previously gotten replies from people saying that "these days it's up to artists to market themselves through myspace and other venues, and if they don't - it's their own fault that they aren't selling records?" - pretty much that has been the message.
It is true that music is changing in all the ways above. But for that sake it is not self evident that people have to change with the music, or else everything is their own fault. Like Domu I feel that there are certain things I cannot or will not do. One such thing is to try and shout the loudest of all to be heard. My music is about sincerity. When was the last time you heard someone shout sincerities at the top of their lungs, just so that no one else is heard?
The self-promoting individual is a certain type of person. This type of person is not who I am. And like Domu, in order to be successful in a business type way, I would have to give up something that I believe is of the essence, something of my essence. Take the instance of a discussion. There are two ways to look at it: If your argument is not heard, it can mean that your argument wasn't strong enough. Or it can mean that your argument is not heard, because everyone is shouting instead of choosing to listen. I think all too often that the quiet riot is giving way to loudmouthes who really have nothing to say.
I have not chosen the same path as Domu. But on the other hand, I am struggeling to rediscover how it's possible for me to stay positive and inspired about music, when the information flood is drowning most species, but the fishes who choose to swim with the current.
Yours whispering
Jonatan
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