Shoney

There are so many paths for the musician. Conformity, I have never catered to the crowd. Odd yet we see more and more musicians going in the direction of one almost inedible driving force.
Music is something to be tasted and enjoyed. Like a good meal. Yet we see that many music “lovers” have chosen the opposite path of ignorance that will most likely wash good artists down the drain.
Example, If there are only a number of driving forces in music than an artist who is willing to be new, old, abstract, or eclectic will not only be driven out of the crowd but out of the industry as well.
Thoughts please, oh and I will not reply to negative or abhorring comments.

The Rev

Well, in any entertainment industry, there is always pressure to go with what has worked in the past, as it's seen as a better money-making bet for the record company. As for conformity in general, people like what is familiar, so to conform is to increase your chances of acceptance, and all that goes with it (such as employment).

It would be nice if people embraced the different, and the creatively new, as the world would be a more colorful and enriching place to live. Unfortunately, human beings are basically chimps with somewhat elevated reasoning skills, and few aspire to be more than that, so the thinking required to switch to a different way of looking at things just isn't happening, and probably won't, so we're stuck with our mindless imitation culture. At least for the time being.



The Rev

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farmergiles

Could you be a little more specific Shoney?

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Cultivate a stoic calmness

Shoney

For each generation there has been chosen bands, shindig was quite big way back when. Then came in such things as jefferson airplane and strawberry alarmclock. Now today we have the musical frontier of justin bieber lady gaga w/e. Even so, they are all mareketed and put into a fashion. If you follow music closley throughout the years it has it has not only evovled in technology, sound, speed and the like but also in fast more compact marketing strategies. I belive that this is one of the reasons why we conform to the same taste in music.

farmergiles

But nowadays distribution is not so monopolised so there are many less mainstream artists whose recordings can be obtained easily. Artists can sell their music directly to their audience via the internet.

It's easy to largely avoid lady gaga or justin bieber- just don't watch mtv or read hello magazine.

The charts have less meaning now than ever- as less and less people pay attention the marketing becomes more shrill and desperate.

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Cultivate a stoic calmness

josephpothead

[QUOTE=Shoney;5197797 0]There are so many paths for the musician. Conformity, I have never catered to the crowd. Odd yet we see more and more musicians going in the direction of one almost inedible driving force.
Music is something to be tasted and enjoyed. Like a good meal. Yet we see that many music “lovers” have chosen the opposite path of ignorance that will most likely wash good artists down the drain.
Example, If there are only a number of driving forces in music than an artist who is willing to be new, old, abstract, or eclectic will not only be driven out of the crowd but out of the industry as well.
Thoughts please, oh and I will not reply to negative or abhorring comments.[/




We have to define the difference between an artist and an entertainer. Some musicians just play what others want to hear or what the recording labels wants them to play. They are puppets that have no sense of musicality and just doing what they does for money and fame. People who create music for the sake of art and not caring about money is the true artist. It is hard to find musicians who have a passion for music like that. They have the guts to be different and satisfying their creative hunger makes them a true artist.