Don't look now but......

[headsup]

Lots of folks aren't a fan of my views- certainly on live music and it's issues.
As a Musicians Union man, and for 50 years I made a living (really!) in the music biz.

Not so much anymore for many reasons.

For those  who are pro's or semi pros and are struggling and can't make sense of it.
This article (speech) certainly speaks rather eloquently to some of the reasons.

It's long, it's historical, and thankfully Ian has a great deal more credibility that I do around these matters.
Again, this is a guitar forum, part time pickers, church players, jammers, strummers etc.
But also a good deal of professional musicians I know, visit this site.

Just a very fine perspective from a guy who's been around the block a few times...

https://www.rootsmusic.ca/2019/03/14/a-brief-history-of-why-artists-are-no-longer-making-a-living-making-music/?fbclid=IwAR2BhEekF02KqUDCC2s9wAZiE3FqI1RwqUk3nQLnMInhXQ24YL00fcDzVrQ

[skyline]

Good article.

As usual I generally agree with Mr. Tamblyn . . .

Interesting that he mentions Robert Harris' broadcasts: Harris' earlier series "Twenty Pieces Of Music That Changed The World" illustrated that the historic creativity/technology/business "arc" Tamblyn describes should go back to at least to the mid 19th century if you want to really appreciate the trajectory of "making a living" in music. By starting the timeline in the 30's and virtually ignoring the publishing industry the story is perhaps a wee bit inaccurately compressed, and skips over some significant influencing factors.

[ducktrapper]

Ian was always a wordy -CENSORED-. Should have been a novelist. He lost me when he brought up climate change. To put it succinctly, in the words of my musical partner, "No one gives a **** (about music anymore)."  We make music for museums, apparently.  

[broKen]

Ian was always a wordy -CENSORED-. Should have been a novelist. He lost me when he brought up climate change. To put it succinctly, in the words of my musical partner, "No one gives a **** (about music anymore)."  We make music for museums, apparently. 

Gee, you suppose we are living in a post musical age? Judging from what young people listen to these days, it may very well be.

[ducktrapper]

Gee, you suppose we are living in a post musical age? Judging from what young people listen to these days, it may very well be.

Attention spans of gnats. I think you're right. 

[unclrob]

Though I still play out for very little money and do front of house for even less money my saving grace is that I also do service and repair work on stringed instruments for less money then I did back in the day.Butt after over 50 years it still how I make a living no a bad one but I wish it was better,not much I can do about but to keep plodding along.

[ducktrapper]

I really shouldn't talk as I have approximately zero interest in any new music.  

Unless it's by an artist or in a style I like, I should add.

[B0WIE]

Gee, you suppose we are living in a post musical age? Judging from what young people listen to these days, it may very well be.

Interestingly, there's a LOT of new music done in older styles. But, adults just aren't looking for it or buying it. They're mostly interested in music of their generation. The pop that is marketed to kids represents their generation and it sounds like awful to you just like your music probably sounded terrible to your grandparents.
I feel bad for a lot of the newer artists who are doing folk, soul, rock, etc because they aren't getting much support. A lot of them are making damn good stuff too.

[broKen]

Interestingly, there's a LOT of new music done in older styles. But, adults just aren't looking for it or buying it. They're mostly interested in music of their generation. The pop that is marketed to kids represents their generation and it sounds like awful to you just like your music probably sounded terrible to your grandparents.
I feel bad for a lot of the newer artists who are doing folk, soul, rock, etc because they aren't getting much support. A lot of them are making damn good stuff too.

Of course you're right, and I admit I don't look for new music these days. I don't tune in much at all to be honest. But lately I have been using Pandora. If any here use it, try out the instrumental folk genre. Mostly guitar stuff, really good.

[skyline]

 I wish everyone who loves and/or plays music would feel freer (sp?) to listen for new tunes, songs, recordings, performances . . .

And "new" doesn't only mean by "younger" musicians, it also means tracks that your favourites might have recorded that you've never heard, or tracks from a similar time, style, or studio to your favourite artisits. It's like revisitng somewhere you always enjoyed but never really got to know, or travelling to a new place or . . .

[skyline]

I wish everyone who loves and/or plays music would feel freer (sp?) to listen for new tunes, songs, recordings, performances . . .

And "new" doesn't only mean by "younger" musicians, it also means tracks that your favourites might have recorded that you've never heard, or tracks from a similar time, style, or studio to your favourite artisits. It's like revisitng somewhere you always enjoyed but never really got to know, or travelling to a new place or . . .

and

I often have to remind myself that modern technologies often expose us to music or musicians without the context we used to get. Thanks to modern portable recording or the wonders of digital distribution we may be hearing a musician/tune at the "one player in a friend's basement" stage, but without the physical context of actually being there - so yeah, maybe the guitar is a bit twangy, the solo's a tad out of tune, or that third stanza had a really rusty rhyme, but can you honestly say you never grew to like a musician or song that you once thought was a bit rough . . .

[B0WIE]

Of course you're right, and I admit I don't look for new music these days. I don't tune in much at all to be honest. But lately I have been using Pandora. If any here use it, try out the instrumental folk genre. Mostly guitar stuff, really good.

Oh, brilliant point! Pandora, for all it's faults, is WONDERFUL for discovering new music. I had become pretty stale in my musical ventures, thinking I'd heard everything worth listening to. But, for those who don't know, Pandora (a free app available on just about everything that runs on electricity) creates "stations" for you, based on the song or artist that you want it to create the station around.
I wasn't familiar with much country music but I wanted to listen to Johnny Cash, so it played him, and then some other classic country I was previously oblivious to like Marty Robbins and David Alan Coe, and newer artists like Sturgil Simpson. You get exposed to a lot of stuff that you might not otherwise hear on a typical radio station. Such a valuable resource for discovering music.