So the New EP, whose title will be officially decided by July (It's pretty concrete now, but will be iron clad once we get some art), once I've had sometime to let it sink in with me and I feel right with it. The songs are currently getting mastered and will be completely ready by June 25th. Stay in touch and give your friends the music you have. Yes, that sounds insane but seriously do it. Let me digress and expound.
GIVE THEM THE MUSIC. Emphasis on the "Give", underline on the "the music." Sharing is caring. The music industry is in shambles due to the fact that until recently major labels have been producing and selling overpriced, bad albums and the masses bought them because it was all they heard on the radio (Don't get me wrong this still happens...a lot.). The democratization of technology (i.e. the ability for anyone to get their hands on all sorts of equipment and software) has made what started as an "arts service" (producing crappy cds) into a commodity. Musical Commodity means musicians produce articles of trade or a product...music is no longer a service (public performances, symphonies, yada yada yada, etc.) within mainstream genres.
This sounds worse than it is. It means that there are now more avenues than ever for finding new music (a.k.a. products), and that more good music is being encouraged to be made (believe me for every new version you see of Nickelback or Lady Gaga, there are a 20 people 10 times more talented that record execs wouldn't give a chance because of looks or even age). But now, those who may not have had access to a studio to try to put something out there can do just that with ease if they just make the effort. And they can do it much, much easier than 10 years ago. For the artist, this unfortunately means that there is a lot more music to sift through; which means getting a lot of people to hear your music is much more difficult to do. The key word here is competition.
This means that the fan has become the most important part of an artists career; they are employees, houses of networking, and most importantly distributors. They "were" before because it sounded nice, but now it is actually true. Radio can't push music to the degree it could before...and if you think radio is democratic then you can probably stop reading this now, because this most likely has made no sense to you. This means that every time you're in the car with someone listening to an artist, you are marketing/distributing them to your friends (Thank you ipod.No Seriously, Thank you.). So here's what I'm getting at when I say, "GIVE THEM THE MUSIC." If you can buy my music thats cool. But to be honest, I'd kill for 200 people to illegally download a single and each of them give it to 10 of their friends for free, and for each of those ten to share it with three of their friends. That's a lot of people. My goal is not to be known and heard by thousands of people. Would I mind it? No, but that's not going to make my life (that is what Salvation is for). Also,
from a marketing perspective doing that just increased my brand awareness by a ridiculous percentage (its no math day...which is most days). Business aside, my goal is to share something with people that makes them smile and shows/gives them two things:
1) The knowledge that Jesus is the bomb diggity and brings lasting joy.
Though not always explicitly said, it is all encompassing- My hope and prayer is that at its best my music may be used as a tool by God to bring people home to Jesus. That's what I've always felt lead to do in a different way. To put the idea out there simply, I think sometimes we talk too much (Christian artists and anyone trying to minister to others in everyday life); maybe we should be quiet and know that God is God and that he has hands much stronger than ours. He can use our relationships with nonbelievers to reach them on a day to day basis just through interacting with them (loving them).
2) Genuine Music.
Why? Because it's the most beautiful kind. Music doesn't have to be hokey and bubble gummy (i.e. most mainstream Christian music...I'm sorry to say). Sometimes worship means the most when your heart is devastated...Do you really think amazing grace was written after John Newton did something really really good? Think about it. How can we relate and reach out to the world if we can't show them that we understand how the heart works?
I want to share this because they're a combination that isn't drenching mainstream genres and it needs to be. Not that it isn't being done-it is. But I want someone to do it in a huge way. That could mean it's done through someone else or even through me; either way building will occur and I think thats good. This isn't really a
"hey the industry is messed up and we need to change it statement", but more of a mission statement. These things don't just apply in the music realm, but in all areas of business. The census is going to be coming in soon that due the recession (and e-commerce) most "traditional" businesses will pretty much be forced to become a commodities. Traditional Advertising, marketing, included. We're going to have to reassess what we value, because once products are being sold instead of services, profits will decrease and so will incomes. Things are changing, and I don't think they're bad changes actually, I think it will be good for us; but I can't say how people will react (my biggest fear is we'll reach a state of denial). But I think if we have to look at what's important in a serious way again, more people will let God enter into their lives in a way that we haven't seen in a while. Who knows? That's what's exciting about it.
I realize this turned into much more than a small update so I apologize; if you made it down here you're probably pretty cool. Thanks for reading and have a stupendous day.
Joe
Labels: article on the music industry, Commodity, economy, faith, Jesus
