Hypebot’s interview with Amanda Palmer is a must read for basically anybody, so I highly recommend you take some time here and there and check out all three parts (as well as the comments!).
Posted exactly as on Hypebot’s blog:
“If the point is to find meaning and fulfillment but the very idea of staying connected is causing you eternal anxiety, it’s defeating the purpose… I simply feel blessed that I’m an emotional exhibitionist right around the time is seems to be expected and en vogue.”
Thank you Bruce for this wonderful interview, and of course for Hypebot! (Follow Hypebot on twitter @hypebot)
Oh and here’s Indaba’s interview with Amanda (this time it’s a video!) talking about Twitter (yet again), her crazy success stories, and other music 2.0 stuff – very interesting as always.
Derek Sivers (CD Baby, Muck Work etc) hosts a very (very) cool and insightful blog. If you are a musician, passionate about what you do, and plan on getting deeper into the music scene, you will want to check out http://sivers.org/blog.
I could talk about his last three posts here but instead I’ll just greatly encourage you to read them so you can let the info sink in, because most of it is gold.
The post I want to introduce to you today is the interview he gave to a young talented singer/songwriter called Amber Rubarth who started touring barely five years ago and who now is living off her music.
The interview in itself answers many questions any aspiring touring musician could ask him/herself. From “building your network by helping others” and “interning with a booking agent” to booking, promoting and contacting out-of-town venues, this tale portrays the many steps and methods Amber Rubarth followed to become successful at what she loves doing – playing music.
Check out these insights on what it’s like to be a musician trying to make a living out of one’s art. These are for the most part not “major” artists (yet), but probably at a level most of us dream of being, which is that of paying your bills with music.
As one band quite honestly puts it:
“You can’t keep making records if you’re not making any money.You’re trying to feed yourself at the end of the day. I’d love to do it just for the love, but you’re getting older and you gotta make ends meet. I’m not gonna lie and say that record sales don’t mean anything – if you’re selling lots of records, you’re charting; if you’re charting, you’re played on the radio. if radios are playing you, you’re selling more records.”
What’s interesting is to see how this traditional model, based around radio air-play and record sales and being displaced by music 2.0, is viewed by the bands being interviewed.
Illegal downloading is mentioned quite a bit, but not only in the negative way one would expect from a band – the exposure it gives the groups internationally is something that potentially outweighs the adverse effect of not selling CDs, and most bands recognize that.
Adapting to change shouldn’t be as hard for the bands as it is for the record companies – all the new services available to musicians on the internet are giving them the chance to distance themselves from the pill offered by A&R scouts.
And let’s face it. Bands are making more money off merchandise, licensing and touring than by selling CDs through a traditional record label. Check out Dick Dale if you don’t believe me. As for selling the music, the 16-year olds that discovered Napster are now 25 year-olds with disposable income that are still only a click away from any song they want, but this time on iTunes.
Good stuff.
