Well, despite the appearances of a slow start, 2008 is off and running. What an independent artist and label proprietor must do to till the ground for success depends upon one’s goals, resources, commitment, smarts, and strategic execution.
Gearing up for the release of my second album starts with gearing up for MIDEM—the world’s largest music conference, in Cannes, running January 26-31. MIDEM Net, the two day digital conference prior to MIDEM promises to add to the murky waters OR clarify direction as to where the music industry is going in an age when supposedly the CD is dead.
In the preview magazine, a feature on independents starts with “Sales Hold Up: Indies Stay Loyal to the CD”. Thank gawd, because I am releasing one this year, a mammoth little project that David Kershenbaum, Tracy Chapman’s producer, says is an effort I can be very proud of, though in his opinion it lacks, thus far, any breakaway hits. Hmmmm. What does that mean?
I shut my mind off to any hint of negativity or limitation because none was intended, David and I are exploring possibilities of working together, and an indie can’t afford to think in terms of hits. As one artist in the above-mentioned article says, “We sell records to people who have never lost the buying habit.” It would make a good mantra.
In between juggling a day-job (teaching small groups of at-risk students at a high-school in a Manchester suburb) and whittling away at a master’s degree in arts and cultural management (online), which is putting a serious squeeze on my funds, I woke up this week to realize that I am going to the world’s largest music market and had better get myself in gear.
A flurry of emails and phone calls later, and the business cards are set to be printed, the CD sampler is ready for manufacturing, and I’ll have boxes of ‘stuff’ to take with me to MIDEM. One strategic decision made was to nix all paperwork. Since this is the digital age, I’m going to MIDEM with my USB memory stick. Anyone deserving can have the entire album. The rest get the most exciting 6-minute mix I have heard of this stuff outside of the context of it as an ‘album’.
The other good news to report is that, in the process of this, I finally wrote the album accolades and credits and this was a job that took a full two days during which I thought, “I love this, working for nothing.” I’m not joking.
Peter Gabriel of Real World is the MIDEM Personality of the Year, and he states, “I think it’s just following your passion, really.” Indeed, I found myself musing yesterday, a Friday, that I would do anything related to my music for free, and I happily do put in hours, days, and weeks of work for ‘nothing’. My soul withers when I have to file old British GCSE exams into boxes that are going to end up in a closet or when I have to wrestle with the worst of unmotivated kids who contend with a ‘learned helplessness’ I have never the seen the likes of until now. And don’t get me wrong. I know we have to chop wood and carry water. Helping kids is noble work on any level. But two days spent falling in love with my own words while I thanked the people who gave in countless ways to the making of my upcoming album was something that just made my heart sing. To be an artist, you have to be in touch with your soul and find peace there. The peace will give you courage.
So, it is the Saturday before I fly to France and this is the earnest start of my year’s summation of what it takes to earn a living in music. Keep reading and share with me your thoughts.
