Re: Music & The American Dream re: [Harp-L] Death of Live Music

moandabluz@xxxxxxx · Tue, 03 Apr 2007 02:05:48 -0400

Some words of wisdom in this  post below from damienmasterson.

Reality, as someone once said, is a harsh mistress. Idealism and dreams 
are great, and they sometimes work out. More power to those who have 
that happen.

  From my own perspective, there was a time in my life that I would 
have jumped with both feet into any kind of world that included a 
chance to play music well enough to get hired by any band. But I always 
considered myself lucky that I didn't have the talent to do that.

  So, I have accepted that I will play music as best I can, within my 
limits of talent, time and opportunity. I won't give  up on music, but 
I will try to position it in my life so other things can also be dealt 
with. To each his own.

  I have known people with minimal talent who have given up steady jobs 
and meaningful relationships in order to play music. Heaven save them 
from themselves. Then again, if they are  happy, who is to judge?

  Music, I think, is a highly personal thing that strikes a different 
chord (pun intended) in everyone. We all have to find the place in 
which it fits in our lives.

Steve "Moandabluz" Webb

way too philosophic on a chilly, wet night in Minnesota, but still a 
fool for the harp

-----Original Message-----
From: dzm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Mon, 2 Apr 2007 6:49 PM
Subject: Music & The American Dream re: [Harp-L] Death of Live Music
  On Apr 2, 2007, at 11:54 AM, harp-l-request@xxxxxxxxxx wrote:Â

Â

> From: Michael Rubin <rubinmichael@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>Â

> Subject: [Harp-L] Death of Live MusicÂ

 > My belief says you are the obstacle. Argue for your limitations > 
and they are yours. If you want to make a living playing originals > in 
an unusual genre while staying in your hometown, make it > happen. I 
just cannot believe that a clear vision, determination > and hard work 
cannot overcome any of these issues you guys are > talking about.Â

Â

Michael,Â

Â

 ÂThat of course is true in theory. And how will we ever know if we 
don't try? What most of us discover is we want more out of life than 
what we can get from being a starving artist.Â

Â

 Â I know a good number of people who are working full time as 
musicians. They, for the most part, don't have families, don't own 
property, can't afford to turn down work or take vacations, don't have 
health insurance, etc... Most of them live with somebody and in spite 
of their hard work, are still subsidized in some way. Their plan for 
home ownership is waiting for their folks to die. They live from hand 
to mouth.Â

Â

 Â They're not complaining! They're following their dream. If they 
don't get self destructive, they can do O.K., especially if they have 
chops. They are predominantly rhythm section players, especially bass 
players. Everybody needs certain instruments to perform, even if you're 
paring down. Horn players, harmonica players and the likes are a luxury 
many can't afford nowadays. (Unfortunately for us, even if they can 
afford a harp player, they still do it themselves, to our chagrin!)Â

Â

 Â Believe me, I spent a lot of time meditating over this "myself as an 
obstacle" factor, which is huge. The bottom line that I came away with 
is this:Â

Â

 Â I spent almost 20 years of my life shedding, gigging, traveling, 
spending tens (maybe hundreds) of thousands of dollars of my & other 
people's money ALLOWING me to be the kind of musician I thought I 
needed to be. You may love Jason Ricci's playing, but he has to pay 
that band, has to pay for bills and hidden costs, support himself, and 
I guarantee you, that money is coming from somewhere. By the time I 
finished, I was $50k in the hole, had a garage full of CD's that no one 
knew about, and I wasn't enjoying playing music any more. Granted, I 
wanted to be a star, a bandleader, fame and fortune and the likes. If I 
had only chosen to be a good sideman at an earlier age, maybe things 
would be different. Live and learn. Ouch.Â

Â

 Â Today, I'm married, have a step daughter and a cool dog. We live in 
a beautiful house which we own. I can afford to take $50 gigs with 
people I like and turn down $300 gigs playing crap. I have faced my 
demons and vices and so far am on the winning end. Oddly enough, today 
I am closer to being the musician I always dreamed of, without the 
stress and pressure of outcome, when the "big break" will happen, or 
when the money will run out. I am very happy. I love music and practice 
constantly. Our family business pays the bills, not music. I'm very 
fortunate things turned out this way.Â

Â

 Â Many won't share this kind of info with people, because that "create 
an illusion of success" B.S. permeates through everything in this 
country, or they are still hanging on to their dream and don't want to 
give up. But I have poor boundaries and a weird ego, so there it is.Â

Â

 Â Maybe I wasn't smart, maybe I was undisciplined, maybe I failed at 
my dream of being a touring, self sustaining "live musician"... but 
when you peel away the romance and mysticism behind everything, it's a 
very hard life. Many of our idols lead tragic, unstable, broken lives, 
with multiple failed marriages and no pot to peepee in. They drink and 
drug themselves to death, they have no life skills. But we support them 
because we want to vicariously experience our fantasies of that life 
through them. They are mannequins for our dreams of what it would be 
like.Â

Â

 ÂMy advice: If you think "a clear vision, determination and hard work" 
are enough to make a decent living in the music business, especially 
the performance end of the business, in today's environment, then by 
all means, have at it. I still have my dreams, too, even if it hurts 
that my wife laughs at me when I tell her I'm going to make money 
playing music... But I'm not going to move to NYC and arm wrestle with 
Gregoire over the few harmonica gigs that Galison would do a much 
better job on. I think I smell dinner being prepared....Â

Â

Keep practicing!Â

Â

DÂ

Â

Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.comÂ;

or enter my name in any search engineÂ

http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusicÂ;

http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzmÂ;

415 305 7138 dzm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxÂ

Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix MicrophonesÂ

Â

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