The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #154480 Message #3632424
Posted By: sciencegeek
12-Jun-14 - 07:40 AM
Thread Name: Why Do Musicians Work For Nothing?
Subject: RE: Why Do Musicians Work For Nothing?
Unlike processing paperwork or serving customers, music is both an avocation and a profession... it's art.
Some of the hardest working musicians- both vocal and instrumental- are studio musicians who show up and have no creative control over what they do. They're hired guns with a single job to do...
Our world is saturated with commercial music and very little of it appeals to me. What I do enjoy is found in the folk and traditional venues... which are off on the fringe and the as big names ( those recognized by the average person) no longer perform, it gets less and less attention. In my office of well over 100 people, maybe a dozen even know of Pete Seeger.
The point being that we are tiny... and bickering amongst ourselves is not helping anything. The way to stay viable is to keep visible.. and give folks something to enjoy so that they have a reason to want more.
This weekend the general public that decides to visit Mystic Seaport will not only see the regular exhibits, but will also see some of the finest musicians around. Paid performers and dedicated volunteers will keep things lively... and it's the young people who show up and join in that will keep it alive.