Stoneman
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3/22/2013 2:25:34 PM
Diversity
Diversity,
Quite often my wife will call up to the studio and ask me if I want bacon or sausage. My answer is almost always “Yes”. Then she says you have to pick one baby and I always ask why? Most times I wind up getting both because she loves me and she understands that my choices are usually varied. This is the nature of my understanding and hunger for music also. I never wanted to do just one genre or the other. Or, to play just one instrument or the other. I usually want to do everything and anything that I feel creatively motivated to do. Musically, this has become my saving grace and sometimes my pitfall. A lot of musicians have no respect for people like me because they are music “purists“. They believe a Jazz artist should only do Jazz or a Blues artist who does Pop would be selling out according to them. A cross over Hip-Hop artist often loses his street cred because he made millions in a different genre. Most of my life I have faced this ignorance with a great rebellious fervor. My thoughts were always “who the f##k are you to judge me for wanting to do more and be more?”. There are people who actually believe that real musicians should be broke and starving. They think they should be suffering for their art. What a crock!
It is a constant theme heard from the tunnel vision crowd. Most times, when someone finds out that you are a musician or songwriter, the first question they ask is what kind of music you do. I hate that question because I don’t see musicians as genre specific. I see musicians as musicians. Most of the musicians I have worked with could play just about anything you put in front of them. Most of the successful musicians that I know have been successful because they can and will play whatever needs to be played to get paid. They don’t have the luxury of just sticking to one thing. They have responsibilities that must be met and as full time musicians, their day job is to play whatever is going to pay the bills. Sometimes they may not like what they have to play but for them the bottom line gets served. Their families are being fed, the kids have college funds and they own their own homes. When they hear the word “sell out” they usually laugh. One of my best friends (who once played in one of the most successful funk bands ever) told me that when he hears the word sell out he replies “Well you better learn how to sell something or you will starve to death”. He has Grammy’s in 5 musical genres. Not going to say who he is because I hate name dropping Dick heads. I refuse to be one.
At any rate, the point that I am making is that I respect artists who are compelled and can afford to stay in one genre and be true to their own musical standards. I see nothing wrong with that. But I get really perturbed with musician snobbery. You made a choice to be a Blues musician. But don’t mock other musicians who choose to do more. Those folks who criticize other musicians for doing a variety of genres are musician bigots. I also think it is silly to accuse someone of selling out just because they found a way to be successful or make money at their art. When I toured there were many times that we played music that I hated. No, it wasn’t fun at all. But it was my job to play what we were paid to play. Back in those days we called it “paying dues”. We believed that some day we would be able to play the music we loved. Well, I guess that actually worked out for some of us. It did for me at least. But there are people that actually think it is wrong to seek success in music. They think you should only be doing it for the love of the art. Well, I love the art and have done it free many times. But I prefer to be paid. I would love to have a hit and I certainly don’t see anything blasphemous in that pursuit. I never understood why people put other people down for having bigger dreams than their own. I think that attitude sucks.
However, a funny thing happened on my way to musician eldership. I gained a deep and abiding respect and love for all kinds of music. The old stuff and the new stuff. The fun stuff and the sad stuff. The Jazz, Reggae, Funk, Rock, Pop, Hip-Hop, Gospel, Soul, Dance and Electronic of it all. Almost everything I could get my hands on became an exciting challenge that I was inspired to meet. I continue to seek challenges and musical milestones. In addition to this, I started mingling the styles and creating hybrid music that is indefinable. I hate being defined and put into a box. There in lies the pitfall I mentioned before. Promoters never really seemed to know how to market me. My fan base is always concerned that my next CD will be something completely different from what they first fell in love with. But I have experienced the joy of being recognized for many different kinds of music. I have followed the path that my musical heart led me to. I didn’t sell out. I bought in! I bought into diversity and found an unlimited amount of musical flavors. I have made some money from it but I ain’t rich.
Why have either sausage or bacon when you like both? I don‘t listen to musical snobs. I think they should open their ears and hear what the entire musical world has to offer. If they choose to do one thing. That’s cool! But I don’t think others should be criticized for trying to do more than just that one thing. After all, the world is your musical oyster. Eat, drink, and play with freedom. Ignore the music bigots and the so called purists. They are the ones who are missing out. It is not just about being paid or being successful or even being famous. For me, it is all about being free. Free to write, produce and pursue whatever my little musical heart desires.
What do you think?
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Stoneman
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3/23/2013 11:17:23 AM
Bob,
Yeah bacon is one of my favorites also but I like sausage as well. Two at the same time is decadent but well worth the clogged arteries.
D.,
Yeah the whole genre/label thing doesn’t make much sense to people like us. But other people seem to have some inherited need to categorize and compartmentalize everything including music. It really doesn’t bother me until someone begins to think their genre is superior or that people should stick to one thing. I once knew a classical artist who thought my music was way beneath him. Probably was true in regards to compartive musicianship but being ugly is totally uncalled for. Then, there are the gospel artists who claim that gospel artists should only do gospel. Anyone who does more is suspect according to their faith.
Chandra,
It is always such a thrilling experience to listen to your music. I never know whats going to be there. You have such a world rounded approach to songwriting and performance. I can't even imagine what IAC would be without you and others with your kind of skills. Each one of your songs has its own feel and flavor. By the way, although there are several standard blues chord structures. Blues is more about feeling. You pull that off quite well!
Thanks so much for you comments D. Bob, & Chandra
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