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Ok, this is the 'theory' of the internet, and I'm inclined to agree with it. But do you have any evidence that there are more talented musicians than ever? Be
by sonnyblarney 8y ago
Ok, this is the 'theory' of the internet, and I'm inclined to agree with it.
But do you have any evidence that there are more talented musicians than ever?
Because they are lacking at my local hot spots - i.e. the bands coming to town are not showcasing much of this. Obviously this has a lot to do with pop culture tastes - and maybe this is the 'other side of the equation' ie 'demand'.
As for 'the commons' - no. There is no return sadly.
'Musician' used to be a job. If you wanted to hear music, it generally had to be live. When rock and roll came along, the number of horn player jobs dropped by 90% - because hey, now you only have a '5 piece' band instead of a '30 piece' band.
With electronic music - there are zero pieces in the band. Just a DJ to press play and to pretend he's busy with the knobs.
Tastes change, which is fine - and it's possible to do a lot with a computer, which is fine - but due to the lower barrier to entry - AND - the 'globalization' of music. FYI what is happening to pop is the same thing happening to Hollywood films, like 'Transformers' - there is literally no plot, just production values - a lot of music is being consumed in the developing world where often taste is simple.
So there are no jobs for musicians anymore, which makes it hard to be in the commons.
Another note on taste: music used to be pretty. It was something almost anyone could enjoy, on some level. All folk music is 'listenable'. All classical is 'listenable'. So is light rock, and easy Jazz. Broadway music - etc..
But some versions of rock, most of rap, 1/2 of hip hop - and a considerable amount of music is not 'unlistenable' to anyone but the people really into that genre. It's now really 'edgy' and contemporary.
For example - Trippie Red, SixNine - even a lot of JayZ - it's only going to ever appeal to a very small group of people. My Grandfather could feasibly listen to a Beyonce song. But he literally won't understand what the sound Trippie Red is making.
That there is talentless, mumbling over noise on video and touring, and that it gets vast attention - more than many musicians ... is problematic. Which gives rise to my final point hinted at above and that it's really just about popularity, not music. Trippie Red makes a little more sound than Kardashian and wears a different label - but it's almost the same thing.
FYI there's a good anecdote about Puff Daddy and is AR guys. His guys would come back from the club and say 'we found a great new sound' and Puff would say 'but how do they look?'.
Getting a face tattoo today is more 'key' to getting acclaim than much else, because it really sticks out on instagram (ie visual) where the competition is.
I truly hope as you say there are actually more 'bedroom masters' than before, I don't see it but I hope I'm wrong.
- teilo 8y agoTo be fair, the people I'm talking about tend to be more on the folk / eclectic side of things — and are playing real physical instruments. I don't count laptop jockeys in that group.