By Chuck Anderson
Is it just me or have you ever noticed that musicians are consistently portrayed by the advertising media as losers, homeless, broke, druggies, alcoholics or just plain simpletons? From my perspective, I am not only offended by this but enraged enough to try to raise consciousness about this entire subject.
Are some musicians druggies and alcoholics? Yes, but so are some lawyers and doctors.
There are very few harder working and dedicated professionals than those working in the music business. It’s important to differentiate between the star market and the professional market. I’m talking about the people who have dedicated a substantial part of their life mastering their craft. I’m not looking at many stars whose success is solely based on appearance and image. And as it stands today, we now have to handle music, promotion, booking, brand building, creativity, performance and a host of other tasks.
The profession of music requires the same hard work that success in any business demands. It is an entrepreneurial industry in which we have to generate the product and the means by which it’s sold.
Let’s make the marketplace aware of the fact that musicians are successful people who have incomes, homes, cars, investments and can put their kids through college.
Not every one is a “success”. Every profession in the world has its share of “failure”. Musicians in general love their work and that’s more than I can say about most people I meet who dread going to work and would quit their job in a heart beat if they could.
Let’s try to create a more accurate picture of the profession of music in the public at large.
Is it just me or have you ever noticed that musicians are consistently portrayed by the advertising media as losers, homeless, broke, druggies, alcoholics or just plain simpletons? From my perspective, I am not only offended by this but enraged enough to try to raise consciousness about this entire subject.
Are some musicians druggies and alcoholics? Yes, but so are some lawyers and doctors.
There are very few harder working and dedicated professionals than those working in the music business. It’s important to differentiate between the star market and the professional market. I’m talking about the people who have dedicated a substantial part of their life mastering their craft. I’m not looking at many stars whose success is solely based on appearance and image. And as it stands today, we now have to handle music, promotion, booking, brand building, creativity, performance and a host of other tasks.
The profession of music requires the same hard work that success in any business demands. It is an entrepreneurial industry in which we have to generate the product and the means by which it’s sold.
Let’s make the marketplace aware of the fact that musicians are successful people who have incomes, homes, cars, investments and can put their kids through college.
Not every one is a “success”. Every profession in the world has its share of “failure”. Musicians in general love their work and that’s more than I can say about most people I meet who dread going to work and would quit their job in a heart beat if they could.
Let’s try to create a more accurate picture of the profession of music in the public at large.
