Recently, a well-respected regional
musician from New England, posted something of a rant on Facebook. He
asked (maybe challenged would be a better word) major label artists
whether, before they won a contract, they had other jobs and played
covers before they made it big by obtaining a major label contract
and broadcast recognition. He also challenged the legitimacy of the
PRO's (professional rights organizations like ASCAP, BMI, and SESAC)
to charge venues a fee for playing copyrighted and otherwise
protected songs. Asserting that playing covers in minor venues
(coffee and alcohol related bars, churches, vineyards, etc) provided
these artists with the experience and publicity that made it possible
for them to achieve their current prominence and have honor of being
awarded a recording contract and/or significant national recognition.
Let's start with the PRO's. Who would
deny the opportunity for the music creator, the writer, to obtain the
royalties due him or her from being performed. Why should local
venues be able, essentially, to steal content by not paying for the
music they offer? Despite the rapidly changing media and online
environment, there are still ways to assure that artists get paid for
their creativity. If a venue is gaining business from presenting
“free” music, thus exploiting both the performers and the
creators of the music, it's behaving in a less than ethical fashion,
even if it doesn't get caught. But it's encouraging to note that NOW
is the heyday of the singer/songwriter and the independent artist. A
musician with a message and style to share can do so today in ways
that were inconceivable less than a decade ago. A few microphones and
a mixing board in the basement and an inexpensive HD video recorder
on a tripod is all it takes to produce a relatively high quality
video. Making titles and posting it to You Tube costs nothing. An
inventive self-promoter can use a variety of social media, including
focused music sources, to get the word out and publicize the work.
Performances that can generate interest can attract significant
audiences, make real money, and get an excellent shot at a tour and a
career. It's an increasingly open system every day.
Now to the more important matter, at
least for some, of moving from local or regional band into national
status. I probably could make it into some sort of a formula like:
Talent +Hard Work+Some Luck = Success. But everyone knows that's not
exactly the whole story. The formula does at least suggest a process,
rather than a formula. There's no guarantee it will work out for any
particular band, because what we've taken to calling the “it”
factor always comes into play. Not every band, not even every well
recognized band has the “it” factor, and almost none have “it”
with everyone who encounters their music. Irene and I have spent
hours seeking to define “it”, but no go.
Most bands form at some point from a
group of people who come together to have fun making music. For the
vast majority of bluegrassers, that activity, the jam, is as far as
becoming a band ever gets. Some, however, will say, “Let's form a
band” and start performing, perhaps at their local bluegrass
society, at homes and hospitals, for a friend's wedding, or at the
local farmer's market. They meet together on Tuesday evening and
rehearse, but many of these “rehearsals” are just a good
opportunity to continue a weekly jam. The hard work of moving into
regular paying gigs across an increasingly wide geographical range is
only about to begin.
Perhaps the most difficult task a band
faces is to find and develop a distinctive sound that can become
recognized within the first few notes of being heard. If you listen
to satellite radio or your mp3 player, you know that you hear a few bands that leap out at you, while tons of others require you to look
at the screen to realize who's playing. What knowledgeable bluegrass
fan won't immediately recognize Del McCoury, Ralph Stanley, or,
today, the Gibson Brothers when they come on the air? But it's
fiendishly hard work to achieve this goal, it often takes years, and many bands never do succeed at it.
Along with the sound, a band must move towards developing a stage
show and learning to make direct connections with their audience.
These connection opportunities (requirements?) have become
increasingly important, largely due to technology. A band must have a
personality that reaches out not only from the stage, but through the
ozone. A band's ability to make connections through social media and
their web site have become increasingly important. To neglect that
aspect is to court doom. Recently, as I was preparing a festival
preview, I came across a band calendar that was completely blank.
Since I knew they were booked at the festival I was previewing, this
sort of neglect sends a clear message about the band's priorities.
No, it ain't just about the music! All this work takes commitment and
teamwork. Every member of the band has to be involved and active in
some aspect of forwarding the band's prospects.
While every band begins life as a cover
band, exceptionally few bands create a national reputation through
their covers. At present, the very high impact “tribute” band The
Earls of Leicester are making quite a stir channeling the vibe of
Flatt & Scruggs. On hearing them live, one is immediately struck
by the thought that this is what it must have felt like to hear Flatt
& Scruggs for the first time. But this doesn't happen often. This
anomaly should never be expected. Not to say that a band shouldn't
play covers. It's crucial in bluegrass to honor the shoulders on
which each band stands. Covers are a way to do that. A band must find
itself and then either write or select original material adequately
representing the unique musical experience they wish to establish. This is an
extremely difficult task, may take years, and requires time and
energy. One element helping to make all this possible is staying
together and working together with very few personnel changes over
time. Look at long lived successful bands. The successful ones not having
considerable continuity are notable as exceptions.
Finally, it comes down to being willing
to take the risk. Most successful bluegrass musicians, it must be
said, have a spouse with a full-time job including benefits. This aid
can't be overestimated. The further personal support it suggests is
beyond overemphasis. However, it's a trying commitment and means that
many music marriages don't last, or else the careers don't. The
rewards can be great, but the personal costs horrific. The simple
four letter word “risk” carries a terrible, often unbearable,
burden. Most people who have achieved top recognition have learned
both the reward and the risk. In the end, nothing guarantees success,
but the work, commitment, and, yes, suffering are all apart of what
it takes to gain the reward.
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