Not Starving...Just Hungry

"Do music because your soul demands it. Keep putting it out there for people to hear... Don't tell the story of being a "starving" artist. Be an artist who is "hungry" to entertain and move people."

This is just one of the encouraging messages I received from friends/fans after they read my last blog post. I completely and wholeheartedly agree with that statement. I will always make music because I love to. I make music because it is in the essence of my being. To quote the great, Van Morrison, "Music is Spiritual. The music business is not." And I think that's what I'm getting at in all of this.

I hope I did not sound too cynical in my last post. I also hope I did not seem like I was fishing for compliments, because that was not my intention. I'm just setting the stage. I want to invite you into my journey through the indie music industry. I want to show what it will take to one day make music for a living, instead of just making it in my free time. It has been, and will continue to be, a lot of falling down and picking myself back up. I may eventually just have to sell all of my possessions and hobo it on tour. Who knows?! One thing for sure is, that I will never stop making music.
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Here's a little glimpse into the indie music industry, some of the challenges I will face, and the pros and cons of modern technology in the music industry:

The music industry has changed greatly over the past few years. It's no longer necessary to get a record deal to be able to produce a record. There are so many easily accessible technologies at our finger tips now, if you just put in the time to learn to use them. I taught my self the recording program, Logic, by watching videos on youtube. With this technology, I was able to record nearly everything off my recent album, "Human Conditions," with a simple audio interface with one space for a mic and one space for a quarter inch cable, a decent pair of headphones, and Logic. I can also make my own posters and create my own merchandise designs with photoshop. I can create my own website, and do my own booking online. 

Recording my own vox.

Recording Emily Roland on
back up vox
for the song beautiful day.

Recording the amazing
Michael Adkins on drums.

Recording Drew Packard on bass.

                                               Recording in various places with my meager recording equipment

All of this new, readily accessible technology sounds awesome, right? Well, it has it's pros and cons. I love it because it enables me to produce my own music. It also allows other shining souls, SONGWRITERS, to be able to fully express themselves through music, and have it be heard by others. Though mainstream pop, concerned with sex and money, still exists, there's an underground movement happening; people telling stories, people shedding light, and some people writing lyrics that are just gibberish, but the music still moves people. BUT with all of this going on, there is still that over-saturation in the market that leads us musicians and songwriters to have to try and market ourselves and rise above. Though we are able to produce records, we still have to try and get them distributed and heard. We still have to squeeze our front feet in the door to play shows and go on tour. Venues will only book you if you can draw a crowd, so it's a difficult Catch 22 situation to try and figure out. How do you build up the fan base to draw a crowd if you can't get booked in the first place?

For some bands, it's easy to draw a crowd, because they play fun, upbeat music that people like to dance to (usually while drinking alcohol). But my music is a bit different. While it is upbeat sometimes, it's also delicate and introspective. For me, I'm going to have to try to find, or create, my own niche. And to do this, I'm told, I need to learn how to market myself; something I've never been particularly good at. I've always been a very shy, modest person. I have always tended to look down upon people who are constantly self-promoting, because to me, they come off as conceited. But I am having to change that whole mentality. I'm having to humble myself, and learn from the success of my peers and predecessors. Right now, I am reading "The Indie Band Survival Guide." It's a little outdated, and it was only written 2 years ago. Social networks and technology are constantly evolving, but there are still a lot of good tips in there. We'll see if they work as I try to put them to use!

Don't worry, I'm not going to become an all-business kind of gal. I'm just going to have to find my niche, where my true light can shine through and resonate to people with listening ears. I might have to come up with a gimmick or two, but they'll all support the message of my music, and spring from my truest self. I'm going to have to get creative! And as always, I'll have to be diligent and patient, and be "hungry to entertain and move people."