[Harp-L] Live Music Scene, R.I.P. - Sorry, it's a long rant

[Damien Masterson <dzm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Gentlemen! (and dames, too!)

     Wow, you have touched on one of my favorite subjects, i.e.,  
"What the hell happened to live music" in the U.S., and a good chunk  
of the world?
Some very good observations. It's even more distressing, as you can  
imagine, for some, who from a young age have dedicated their entire  
life to being a professional musician, and growing up around role  
models who had purchased real estate and put children through college  
being the best they could be. Not stars, mind you, just solid,  
reliable musicians. Yes, I'm sorry to say, those days are gone. As  
some of you may know, I've had the opportunity to work with some of  
the finest musicians in my area, and even some international names.  
It pains me to say that almost all of those people, even the most  
optimistic, are at wit's end and ready to throw the towel in. There  
has been a very large shift in the way people participate with music  
and here are some observations:

  1 - What we remember as the "Golden Age" of live music was the  
result of a combination of things: The fact that nobody could hear  
music from the beginning of time until the advent of the phonograph  
made any musician an asset. One that could play reasonably well was  
likely the star of his or her neighborhood or small town, and one  
that showed exceptional talent was touted around the world, destined  
for stardom. After the industrial revolution, especially after the  
two World Wars, this country saw unprecedented prosperity and wealth.  
There was such a demand for live music, guys like Stan Getz at the  
age of 14 could drop out of high school, with substandard chops, and  
make enough money to comfortably support his ENTIRE FAMILY playing  
for a jazz orchestra. A lucky break for him, he was too young too  
draft and they needed to fill a seat. He learned, though! Now imagine  
that environment, where the radio had just come along, and the only  
way you were going to hear music was if someone played it live! Cats  
could sit in a bar or union hall and just wait for the work to roll  
in! What treasures we were! Now segue to today. Because of that  
history, lore, tradition and not to mention the untold fortune and  
fame of some rock and pop acts in the 70's, 80's and early 90's, some  
people got the idea in their heads that they could defy the odds and  
make it big. Unfortunately, as technology progressed, and populations  
skyrocketed, the odds of making in the "Musical Lottery" as some like  
to call it, are extremely poor. Today, an entire symphony can play a  
complicated, profound piece of music, all from a computer, and it  
sounds REAL. Few of us at first listen would think twice. (Still not  
a great sax or harmonica, but they are close...) EVERYWHERE we go,  
there is music playing. From our car to the elevator to the office to  
the bathroom, we get attacked with The Carpenters, Miles Davis and  
drum machines. As Gerry Mulligan once put it, "Today, music is  
ubiquitous, it is worthless".. at best, we enjoy it, mostly we ignore  
it.

 2 - Another thing that people touched on is interesting... We are a  
more sober society. Gone are the lyrics about being careful driving  
"because I had too much to drink" (Tower or Power, Bump City). We  
were high as a kite for years, and we needed a band to create a  
soundtrack for us! Smoking, drink, other fun stuff... Live musicians  
still had control, until the D.J.'s came along... and that's when we  
found out that loaded people don't really care where the musical  
tapestry is coming from! I have had the misfortune to tour the world  
performing with a D.J. who thought he would deepen the experience by  
hiring a sax and harmonica player to accompany his computer... What  
difference did it make to 5,000 kids on Ecstasy? Not enough, I'm  
afraid. Even the Hippies at Jam Band concerts would not be able to  
endure the usually substandard music without being stoned out of  
their gourds. Almost every live music explosion in this country has  
been based around drugs and alcohol, and other vice... Except Church,  
where the most live music is being played, at least on Sunday! AAAmen!

3 - We are a more diverse country. Whereas that could work as an  
advantage, (Charlie Parker playing barmitzvas, A mandolin player  
doing an Italian wedding), I don't know how to play Indian music, or  
middle eastern music, or Chinese instruments, and none of those guys  
are asking me to learn. But the few talented Sitar or Erhu players I  
know are working every day and getting paid well. Their people  
appreciate the music, even if it's paying homage to their culture,  
they feel an obligation to support it. How can we compete with that?  
That's why the world music market is one of the strongest today,  
because it's being sold as culture, not music. Blues got some mileage  
out of that, but it got harder as we honkies took that scene over...  
ooops! sorry...

4 - I don't care what anybody says - I have talked to enough people,  
and I focus on one topic: "Where's the MONEY COMING FROM?"... I'm  
sorry to inform any of you who didn't know this, but 95% of all of  
the musicians out there, including everyone on this list, is not  
making a living from playing live music. We subsidize ourselves, our  
wives subsidize us. We may have had a smart idea or lucky break in  
music that got us a chuck of cash at one time, but that is  
subsidizing our current endeavors, and quickly running out. The  
Sponsor or "Patron" system is very alive and well today, and usually  
when you see one of your favorite Jazz or Classical players  
performing at a local theatre, that show has been sponsored, because  
even a full house won't cover the costs nowadays. The money has to  
come from somewhere, and it is usually not the consuming public that  
pays the bill. Often it's directly from the artist. OUCH!

    As of recently, I have done more gigs with an iPod than I would  
like to admit. Then I started getting gigs from Casual Bands, playing  
in country clubs, with them using iPods and backing tracks! Even if  
they have a band, they use them and make the band play along. That  
way they don't have to rehearse or use charts. We're like a D.J.  
Cyborg. And you know what? Almost nobody notices! They are clueless.  
Have they been dummied down? Lack of music education in public  
schools? T.V. overload? Does it matter? They really don't care! Play on!

   So, the live music scene as anyone over the age of 30 had known  
it is gone, I'm afraid. It's been replaced by Stereos, then D.J.'s,  
then Karaoke, then a bunch of mediocre musicians with a laptop  
computer. After all is said and done, some people are just more  
talented than others at getting people to leave their massive  
entertainment zone they call their living room, endure traffic and  
weather to go to a smokeless bar with booze that state driving laws  
prohibit them from indulging in, to listen to a live band that may  
sound good, or may just really sound bad. In the Bay Area alone,  
there are about 500 activities that a person could go out and engage  
in, and alot of them are a much safer bet than live music.

   But we keep plugging away...


D


Damien Masterson http://www.damienmasterson.com
or enter my name in any search engine
http://www.myspace.com/damienmastersonmusic
http://cdbaby.com/all/damienzm
415 305 7138 dzm@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Damien Endorses Hohner Harmonicas and Audix Microphones


> I have been watching the music scene since about 1959. Yes, you are
> correct. One could actually write an entire book on the subject but
> here are a few points:
> 1.... lowering of the permissible bac level to .08
> 2.... the subsequent over zealous enforcing of same.
> 3.... rents raising faster than the national inflation rate forcing
> some clubs to close.
> 4.... people having less disposable income
> 5.... prices going up while wages are coming down
> 6.... too much vandalism and other crimes around the clubs
> 7.... bigger TVs
> 8.... gas & lodging prices putting a strain on traveling bands
> 9.... musicians unwillingness to work for less than $100.oo a night
> 10.. smoking restrictions (not a problem in the south, but 'could'
> matter up north.
> There are about a zillion more, but this will start ya'all