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Folks I've been networking and talking to people like mad over the last two months or more, even?
America is a tough place Musically. Most of my feedback comes from Europe, go figure huh? I remember way back when and I ain't that old people talking about breaking the American market and saying it was almost near impossible?
For the most part I think there is some essence in that perhaps? I mean Rush and countless other bands including of course the Beatles did it, many others too.

What is it about America?

I mean apart from having stylish guitar skills here because this is a predominantly guitar forum, (most are)
Thoughts.........................

Well, lately, America has become extremely genre-specific. You must fit in some niche or you won't get heard or promoted.

After the 1st British invasion, I think we became a little self-conscious about "outsiders" doing our music better than we do, too.

Don't agree with that at all. There are some superstars here in NJ at least.

philbymon wrote:After the 1st British invasion, I think we became a little self-conscious about "outsiders" doing our music better than we do, too.

"Is it possible that in our need to have so many aspects of our lives packaged into nice tidy neat little packages, customized to our every need, that we just find it hard to settle for anything that doesn't make us feel like we've just found yet another bargain at Walmart?"



whoa..

Actually, Klugmo. I hafta disagree with that one.

Variety?

Try to find a variety of genres in your average person's musical collection, especially if their age is below, say, 40.

You may find two genres, & 5 or 6 'subgenres.'

Listen to any major radio station you may choose, & try to find a variety of genres. They may be out there, but they are in the minority.

Country stations ONLY play country. Pop stations ONLY play modern hip-hop & r&b. Classic rock stations are the only ones that MAY give you variety, & that's only because we were so much more open-minded to various genres in the past.

Nowadays? There are ppl out there who only listen to Mississippi Delta Blues, or death metal, or whatever. Anything else leaves them cold. We've become obssessed with being genre-specific, with having everything in its own little niche, which destroys any chance of having variety.

A multi-faceted artist has little to no chance of getting signed, these days, because his fan base doesn't know what to expect from him, & they're only interested in one or two styles of music.

It's a sad commentary. if you ask me.

Actually phil, I hafta reinterate Remember we are livin in a Global economic world and that changes everything. genre means nothing to the young I believe. They like what they like and thats it. They could care less where it comes from. Wether is cool J, Mcartney, GA GA OR tIM mCGRAW.

KLUGMO wrote:tHEY DONT CARE WHERE YOU'RE FROM. THEY CARE WHAT YOU DOOOO

...as long as it fits in perfectly with all their other stuff in their genre-specific music collection.

Not trying to be negative, but the truth is this: Bands are hand picked based on ROI for the investor. The music is piped to radio, played repeatedly (over and over and over) until it is implanted in the minds of the listener....then sales and advertising dollars take care of the rest...

It is hard to break into this formula, unless you either know the investor, or in a few rare cases, your work gets a quick listen, and blows them away...

I have a 30 year old son that I think is pretty typical in the music he enjoy's. It is very refreshing to see that. I don't think the average music listener has really changed that much. I mean I grew up listening to the music my parents liked (by force I might add LMAO) and the reverse is true they were forced to listen to whatever music was my fancy at the time. It could have been the Beatles, Billy Joel, Deep Purple, Thin Lizzy, Alice Cooper, Bootsy Collins the list could go on forever. The old saying your kids will keep you young is true my son likes a very wide range of musical genres. My point to this post is that I don't think people have changed very much at all. The technology of today is FORCING the music biz. to change and dragging us OLD FARTS kicking and screaming along with it, at least those of us that still have the desire to put our music out to the masses!

I hope you're right, JH, but what I see in today's younger folk is just as I described. I hope it's only a product of location, & that we can get over it soon

Today’s music by itself is enough to make it, the way I see it music or songs or audio if you prefer have taken the back seat the visual or video, today’s artist spent m few thousand dollars to record a song and hundreds thousands of dollars to shoot a video this is the formula for success nowadays. Gone are the days when success was solely based on the ability to write and perform a good song.

Klumo mentioned Janis Joplin talented performer to be sure but if she were around today I don’t know she would make it unless she had nice legs and the ability to wrap herself around a pole on camera.

MTV changed the game some would say for the better some for the worse, I myself when I watch MTV and listen to a song that I like at times
I have to close my eyes so I don’t get distracted by the images which tells me that as far as I’m concern I don’t need a video to make me like or buy a song.

As far as genre is concern some people tend to gravitate to one style or maybe two, some others tend to have a broader taste but I don’t think that the multitude of genre precludes any one artist from making it, if a genre exists it’s because it has its following.