Music Industry Discussion

"A sell out to me means someone that writes/plays/performs something just for the $."

Exactly. How many of us could make a living writing commercial jingles, for example? I respect those who can. I don't disrespect them. They are using their god-given talents to make a good living, & what's wrong with that? They found a use for it, to pay for their family's needs, & let's face it - anyone's chances of making a living in music are pretty damned slim. If you can find a way, kudos to you!

You think I would have gone out & looked for the gig I just played, or that I'd have done it for free? Think again. Would I do it again? Sure, if the money's as good or better, even though I don't care for it, myself.

If some right-wing nut-job politician came to me & asked me to write his campaign theme, would I do it? Lemme sleep on that one...how much $ was that, again? (That, to me, would be selling out, I guess...& I still don't know if I'd actually do it, unless the opportunity rises. I'm not all THAT moralistic...but I kinda doubt that I'd do it. And then of course I'd be kicking myself for the rest of my life for not doing it...especially if he won the election!)

I was thinking more like if I was offered $ to play Country and Western.

I really detest C+W and I really am not interested in that at all, so to play that for $ would mean that I SOLD OUT.

(I wasn't being true to my inner voice)

I agree Cap'n.

Unless your "inner voice" only screams $$$$.

For some it's all about making money in music, any way, any how.

And that's OK ... For them.

I agree Cap'n.

Unless your "inner voice" only screams $$$$.

For some it's all about making money in music, any way, any how.

And that's OK ... For them.

+1 Sans, a very big +1

Amazing that some don't get this straight away.

I agree Cap'n.

Unless your "inner voice" only screams $$$$.

For some it's all about making money in music, any way, any how.

And that's OK ... For them.

Some people actually make their living playing music. What you call "selling out" I call groceries.


It's nice to feel like an Artiste, but the bank wants cash.

Yeah. I have made mention of this before but I feel it bears a repeat at this point.

You do your thing, I do mine.

I cant tell your heart so I can't tell if you "sold out " or not.

I could only label myself a sell out.
If I went against my will for $.

I know, I do it damn near daily in the hospital.

I won't do it with my guitar.

Your a musician I am a Nurse.
I just play guitar for a Christian Rock Band because I want too.
It's irrelevant if I ever make a dime doing it.

I agree Cap'n.

Unless your "inner voice" only screams $$$$.

For some it's all about making money in music, any way, any how.

And that's OK ... For them.

Some people actually make their living playing music. What you call "selling out" I call groceries.


It's nice to feel like an Artiste, but the bank wants cash.

You know on this point, it's ok to have differing opinions.

People do what they do and it's not like anyone wants you to stop doing that which makes you money.

It's merely the idea that if you are tuned in to some channel in your head where MOST if not ALL of your music comes from, it's a difficult thing to have to play something else merely for the cash.

Note: I am not impugning your musical ability.

For example: If you were performing OPERA and all you ever hear inside your head is BLUEGRASS. It'd be a damn shame and bet it would work on your psyche after a while.

I look to Prevost, when I think of this subject. He's a hired gun for top acts. Do you think he really likes & buys all their stuff? I doubt it.

He does a JOB, by playing music. He learns his parts. Do any of us like every aspect of our job? No. If a country band needed me, & the pay was there, & I aspire to be a full-time working muso, I shouldn't be above playing it, for myself OR my family. That ain't selling out to me. That's common sense, to me.

Same goes for *gasp* rap or screamo or whatever.

It's mostly, I think, the difference between the full-time pro & the part-time weekend warrior. If you don't need the bucks, don't do it. Let me, cuz it's what I want to do.

I look to Prevost, when I think of this subject. He's a hired gun for top acts. Do you think he really likes & buys all their stuff? I doubt it.

He does a JOB, by playing music. He learns his parts. Do any of us like every aspect of our job? No. If a country band needed me, & the pay was there, & I aspire to be a full-time working muso, I shouldn't be above playing it, for myself OR my family. That ain't selling out to me. That's common sense, to me.

Same goes for *gasp* rap or screamo or whatever.

Ooh bad example, as I bet Provost likes 80% of what he plays and you like Country, don't you Phil? (The other 20% he plays his own way and makes it his)

As for buying it, that's a different story altogether. Some like, but do not collect.

Let's ask him, he'll give you the real dirt.

And there isn't enough $ in the world to get me to do any rap/screamo/hardcore in general. NTY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If you want to be the equivalent of a musical prostitute, " You go girl"..lol

No one is stopping anyone from doing anything, last I checked.

I look to Prevost, when I think of this subject. He's a hired gun for top acts. Do you think he really likes & buys all their stuff? I doubt it.

He does a JOB, by playing music. He learns his parts. Do any of us like every aspect of our job? No. If a country band needed me, & the pay was there, & I aspire to be a full-time working muso, I shouldn't be above playing it, for myself OR my family. That ain't selling out to me. That's common sense, to me.

Same goes for *gasp* rap or screamo or whatever.

It's mostly, I think, the difference between the full-time pro & the part-time weekend warrior. If you don't need the bucks, don't do it. Let me, cuz it's what I want to do.

You got Phil ... it's a JOB .... same goes for original verses cover ... they are all covers to me and I can get just as sick of playing a original as I can a cover.

I play all genre's, country being one of them. Personally I think it's healthy .. you learn a new style, a new bag of trix's and you can always cross platform with those tricks to other genre's.

Capt. yes I like 80% of what I play ... but the other 20% .. you just buckup and play as best as you can ... it's a JOB.

No I don't buy their material ... they give it to me for free so I can learn their songs. I don't rehearse with them, I just show up and play the gig like I've been play with the band for years. The only band reheasals that I do is if we are put together a whole band for a touring artist from back east ... then we usually have one 6hr rehearsal and we are good to go.

I HAVE OLD SONGS FROM 2005 WHEN MY LAST BAND BROKE UP AND I DECIDED TO PUT MY OWN HOME STUDIO TOGETHER. GOT THE WALL TREATMENT, KORG D1600 DIGITAL HOME STUDIO, BOSS DR 670, RESOLV 60a ACTIVE MONITORS, TUBE SUPERLUX CONDENSOR MIC, SHURE 57, SHURE 58. EVERYTHING. TOOK A GOOD YEAR TO BECOME A "PRODUCER" AND MAKE THE DRUM AND BASS MACHINE SOUND REAL. THEN I WORKED MIC POSITIONS, TRICKS OF THE TRADE, MIXING, EQ. I KNEW A GREAT SONG STILL MEANT MORE THAN ALL THAT TECH STUFF, HOWEVER STUDIO WORK TAKES A LONG TIME TO DO BY YOURSELF, EVEN THE MIXING TO 2-TRACK AND FINAL CD BURN. I HAD TEN SONGS, ALL RECORDED DIFFERENTLY, WITH LYRICS IN VARIOUS CONTENT, MELODIES I THOUGHT WERE TOO "POP" AND NOT METAL, WHICH WAS THE DEFINED GENRE I WAS HEADING FOR. DRUMS AND BASS WERE DIFFERENT ON EACH SONG, GUITARS HEAVIER HEARE, LIGHTER THERE, VOCALS BIGGER, LOST, TOO BIG, - IT WAS THE "ROUGH CUT" CD FROM WHICH ALL SUBSEQUENT WORKS WOULD "EVOLVE". I WAS LOOKING FOR A CONSISTENT HEAVINESS, A DEFINED SOUND THAT HAD ME ALL OVER IT, GUITAR SOLOS THAT WERE PLAYED WITH FEEL AND PURPOSE RATHER THAN SPEED AND "ANYTHING YOU CAN DO" MENTALITY. MY SCI-FI STUFF WENT FROM SOUNDING LIKE A KIDS ANIMAE VID FAME TO THE SCENE IN "PREDETOR" WHERE THAT DEADLOCKED BASTARD WAS HURTIN' AND USING A HI-TECH FIRST AID KIT TO PATCH A NASTY GUN WOUND UP. THE SONGS TAKE ON A UNIFORMITY, A PROFESSIONAL QUALITY, A "SONGWRITER PAR EXECELLENCE" FLAVOR THAT IS HARD TO DESCRIBE. YOU BEGIN TO WRITE MORE AND MORE SONGS, SO MANY IN FACT THAT THEY SEEM TO OVERLAP AT TIMES. THERE IS RAW EMOTION, ANGER, JOY, SURREALISM, DRUG INDUCED STATES (FOR ME AT LEAST) EUPHORIA. BUT IT ALL FLOWS JUST RIGHT. NEVER UNDER OR OVER STATED. YOU'VE LEARNED WHAT SONG TO PUT FIRST, SECOND, THIRD, ETC. (FOR ME, THE HIT SHOULD BE #5). BUT YES, I DID THE SAME THING. I CAME BACK, IN THE BEGINNING, TORE UP LYRICS, RE-WROTE, CUT OUT A SECTION THAT WAS REDUNDANT. AVERAGE SONG LENGTH AROUND 4;30. IT JUST FELT INTUITIVE. EVEN NOW I KNOW WHEN I AM SETTLING JUST TO GET 13 SONGS ON A CD. CUT #13. IT WAS RUSHED AND I FOUND THE WEAK LINK ONE DAY. 15 SECONDS WEAK. 15 SEC. THAT COULD HAVE PEGGED THE SONG AS "FILLER". FILLER IS BAD, VERY VERY BAD. HOPE THIS HELPS NEW SONGWRITERS / STUDIO BUFFS.

Dean, I hear ya but you're killing me with all the caps, man.. lol

I feel like the other guy that was commenting about this earlier; like we're about to jump from an airplane, the door is open and we're are doing 100 knots at 10,000 ft.

aaahhhhhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa see ya below.. lol

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Consultations are HUGE in songwriting. i'm in Nashville and I'll tell you, the competition is more fierce here than anywhere in the world as far as songwriting goes. That's why they call it Music City!

I hooked up with a company in town called KLM Distribution. They have a service that will critique your songs, give you feedback and give you advice on what next steps to take.

Here.... klmdistribution.com

does anyone here know of any other companies like this that perform the same services?

Consultations are HUGE in songwriting. i'm in Nashville and I'll tell you, the competition is more fierce here than anywhere in the world as far as songwriting goes. That's why they call it Music City!

I hooked up with a company in town called KLM Distribution. They have a service that will critique your songs, give you feedback and give you advice on what next steps to take.

Here.... klmdistribution.com

does anyone here know of any other companies like this that perform the same services?

... for a fee of course...