This is a touchy subject at best - one that I have been considering for some time now. It would be great to hear some feedback on the idea...
I've coined the term Audience Discrimination recently. It's not a nice term. It refers to "musicians" that won't share their time and talent with audiences that cannot afford to pay them. It refers to "musicians" that won't share with audiences whose health and well-being would benefit dramatically. It refers to "musicians" that are dividing the world they pretend to hope to unite.
Forgive me for using quotes around the term musician above, but for a long time I thought "musicians" were folks that played music. Only recently have I allowed the fact to seep in that most of the "musicians" in this little "music town" define themselves as someone who gets paid to play music, and does not play music unless paid. In particular they do not play for old people, mentally challenged adults and/ or physically challenged children. They do not play for folks that would derive health benefits from their music, and their visit. Or anyone else who cannot make it to Miller's or Gravity Lounge.
Frankly I do not know the reason they won't come play for these audiences. When I ask I am told that they do not have time, or they will only do it for money. I am aware that both of these statements are not true. What we do with our time is a choice. Every so often I see their names on the bill for charity gigs that I KNOW are not paid. The perceived value for them is of course in the billing itself and the associated event promotion. It satisfies their ego need to "give back" to the community and pretend that they do not only play for money, and of course they are certain that their public stock just went up a notch due to the "good guy" factor.
It's cute, the way some of these folks confuse making a living in some aspect of the music business with actually living a musical life - that is, actually living a world-changing musical lifestyle. I find that it's a distinction between singing the lyrics and living the lyrics; a distinction between singing about what they and the world will one day be like, or actually just going ahead and being like that now and letting the world take care of itself. It's hypocrisy. Or a lack of awareness. Either way, it's been eye opening for me.
Then I went to the Gravity Lounge....
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Saturday, June 2, 2007
The Core Musicians of SongSharing
The core group of musicians that have brought SongSharing to this point are:
Greg Allen - since 1994 (http://www.graspingatlaws.net/)
Grasping At Laws, since 1996 - Granville Braxton w/ Greg Allen (http://www.graspingatlaws.net/)
Tom and Emily, since 2003/04 - Tom Proutt ('03) and Emily Gary ('04) (http://www.tom-and-emily.com/)
The Rusticators, since 2004- Abbey Linfert & Chris Amsler (http://www.therusticators.com/)
Jeff Romano, since 2005 - our studio engineer extraordinaire who also performs in the Community Venues (http://www.greenwoodstudio.com/)
Others include:
Thomas Gunn - played many a show between 2002 and 2004, and still arranges an occasional performance for our audiences. Thomas performed in SongSharing 1, our first Live Arts Concert in 2003. (http://www.thomasgunnmusic.com/)
Gary Oxford - Gary performed regularly for close to a year in SongSharing Community Venues.
Bob Zweig - Bob contacted SongSharing after reading about us, and performed in Community Venues for well over a year.
Lots of other locals have done a show or 2 over the years. We hope they will renew and continue their involvement. The folks named above however are the ones who have made and honored commitments for months and years.
Their efforts have manifested Billy Joel autographed Baldwin pianos and an REM autographed DVD and poster, among other things.
They are the reason David Wilcox is going to perform in a Community Venue on June 8th, and the reason Rishell & Raiunes, Dave Crossland, and others have done so.
Tom and Emily, The Rusticators, Jeff Romano and Granville Braxton have demonstrated incredible commitment to and faith in the SongSharing idea - and most importantly to putting it into action!
I am honored to know them and associate with them, and call them friends. I am more highly honored that they play on my records and often sit in at my gigs.
As I said elsewhere, SongSharing is a bit like a musical pork chop I hung around my neck years ago. What a great group of professionals has come to play.
Greg Allen - since 1994 (http://www.graspingatlaws.net/)
Grasping At Laws, since 1996 - Granville Braxton w/ Greg Allen (http://www.graspingatlaws.net/)
Tom and Emily, since 2003/04 - Tom Proutt ('03) and Emily Gary ('04) (http://www.tom-and-emily.com/)
The Rusticators, since 2004- Abbey Linfert & Chris Amsler (http://www.therusticators.com/)
Jeff Romano, since 2005 - our studio engineer extraordinaire who also performs in the Community Venues (http://www.greenwoodstudio.com/)
Others include:
Thomas Gunn - played many a show between 2002 and 2004, and still arranges an occasional performance for our audiences. Thomas performed in SongSharing 1, our first Live Arts Concert in 2003. (http://www.thomasgunnmusic.com/)
Gary Oxford - Gary performed regularly for close to a year in SongSharing Community Venues.
Bob Zweig - Bob contacted SongSharing after reading about us, and performed in Community Venues for well over a year.
Lots of other locals have done a show or 2 over the years. We hope they will renew and continue their involvement. The folks named above however are the ones who have made and honored commitments for months and years.
Their efforts have manifested Billy Joel autographed Baldwin pianos and an REM autographed DVD and poster, among other things.
They are the reason David Wilcox is going to perform in a Community Venue on June 8th, and the reason Rishell & Raiunes, Dave Crossland, and others have done so.
Tom and Emily, The Rusticators, Jeff Romano and Granville Braxton have demonstrated incredible commitment to and faith in the SongSharing idea - and most importantly to putting it into action!
I am honored to know them and associate with them, and call them friends. I am more highly honored that they play on my records and often sit in at my gigs.
As I said elsewhere, SongSharing is a bit like a musical pork chop I hung around my neck years ago. What a great group of professionals has come to play.
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