I have been observing a very disturbing trend off late. I remember writing about how people want everything instantly in today's times, some 4 years back at least. I'm surprised that tables haven't turned since then. What's disturbing is that probably they won't, ever.
Its a little appalling, the approach people are taking toward art forms. This is probably a lament on similar lines that I remember was happening when there was a debate going on as to how much technology should you let into your music. While there were pros like different artists not being available together for a recording, there were also cons that robbed songs off their expression because of various breaks during recording, off the chemistry and bonding that would have been if not for technology. Taken in with a pinch of salt, since technology simplified the work of the sound engineer, it reigned supreme.
Today, its the exposure. Social media has played and will continue to play a very important role in our lives. People decide to showcase the food they eat, the people they have gone out with and the like. But when used properly, social media can serve as a very powerful tool for the required exposure. With a lot of people - young and old taking up music and taking up gigging on the rise, its only fair that they require their followers to increase, recognise them so that they get more shows, hoping their musical career would get an upstart. Its very heartening to know that youtube sensations have gotten big breaks earlier. So that one reason is enough for us to hope, and thus, perform and publicise.
I'm not saying publicity is bad, neither am I saying marketing ourselves is bad. There needs to be an aggressive push in the market if we are looking for people to notice us. What is appalling and steadily deteriorating is the quality of music.
We all think of getting on stage and covering classics. Few people shy away from covering them because they would be worried that if its not reproduced the same way as of the original, the crowd would well, boo them. Few people take the brave step of acing the guitar riff or the solo the way it is with rigorous practice. Few people play the part with their modifications and then stand by it saying its their own version of it. I've seen all these kinds of people. One simple thought we need to stop sometime in life and ask ourselves is this. Why did these bands become classics? Why have few bands like Iron Maiden perhaps stood the test of time? How is it that anything that's new isn't termed a classic, or how is it that it fades away too soon? I'm not trying to demean any artist here. All artists, in my opinion are trying to give it their own flavour to it and only few are successful in getting a taste of it. As kids, we've heard stories of musicians practicing for days on a particular scale, conducting workshops only about a certain raaga and the various ways it can be interpreted.
I used to have many such discussions at music class. In view of getting likes of going live, or just publicising our work, we get into the field like half baked chicken. Here, the musical ability is limited, there, audience doesn't give a damn as to what you play as long as you entertain them. It could be death metal, it could be carnatic classical. That has forced a new breed of musicians to evolve, the ones that don't care. The ones that are ok with learning for 2 years and then going all out on promotion. Yes, it has become a business, it has become very commercial. Gone are the days when music used to sell because of a certain person. Now its the package. That's no harm either. But its art form. Art is liberation. For liberation to happen, there has to be a proper means. Every art form is an ocean. An ocean that needs to be worshipped, needs to be revered. Its what is referred to as 'Saadhana'. Having heard stories of artists who would just lock themselves up and play one particular raaga for days together, getting inspired from them, and looking at people who have an attitude of not wanting to take in new things, not wanting to evolve, not wanting to experiment, but just rely on instant fame is a little too disturbing. Again, its the ones who can actually have a certain discipline that can really stick around to anything. But this trend can surely be changed by proper education, by proper upbringing. Its not fame or success that matters. Its the discipline and the perseverance. Its the practice. Its how you express your liberation after that. But for liberation to happen, you need to know what you are capable of.
Its a little appalling, the approach people are taking toward art forms. This is probably a lament on similar lines that I remember was happening when there was a debate going on as to how much technology should you let into your music. While there were pros like different artists not being available together for a recording, there were also cons that robbed songs off their expression because of various breaks during recording, off the chemistry and bonding that would have been if not for technology. Taken in with a pinch of salt, since technology simplified the work of the sound engineer, it reigned supreme.
Today, its the exposure. Social media has played and will continue to play a very important role in our lives. People decide to showcase the food they eat, the people they have gone out with and the like. But when used properly, social media can serve as a very powerful tool for the required exposure. With a lot of people - young and old taking up music and taking up gigging on the rise, its only fair that they require their followers to increase, recognise them so that they get more shows, hoping their musical career would get an upstart. Its very heartening to know that youtube sensations have gotten big breaks earlier. So that one reason is enough for us to hope, and thus, perform and publicise.
I'm not saying publicity is bad, neither am I saying marketing ourselves is bad. There needs to be an aggressive push in the market if we are looking for people to notice us. What is appalling and steadily deteriorating is the quality of music.
We all think of getting on stage and covering classics. Few people shy away from covering them because they would be worried that if its not reproduced the same way as of the original, the crowd would well, boo them. Few people take the brave step of acing the guitar riff or the solo the way it is with rigorous practice. Few people play the part with their modifications and then stand by it saying its their own version of it. I've seen all these kinds of people. One simple thought we need to stop sometime in life and ask ourselves is this. Why did these bands become classics? Why have few bands like Iron Maiden perhaps stood the test of time? How is it that anything that's new isn't termed a classic, or how is it that it fades away too soon? I'm not trying to demean any artist here. All artists, in my opinion are trying to give it their own flavour to it and only few are successful in getting a taste of it. As kids, we've heard stories of musicians practicing for days on a particular scale, conducting workshops only about a certain raaga and the various ways it can be interpreted.
I used to have many such discussions at music class. In view of getting likes of going live, or just publicising our work, we get into the field like half baked chicken. Here, the musical ability is limited, there, audience doesn't give a damn as to what you play as long as you entertain them. It could be death metal, it could be carnatic classical. That has forced a new breed of musicians to evolve, the ones that don't care. The ones that are ok with learning for 2 years and then going all out on promotion. Yes, it has become a business, it has become very commercial. Gone are the days when music used to sell because of a certain person. Now its the package. That's no harm either. But its art form. Art is liberation. For liberation to happen, there has to be a proper means. Every art form is an ocean. An ocean that needs to be worshipped, needs to be revered. Its what is referred to as 'Saadhana'. Having heard stories of artists who would just lock themselves up and play one particular raaga for days together, getting inspired from them, and looking at people who have an attitude of not wanting to take in new things, not wanting to evolve, not wanting to experiment, but just rely on instant fame is a little too disturbing. Again, its the ones who can actually have a certain discipline that can really stick around to anything. But this trend can surely be changed by proper education, by proper upbringing. Its not fame or success that matters. Its the discipline and the perseverance. Its the practice. Its how you express your liberation after that. But for liberation to happen, you need to know what you are capable of.
