Unlearning
2009-09-05
When I would speak on panels at music conferences, I'd always find it funny how all of the panelists' opinions were completely tainted by their own self-interest.
Someone would always ask us, “What's the future of the music business?”
The guy whose company sells MP3s would say, “MP3s are the future. No DRM. Unencumbered. The public has spoken and they want MP3s.”
The guy whose company sells subscriptions would say, “Subscription services are the future. Anything, anytime, anywhere. No need to keep a huge music collection.”
The guy whose company sells CDs would say, “People still want something tangible they can hold in their hand. CDs are going to be around a long time.”
I would just say, “Nobody knows the future. Anyone who pretends to is full of shit and not to be trusted.” (Which would of course get a weird look from my fellow panelists, but oh well.)
I still get asked to talk about the future of the music industry, but I just can't. My answer to everything is, “I don't know.”
For the last 11 years, I spent most waking hours thinking about how to sell and distribute music. I'm completely unobjective. I don't have fresh eyes about it anymore. I know my opinion is not to be trusted.
You'd be better off to ask a young music fan or musician, unencumbered by too much knowledge of the past.
I love musicians. I love the creative process. I love the art and craft of learning, writing and playing music.
But the “industry” around it? Eh. No interest. Sorry. I'm burnt-out on that subject. I need to spend a couple years unlearning before I can think about it again.
“The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”- Alvin Toffler
“I can't understand why people are frightened of new ideas. I'm frightened of the old ones.” - John Cage
I'm amazed by how many times I'm asked for opinions and when I present as many angles as I can, people look at me funny.
I love the idea of unlearning. Been using it a long time.
John cage said it best.
Aint nothing like the truth...
It's a fair question, but not a realistic one. It's like telling everyone to like their coffee exactly the same way. What works for the few doesn't work for the many and sometimes vice versa.
There is one thing that never changes though, and that is live music. What would Beethoven think of this rhetoric Q &A?
Janet Hansen
Scout66.com
Learning/Unlearning is probably an important skill for people in a world changing as fast as ours is and has been... and as an artist (musician or writer) I think it's tough not to let the industry concerns, issues, and mentality destroy your love of the art. (PS: I understand your move, but I miss the way you ran CDbaby.)
You're absolutely right. No one knows the future.
Well said my friend. It's all "information" that you can process to your own conclusions and as you say, "consider the source".
R
My answer is always "Whatever you make it." There ain't one answer, fer cryin' out loud. And trying to guess it instead of going out and *creating* it is goofy.
I couldn't care less what some pundit says is 'the future of the music business.' I know the future of *my* music business, and that's enough for me.
refreshing honesty! I am always very enlighted by ur thoughts and comments. thumbs up derek!
I don't want to unlearn anything! I want to take what I have learned already and weigh out the variables and if modification is necessary then so be it. You can't chart the future without looking at the past. One can't tell the future but you can speculate based on the past and present. That speculation is the foundation of a plan and if you fail to plan you plan to fail. I want to look at everything I've learned to see how and why I made the decisions I have so I can see what needs to be changed and why!
If only more people would admit they don't know the future, we'd all be better off.
Jeff
I like the idea of living in he question...
I love that: "I'm afraid of the old ones." (ideas)
I know the future of the music business: live audiences will always buy your music.
do 200 gigs per year at 300 per gig (pay and cd sales).
end of future.
Just had that exact conversation last night? Who knows is so RIGHT! All we can do is do our music and stay focused on what is right in the moment. I trust my gut, but then again I haven't got rich on that either. I have a music mission here and I am finding that I have to be adaptable. CD's, DropCards, Download only...again who knows. The good thing is that there are alternatives to what music has been in the past. We have a forum and outlets that spring up every day. I think of it like being in the middle of the storm so don't burn out, just hold on and trust your talent. This is an exciting time in the music industry, and we have people like you Derek who have helped us achieve avenues that were not even imaginable! So thanks
"A mind that is full of ideas has no room for new ones." --John Cage
Derek -here's what i think oyu should give as an answer , every time ; "...robot monkeys. the future of the music business are robot monkeys. next question please!" xo e.f.
Amen, Derek. The "music industry" *became* due to technology, ie Radio, Mtv, Hit Parader Magazine, Cassette Dubbing, CDs, Tshirts, Internet, CDBaby, Napster etc.
This distribution of music and info allowed the "touring industry" to draw large crowds.
The "songwriting industry" remains the heart of it all. One creative person, one guitar finding soul within a song. Sometimes the song finds an audience.
Before we get ahead of ourselves, look at today's Hip-Hop culture... the experience is much like the hot "Hit Parader" days of 80s rock and metal... 'tis circular.
In my own self-interest... American music began with Gospel/Blues & Country... as we distribute to China, India and beyond, consider paying attention to own personal "your roots" and MASH-UP from there... it's the most individual sound you'll ever make.
peace-
seanrox
Funny Derek. The topic in most of my music is about the need for people to unlearn the lessons of their past in love, politics, and religion in order to be able to create a brighter future for themselves and those around them. But "unlearning" (in my opinion) applies to almost everything really. In music? Well, everyone wants to bring something unique, fresh, and new to the table. As a result, many artists scrap works that sound too similar to their influences. However, while they compare themselves they rarely see that what they feel is fresh and new is actually just a mesh of several influences. No one knows the future. Not for the music industry or anything else. The point is that an artist continues to create regardless of those that came before him. If its good. If its real. If its you. It WILL sell. If it doesn't sell, that won't stop an artist anyway. Afterall, we create because we love to, and not just because our rent is due. My two cents.
It's also topically interesting that John Cage and Buckminster Fuller were good friends.
It's like the old (Chinese?) proverb about "emptying your cup." If your cup (head) is full, you can't put anything else into it. You have to "empty your cup" first. Forget what you think you know and never be afraid to listen to new ideas.
I hate to change the subject, but I want to know about this little toy soccer dude. What does he do? I enjoy your sense of humor and the illustrations you choose.
As far as I'm concerned, the future is now.
I want ALL of those things. Something tangible, mp3 versions of those tangible things with no limitations, and... well, I don't want a subscription service, but what the heck?
The way things are right now is great. It's just a matter of the digital money-makers (and pirates) coming to realize that there's still a market for physical music, even if they don't want it. It's a matter of the record companies producing physical music albums to realize that they aren't the only thing around, and they have to compete using the means available to them, and not by suing the pants off of everyone.
... what the heck is a subscription music service?
Excellent article. I love your answer about people who pretend to know the future being full of shit and not to be trusted. Very apt. And as for people who ask that inane question, they should be shot.
I reckon that's what happens with most anything that you let yourself get inundated with e.g. music, literature, a sport, a particular relationship etc. Your minds' eye gets blurry. It's nice to be able to pull back a bit and know that as much as you know about your own craft, there is so much more that you don't know about everything else that breathes life into the world. And that maybe a change of pace ain't so bad ...even for a little while
Well, you've got a good case in point to simply Live In The Present.
That means to really take a "look", without bias and emotion, at what is actually going on Right Now, really look it over, and then Act accordingly.
Are the stats going up or down on CD sales? Does YOUR public still want CDs? Does YOUR public prefer vinyl? Does YOUR public prefer digital downloads from your site or iTunes or any other site? Or does YOUR public prefer a subscription service?
It really doesn't matter, today, what's going to happen in the future. What matters is what's happening today.
Carpe Diem!
The future is what we make it, starting now.
Flying robot monkeys.
Actually, most of what the "Futurists" of the 50s/60s promised us have never happened. (I still want my flying car.)
"FUTURISM: Building a fake future in hope that the real future will show up and mate with it!" --David Malki
The more you "don't know", the more clear you become. That's the primary thrust of Zen Master Seung Sahn in his book "Dropping Ashes On The Buddha."
Why do you waist your time and energy, with these people thay are in music for the money, This whole country is full of shit,Don t get me wrong I love my country, but as an Improvisational artist, I can t believe kids can learn three chords or rhyme some words ,and become millionares, any way, what was the question?, Your right, nobody knows.
I'm not sure about this one. At some point you make a choice based on what you personally believe will happen. Then you inevitably risk something. And of course, if you believe you are right and you now have risked something, you will want to convince others.
So I'm not sure that those peoples views are "tainted" by their own self interest, as much as their self interest was determined by their views...
It only becomes a problem when you are so attached to your views you are unwilling to admit when they are no longer applicable. At that point unlearning is quite a valid point.
Which points out why it's a good idea to have a healthy sense of humor and never take yourself too seriously. Do what seems best at the time and enjoy the ride.
Great observation. Point well delivered and well taken.
I have no idea what the future will be for music. I do know that the home recording equipment I have in my basement which is a PC a few mics and some inexpensive software is about a million times better than what cost a fortune and could only be found in a high priced studio in the 1950's.
My kids have no idea what 45 or an eight track was. At their age I could not have imagined computers, mp3's, online download or any of this.
But whatever the media of delivering music in the future and no mater what my age, I and my fellow musicians will be there to embrace the technology and deliver our music.
[Derek:] "I love musicians. I love the creative process. I love the art and craft of learning, writing and playing music."
Ok, then, what's the future of the creative process?
A little over a decade ago, someone asked, "What will new music of the 21st century be like?"
One wit offered: "Pretty much like the 20th, only worse."
P.S. To Kathena regarding the soccer player, I think the idea is that his head is empty.
I KNOW the future. And I can reveal it to you in three easy payments of $59.95.
Yeah, I learn/unlearn things all the time. I learn what works, and use it, learn what doesn't work, then "unlearn" it (but don't forget it!)
As far as the future of the music biz? That answer is easy! I'm going to keep doing it! Been doing it for most of my life....why stop just because things change? Adjust to the changes, use what works for you, and don't worry about the rest! It is a great life...
I think choices are the key. We are all different, and we all should have the choice of how we want to collect, share and enjoy music. Some people want a shrine of the artist that matters most in life. Posters, inserts on the wall, pics to study while listening, reading along with the lyrics to get the feel and understanding of the songs. Others couldn't care less about any of it, and only want to carry a small device that contains all of the music they enjoy, and might not even know or care who the artist is. Formats are also key. Who can afford the latest, who has that huge collection of outdated media? They said vinyl was dead, yet they are a huge collectors demand, and some prefer the analog sound on the quality system, not to mention the mastering that was done with pure analog. I dislike the mastering volume wars in digital, and the distortion that comes along with it. Cymbal sound is one of the things that is sometimes lost in digital. Choices are key. A higher bit rate product is sure to come soon to kill 16 bit cd's, yet think of the decades of purchased cd's, like vinyl that exists. Beta vs. VHS, Blue Ray vs. HD DVD. The giants kill products to avoid costly format wars, and we are left with fewer choices. I myself wish they had never killed the Quadraphonic lp's in the 70's. Have you ever heard "Money" by Pink Floyd in Quadraphonic? Incredible!
I would love a system with 10 or so channels up front with a few on the sides and behind to recreate the live experience. Each channel up front would be a voice or instrument. Sides and back for reverb etc. for depth, and even audience. Center front for lead vocals. The 2 on each side of center for stereo drums. With video, the vocals and instruments can be panned according to how the musicians are moving on the stage...
The giants would never do this, because of the price of the production vs. how many could afford the system...but it would be nice to have the choice...
That applies to everything in life and I think it's a really interesting point in that it strengthens our position if we want to change things. We can predict but we can't know for certain. Even in physics they said that the fact that the sun has risen every morning for so long does not guarantee that it will tomorrow. The probability is there, but not 100% certainty.We should see it as a positive thing. A fascinating, challenging idea, Derek Sivers!
Derek, keep rockin the boat! Its the only way people can understand sometimes and only if they're really listening....Peace, Harmony and ONELOVE, Laura Fay Lewis http://www.myspace.com/laurafay http://www.myspace.com/theblisstones http://www.myspace.com/consciousarts http://www.reverbnation.com/mgca (also on http: //www. facebook.com/laurafaylewis) and http://www.twitter.com/laurafaylewis
Derek,
My best reply about the future of the Music Industry is there are some trailblazers out their plugging away and you can bet they have a clue on the direction the business will be heading?My message to my fellow artist is to just stay deligently consistant and true to yourself and your music.
And be on the lookout for the Creator movement!The website is currently under development for a big launch soon.Smile and be well!
Paytc
http://www.paythecreator.com
http://www.cdbaby.com/paytc2
You are so right...
It seems like everything has changed in the music biz...I think it is very difficult for creative people to handle the biz part.
I think unlearning is a good idea....I once had a fabulous jazz musician tell me he had to unlearn alot of what he learned in music school in order to really let go and improvise.
I also think reinvention is word we have to think about, too..
Hey David! Cool idea about the 10 channel music playback system. Isn't it cool that as musicians we can do just that? I love listening to good music, but nothing beats being right in the middle of it, creating it, being completely surrounded by it. As I said in my earlier post, it's a great life!
Yes....getting out of the matrix is a good thing....Now that the table is wiped clean...you can create! And I may not know the future, but I do know God who does.
I recently heard that "forgetting" is making room for the now...seems to fit nicely with "unlearning"...as always thanks for the insight...p
"Self-interest" and "passion" often appear to be the same.
Industry trends are driven by those with passion.
If something is still working for you why change it!
Having the ability to predict the future! ... being blunt... nothing new here...M A R K E T I N G... the vehicle? "Experts Panel".
That said, best to look at the facts that back up (or don't) the thoughts being presented. In other words listen to the folks in each sector presenting their OPINION on whatever the topic--look at the history and current--rather than being led-- make your own intelligent decision! Novel concept. Then roll the dice!!! ha!
agree!
derek...i think you may need more than two years to unlearn and see with fresh eyes...it could be more like the cocktail to water ratio to avoid hangovers. maybe 11 years.
Music is Magic. I heard a sound 40 years ago coming from ole clubs, bars and taverns in my hometown of East St.Louis, Illinois that made me do for a living what I do today. Keeping that sound alive, how it is distributed today thanks to technology/change, opened cracks in once closed doors. Now that sound from new and fresh musicians, that heard that same sound,has forced those cracks in those once closed doors, to open and now that sound is alive again....
for musicians and artists with open minds the future is bright and the sky's the limit. it doesn't matter if you do or don't sell a million copies of your music. the music industry means nothing. each musician, singer, etc. needs to be their own "music industry." as far as ideas are concerned, it's hard to top Einstein's statement. "Imagination is more important than knowledge."
You got that right brother. Falls under the old saying "It's hard to teach an old dog new tricks" or "I'ts hard to argue with a confident man".
I'm 49 now and have been doing music since age 12. Had my first band at age 14. Each and every couple of years that goes by it is always something different in this business. Everyone always ranting those words about the future of music biz. bla bla woof woof...AND THEN something totally unpredicted would happen. A new trend out of nowhere. A new instrument or unique style of playing or different sound or recording approach. Some new tech thing or a new unique wat to package it.
Clown pants and corpse paint! Whatever.
It seems to me that anyone can make a decent dent in the music business if they have just a little tad of "unique" and a ton of determination. Anyone willing to spend the time, make some sacrafices, invest the same amount of money that it would cost for a new car, and think out of the box.
Then - if you stick around - those seeds tend to grow on their own. BUT- those seeds tend to grow however they damn well please. It's "Out of control"
Just do it man! Just run it up the flag pole and see who saluted it!
"Everything comes and goes marked by lovers and styles of clothes"
Joni Mitchell
MP3, CDs, streams, etc... who cares what the future of the medium is.
There is only one thing that matters, and that is the content which populates the medium.
Some people like to buy CDs. Sell them to those people.
Some people like to buy mp3s. Sell them to those people.
Some people don't want to spend money on mp3s. Give them to them for free.
Some people like to stream. Stream your music to them.
Whatever people want, the goal for every musician has to be the same. You want every intelligent, kind hearted, sensitive and perceptive person to own and adore your music.
Make your music plentiful. Let it populate the world. Prove to people that you are here to stay, that you mean it, that you are passionate about what you do, and if are really creating something of enduring value, then you will convert people to your music. Even if it only happens one person at a time.
That's very honest of you, humble and to the ground. One would wish more public speakers knew when to just admit, with self-confidence, that they don't know, instead of giving ego-fueled anti-informative answers.
The music business is going through necessary changes, as it should, and will be around in one form or another... we all may agree on that.
It's crazy that you would title this article Unlearn..beacause that's what I'm on right now..a week ago I was talkin to a good friend of mind about this concept that we are born perfect into this world but along the way pick up bad habits and other peoples superstitions on how life should be..spending 34 years (that i know of) i have come to the realization that a huge chunk of my life has been guided by other peoples perceptions of reality..I am now in the process of unlearning in gettin back to my true essence..BZ
So it's agreed: there is a future and it has music in it, right? =:^}
Well, yes and no. Which future are we talking about? I don't gamble, but I'd out money on the sun coming up tomorrow. I'd put money on the fact that music will be a part of peoples lives. I'm pretty confident that some will be passionate about it and others won't. What future can't be predicted is how to make money. And that is because for most musicians there is a huge element of luck involved.
Oh yea, and about unlearning. It's a cute phrase, but I think a better approach is to development judgement. That's the ability to know when to apply one concept or method and when to try something else. I think unlearning implies forgetting, and forgetting something learned is very hazardous.
The future I do not know. I just want to be there with my guitar and a new song.
'unlearning' sounds like something colonel bruce hampton would say.
Unlearning is often harder than learning.
I'm pretty burnt out on the current music scene, too. The demise of CD Baby really nailed the coffin shut on that one for me. I'm taking an hiatus from the slide guitar and vocal thing to concentrate on lap steel instrumentals, which'll let me 'unlearn' the past and move on to the next thing. Yahoo!
How about just forging the future. That's what you have been doing.
I was taught how to unlearn by a university professor when studying music in college. I'd developed some bad habits in my piano technique early on, and he did what no else had been able to do (fix them), by first teaching me how to unlearn all of it. It was an amazing experience, and it's been a valuable skill ever since.
I completely agree with the 'no one knows' statement. Not just in the music circles, but even if you're an expert at something, it's completely okay (although strangely unpopular) to simply admit 'I don't know'.
It's also much healthier to say "I don't know". Imagine being one of those top record execs right now, after all those years of crystal gazing, having to admit you haven't a clue. Who needs that kind of pressure and humiliation?
How about just forging the future. That's what you have been doing.
“The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”- Alvin Toffler
This quote reminds me of a conversation I had with a friend at dinner last night. He couldn't understand why I seek out and surround myself with successful people, such as you for example.
He thinks everything he needs to learn about success he will learn on his own.
My opinion was that a) you learn from experiences, the books you read, AND the people you speak with b) you learn faster, and avoid more mistakes, when you model not necessarily the steps that successful people took, but the philosophy by which they run their own lives.
I'd love it if every time I sat down for dinner with a friend, I became aware of a philosophy such as HELL YEA ;)
Technology moves at a very fast rate and often even what will be the chosen standard becomes distorted rapidly depending on outside OEM support, customer needs, etc. Being a session musician forces me to throw everything else out and focus on the project at hand. Look for the composers inner feeling of the music and their sense of how they want it. If I grab that I get a nice thumbs up and warm smile. On & On. Follow the music!
I'm more interested in the question,
How do we reshape the music industry so it works for US in the future?
The future is fashioned out of the present. Being opinionated and self-interested is part of the fashioning process. There's nothing drives like self-interest. Be opinionated if you feel strongly enough and be a part of that process. Make the future happen.
Perhaps the important thing to remember is people will always like
music and have need for this in their lives.
Your honesty in this matter Derek should be commended.
Love the article, it's the truest way of looking at the future of the music business.
I agree about relearning, that's the scientific method, you have a theory, you look at the world, if they don't match, change your theory.
I disagree Bernanke, Greespan... didn't knew about the future, they did, if only in a short span of time(4-5 years), a different story is that they tell you(make it public),the can't and they say they didn't know. And that indebting a nation is bad don't need a genius to know.
Former spanish economic minister Pedro Solves made a public statement: "we didn't knew anything about the crysis coming", then he thought the mic was off(speaker were off, but it was recording) and said "If I had to tell want I know...".
Music will be around forever.... How one profits from it?, who knows?. One thing I've learned in business, capitalists ("love em") will always figure out the maze...
I wish I knew the future, it would make me a wealthy man!
As a child I loved LPs. I could never have forseen CDs but I love a well-recorded CD. I am not a big fan of the MP3 format because of what we must give up in sound quality to get so much in so little space...but I understand why others like it. Call me anal...my children do. I prefer the term audiophile!
Take a look at what the future holds for us: http://www.macgetit.com/2009/04/25/what-does-it-all-mean-the-future-of-education/ The future, where's it going? Invent it yourself!
The truth will set you free and if its out there they ain't gonna let anyone in on it.
Reinventing yourself is crucial to succeeding in the music business over time. Continued success requires an ongoing process of unlearning old paradigms and responding creatively to changing market conditions. This holds true across all facets of the music business, from the character of the music being created, to the sound design of the music, to the image being projected, to the methods of marketing. If you are a recording artist, all facets of your business need to be in a continual process of reinvention.
An example of reinvention is the career of The Beatles. Over time, the sound changed, the image changed, the marketing changed, and the types of underlying harmony changed as well. In my opinion, reinvention was the reason the Beatles career was able to sustain over time.
You can tell when a famous group has stopped reinventing their music, their image, and their marketing. They lose their record deal. They become caricatures of themselves. And they spend the last part of their careers playing county fairs, casinos and corporate parties.
It seems to me that the beginning of wisdom is humility. It seems like we have a hard time admitting that we are probably wrong about a ton of things. Think of the history of things like medicine (using leeches, sharing pus, etc.) and other sciences. How many times do we hear someone say "we used to think blah, blah, blah, but now we "know" blah, blah, blah."
I have tried to develope the habit of avoiding the phrase "I know (this or that)" and instead saying "At this point I am convinced of blah" This seems to apply to everything. Politics, religion, etc. Realizing that I am probably going to find out I was wrong about a lot of things makes it a little easier to learn. Expect surprizes.
Unlearning is learning.
why changing what's working ..why not chaging thing just to learn new
staff..i do miss cdbay when you where the chef..but good move ...
how their will call you on larry king or the maim media...you deserve it..all thecopy cats trying to copy cdbay ..feel sade for tham ..get the message you save the art and souls of many musicians by creating cdbaby...
As a promotional booking agent, who works with musicians worldwide...
I say, Do what you Like and Like what you Do!
What works for one person may not work for another...stay honest and true to your craft and never stress over the CONS it only promotes negative energy...
If (in anything you are involved in) one direction proves to not work then change direction of your sails and keep sailing towards YOUR dream...the only way to get there is the road less traveled or the road you choose to travel!
I'm all for unlearning anything that isn't working. It does take some effort to create fresh new avenues of thinking in our brains so we don't end up detouring into the same old pathways. But working on my thinking is a healthy thing to clear out some of the old cobwebs. A little mental work hasn't killed anyone yet. Thanks for the posting, Derek.
That is a wise thing to do. It would appear to me that you are ready to take a new direction in your life. But it is always good to keep an ear to the wall for whatever unknown reason that may crop up. Whichever path you choose, I wish you nothing but the best! In the meantime, I will continue to enjoy reading your insights for however long you decide to share them.
Great column, Derek! I stopped going to music conferences in part because I got tired of everyone telling me what the future was gonna be - because they were selling a piece of it.
The bottom line is the bottom line - music that can find investors and audiences will thrive, music that cannot find investors and audiences will die.
I think learning to keep an open mind at all times is the way to go. A continual state of learning sounds better to me than unlearning all the things I have learned in the music biz. Maybe it's the musician who feels burned by the music biz side of things that feels it's hard to keep an open mind to unlearning old ways and learning something new. In any case, I feel the combination of all things learned and unlearned in the music biz will culminate in success. There is no absolute right or wrong way to obtain success - the future of music is yet to be written. The power is in taking your own path in your music career and letting your instincts, intuition and openness guide the music biz side of your career. Thanks Derek for this blog.
Yes I Derek
Fi I & I only Jah know the future, seen.
RASTAFARI
Bobby L.Evans 9-5-09
yes so true
Thats why I think you have to surround yourself with a team you can learn,unlearn,and relearn with!
keeping in mind a BATTERY---there is a positive & negitive thang going on,it takes both to make a charge!I'm a creative person,It is one thang to do music and to write tracks.But it's another thang to be inspired to do something Great.---Bobby L.Evans
Derek,
Very honest words and spoken with truth. Indeed the future is never known and all we can trust is this moment, this existence that connects us to our fellow beings.
It seems that everything of importance comes down to fostering good will and relations to each other and the worrying and fretting over changes can never lead to new growth.
Thanks for your words and openness.
-Andrew
Well the facts are the facts. If music isn't in some way profitable it'll fall into the underground world where it will sit in it's own juices till some profitable breakout happens. Then the vultures will swoop down and use that idea till it's good and dead. The music industry is full of people who know how to take 1 good idea or vibe and milk it dry. So the future will be a sad one unless some value other then the music itself is afforded to the musician cause if there isnt, we'll just make music for ourselves and say "f**k you all".
Hard to say about the future, but I know that I have be versatile and flexible in my approach to every aspect of my career... I know one thing for sure...I'm glad the corporate record companies are losing their grip on the industry that they've had a stranglehold on for so many years!! Indie music LIVES!!
Clear the clutter for fresh knowledge! Great post.
Ngqibs
My experience even with successful musicians that "made it" sort of speak. If you ask them for advice, they don't even know how they got where they are. LOL It better to just admit, hey "I dont know". From a question comes our instincts to create something new. Another though provoking article, THanks Derek
I like what Einstein said when scientists asked him how he came up with his Relativity theories.He came up with these things that no one else had provided any foundations for him to spring board off of. He explained it thusly. "A rational mind,based on the impressions that it receives from it's limited perspectives, forms structures which thereafter determine what it further will and will not accept freely.From that point on, regardless of how the real world actually operates, this rational mind, following its self imposed rules, tries to superimpose on the real world its own version of what must be. However at long last when one forces themselve to be a beginer again the beginners mind cries out THIS IS NOT RIGHT my mind is lieing to me, and now I can see what must be done". Untill we can force ourselves to this point we are doomed to the recesses of our mind and not undestand the real world.
Island Frank
Hey Derek, I remember last February at Folk Alliance, right after I met you following a panel discussion of the future of the music business; you asked me " Do you think I was too harsh with the other panelists, do you think I offended anyone?" To which I replied "Hell, no" (or something to that effect)
I'm not sure if this was the panel that you were referring to, or if this has happened many times now. I found it so refreshing to find someone on a panel who was willing to be humble and admit that he didn't have all the answers. What I liked even more, was that YOU, the founder of CD Baby, was a little worried that you may have offended someone. It made me like you right away. Showed me your humility and humanity. I didn't know anything about you before that panel, but that conversation outside in the lobby, along with the little guitar pic business card, led my straight to your awesome blog.
Continue on soldier!
Yosi is very funny! Nice to laugh about something.
We don't ask philosophers to perform great feats of athleticism, yet, we often ask athletes for their opinions.
I think people usually ask "what's the future hold" because they want to take advantage of it and somehow catch some tsunami and be rich and wildly successfull,..who really cares what the future holds? besides i have a pretty good idea it will be the same as the past ie things will change, there will be some great new ideas, some new clever businesses,some needs filled, some needs created.. etc etc etc..but one thing is for sure music, that is writing and performing music will always BE. there will always be artists expressing themselves and touching people's hearts..in my opinion thats all that really matters...all the other business ideas are all fun to talk about over coffee and get horny over the next big thing..but i hope people in general get back in touch with heart and soul, lets get back to the basics:the way music makes you feel.
“It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has exceeded our humanity.” Einstein
Thank you for your honesty, and bless you for saying what everyone needs to hear. Unlearning is the easy part, retraining is the part that takes tremendous love, commitment, and patience. To be honest, and maintain a positive attitude throughout life - through whatever it throws at us - is not an easy thing to do, and requires constant cultivation.
A big part of the problem is technology has changed so rapidly that yesterdays answers aren't sufficient to answer today's questions
good call
I'm thinking that maybe at this juncture in human civilization it would be wise to ask not "What does the future hold?" but to ponder - "What do I want the future to be like?" and then to do our damnedest to help this come to pass. My hope is we would all want a future with old growth forests, with living oceans, with people who are kind to one another.
Marshall McLuhan said "the medium is the message." We are flipping through mediums (new technologies) faster than a sacred hoop dancer jumps through her hoops and still, the question remains - can we hold and commit to a vision that is large enough to mend that which is broken?
As for unlearning - perhaps we need to forget in order to remember...
I saw once an interview with Bill Gates, giving pretty much the same answer when someone asked him what in his opinion would be the next IT hit. For sure, nobody really knows the future, but there are people out there that may inspire us to see a little bit clearer throughout the fog of time and space.
"... But the “industry” around it? Eh. No interest. Sorry. I'm burnt-out on that subject. I need to spend a couple years unlearning before I can think about it again. ..."
I once had an employer who wanted to kill the status quo (too expensive for that quality) and go cheap. His rationale, in letting me and my department go, was "you're a prisoner of your experience and skills...".
OK..
I agree, though, in the sense that, while music makes the business, the business kills the music. But that's true of virtually any business, or industry, that is driven by art and creativity.
The business model is dying, and, someday in the next ten years (forgive the oxymoron), a new model will emerge. The music will always be around, and the quality will go up and down.
I am willing to say that I DO know the future of music. It'll break down into a about 4 specific variables like this:
1) There will be creators of music.
2) There will be consumers of music.
Too simple? True, because the people involved will fall either into one category or the other, as well as myriad combinations of the two. In addition, 3) the available media on which music is spread will continue to change based on their individual profitability as determined by all persons involved. Finally, one element that will remain consistent, no matter what, is 4) the struggle of the creators of music to obtain access to conduits for "putting the word out" about their songs. It doesn't matter that your music is available world wide via iTunes or CDBaby if no one knows you exist to listen to or purchase it. These variables have always been in place in the music industry. They're here now, and they will remain in place in the future. What we as musicians do when navigating the choppy waters of their interactions is what is unpredictable!
I'm surprised he didn't just say "Ask Steve Jobs"
Wow I love your answer on that question...lol. I agree every who has a business connected to their answer feels it's going in the direction that works best for their business. It's phony and I don't care what the "so called" pro's think they know because there is no way to determine the future in regards to art. The people who love music decide the true fate and that is ever changing.
on a tangent...
CD's never really fully satisfied the vinyl enthusiasts. MP3s don't satisfy the digital/audio purists. But the choices are getting less. We basically have to make do with what is available. My brother loves music, he even does some radio work, but try as I may, I cannot get him to invest in a reasonable audio system, he is quite happy to listen on his computer, or his portable CD/cassette player.
I notice that when pitching songs, the publisher again uses a portable low quality CD player.
I love listening to music through great speakers. But is this important? probably not.
On another irrelevant note, live music has a dimension that cannot be captured, though a DVD comes closer to that experience. I say this from the experience of putting on an original musical, with a bunch of amateurs, including myself. I found the response amazing. One person honestly said they found the experience on a par with "The Lion King" though clearly our performance/ presentation was definitely amateur in comparison.
Another couldn't get over the "band" which was notable only in the use of a wider range of instruments than you would normally see live. I think what was communicated was the togetherness that resulted from committed rehearsal and a good storyline.
In summary, my prediction is that live, amateur music will live on, whatever else goes by the wayside. And I also admit to a lack of objectivity.
There are no stupid questions I guess. I hope one of these experts were right and, that I just happen to pick that one. Try not to judge too harshly, we set people up as experts because of their success and they become a source advice about such things because of that success. Of course we only have our self interest in mind when we take their advice. You are one of them and it is good to see that you understand that we can only speculate on the future. You seem to be a little cynical these days though and if you think you can gain an advantage of some kind by saying these people are full of it, I don't agree. I don't think it is wrong to do so but we all have to live with the results of our speculation.
i'm with you, derek.
as a musician who's been through the ringer with both major & minor labels i try not to lose my perspective on the simple yet complicated act of songwriting itself. the music biz does that to me.
for some reason i gravitate towards 7" vinyl as a way for an artist to wipe the slate clean and start again from square one. i'm not sure why that is.
What if it's not unlearning at all?
What if it's just that you need to spend a few years processing? All that information we absorb over time can't all be taken in completely. So maybe it's a bit of unlearning and forgetting about stuff, but maybe it's a bit of letting all of those things become a part of your worldview.
The answer to the question is a question:
"What do you need and want?"
Or else you could just wait for Apple to release a new album format using the Beatles remasters as demo content. Just sayin'...
well.. unlearning or a better way to say it may be BEING OPEN to the new might be a way to state that...
in 1996 or so...there was a site called mp3.com i saw a good way to save money and cut the loss ortion of a business with 'burning cds as needed for sales...i sent them an email and they started doing just that...( now, i dont take credit for that cuz all good ideas have at least been thought of like derek and cd baby whic i also envisioned(being the credit card processor and mail out service for my friends but without any budget it was just a good idea)
the future of the music business is also geogrpahically determined and genre dependednt... in europe where my bands are "legendary" so they say...
the retailers will NOT stock cd-rs
they call them bootlegs... even if done professionally. and mp3? out of the question.....period end of story. at least in the classic metal arena.
in other countries mp3 is the way especially for younger people who may have NEVER had a cd let alone a nice big vinyl record with a cool tour program size book inside full of photos(see KISS alive the first one) or KISS the orginals a repacking of the original 3 albums with a huge year by year photo book(Kiss was teh best value for the money by the way.,,
who knows.. maybe in the future LIVE music willbe the most tangible way we hear music...sounds crazy, BUT it is the one thing you cant reproduce on any type of media...nor the adrenalin you feel when teh house lights go down and all you see is the glow of indicator lights on a wall of marshalls. if there is one thing i remember about music it will be the first concert i saw at portland's paramount 1971 canned heat was teh band and when the house lights went down and the crowd roared and people ran to their seats or the front(not to mention the aroma of things i knew nothing about yet...(i was 11 years old) it was the biggest rush
ive ever felt and even today after working a zillion shows and performing the same thing happens.
there IS a better quality audio compression format already which is taking over the old mp3 or mp3 pro that audiophiles are using to convert their music.. (im at a loss of the name of it but my video guy is always on top o chain with this stuff..
ive been throughmany change sin music- begnning with the Beatles on ed sullivan (i was 4-blame my mom for the lifelong curse of wanting to do same)BUT the first"music video" hey jude"(i was sorely dissapointed when ed promised the beatles and showed a film -let me down but i saw teh band....so.. i have a long list of things to unlearn on...for those about to rock who never went through those changes a good history of music is a greatplace to unlearn some things and maybe bring some back- alot of people in germany only sell vinyl.my pile of records were my refrence books i say pile becuase none of them made it back into the covers once i got them they were in piles like pancakes and i would go through teh entire stack standing infront of my record player with guitar strapped on learning riffs(when i got hendrix remastered versions i realised al th eparts id missed(and being in cover bands was neve ran option too many arguments abuot parts i was sure were not tehre(but had been skipped out due to my constant "learning"experiece- the best thing to do is NOT try and second guess what the future will be but focus on the now.. and make the best songs you can because when it comes down to it that is the most important.. the delivery will find YOU... and if you are too far forward .. youll get dissapointed
trying to "convert" everyone to the new way just as i did with mp3's....learn to unlearn good point ..we forget that sony in the early 80's(about the time walter yetnikoff merged sony japan with CBS sony came out with a DAT machine..which was short lived//
and also started making tape to tape consumer units(which uncle walt was really against...and remember the beta video machine..
learn those stories and you may learn patience ok enuff of my yakkin lets boogie*****
this is in response to joe romeo
actually the only thing I have to listen to ,music is the stock cd player and radio in my car..~ i use headphones to mix my recordings and no real stereo i use my mom's bose radio/cd player to check the mixes
or my car- im not a big listener of music i buy the fred meyer cheapo cd packages of repacks of my favorite old bands andthe quality is neve rof any concern to me its all about the song iv ebeen given many live board recoridngs of bands form the 70's and its pretty crpapy soundwise bUT the playing is great...i see pics of my myspace friends and fans with walls of nice tidy cd's and vinyl all sorted in order.. and wonder wow... i could never be like that.
and radio is just not good here in portland i hate it(teh classical station is ok and teh kmhd jazz is cool but local rock radio has turned me into a rush limbaugh and lars larson and glenn beck fan(i also drive for a living while these shows are on... ya know mono is ok but going to fm once in a while makes me realise how great stereo sounds... thats an unlearned experience for ya..not to mention the great info i get about our future from el rushbo and beck. it ,aes me remeber that history does repeat itself i just wish the powers that be would pick a different time period to recreate
cuz its feelin very 1930's about now.....(germany holland and britain have national healthcare and also some of the worst teeth ive seen on the most unhelathy peopel ive ever met...and quite uninformed when it comes to the workings of their own body..which has alos been noticed by a few of my german friends...
.
Derek, you are a blessing, especially to musicians "Unlearning" is a clever way to describe "flexibility", a primary quality for life in general. Life on this planet is a school for us to be constantly learning, adjusting and "unlearning." I was born 93 years ago of musicians, sang before I talked, first public performance at two years, and music is still where I live.
Music marketing has continuously changed, but music will always be with us. It has been here since humans came to earth. The birds and animals have their own music. Wild birds have sung with me. Music is a universal language. It brings people together, heals, calms, inspires and happifies people. Musicians need to be able to make a living from their talent but many changes in the industry itself need to occur.
Thank you Derek, you have been and are today a key element in helping musicians make it on their own. You are a gift to us all. Onward and upward.
- Suzie Grey
I think its interesting this thing called learning. In order for you to unlearn, you first would have had to learn. The standards by which learning takes place and the things that are learned, then and only then, sets the stage for us to learn. But one has to ask him/herself if what he/she has learned is the true thing to be learned.
If anything I just love how much common sense there is in stating that no one knows the future. It's such a perfect response, even if it irritates the other panelists. I also think it helps to battle (yes 'battle') the pretentious nature of people who think they know everything. I wish there were more people with the kind of common sense displayed here, because there seems to be an extreme lack of it among most business people and especially in the music industry. Very cool.
Hi Derek: I love that you wrote this post. It's so very true that we cannot predict the future of the music industry. However; you inspired me to write a blog post because I believe that every musician has the power to create their own present and future success based on their actions and commitment to their own music business. What if the future of the music industry is created by individual musicians ignoring the music industry and creating their own fate instead?
I see music success everywhere I go and I give an example in my blog post of Eric Stone who did just that – and he has sold 100,000 copies of just one his CDs since 1999. A new music industry is being created right now and it’s being created by musicians that are owning their power and not wasting time wishing things had not changed or worrying about an uncertain future. They do not give their power away to anything outside of themselves. They are instead focused on creating their own music industry within and putting their focus on what they have control to change. This is an amazing time to be a musician.
I think there are a lot of cheap-skates out there who always want everything for nothing.
I have found a lot of friends out there who I share similar interests with. Some even buy my music too. Since that 911 fiasco, insurance sharks have screwed us musos to be covered against some idiot falling into our gear and getting hurt. Don't ask me how to make money playing music. I don't think many do.
It's not the unlearning that is crucial except if the concept has been completely swept away in the cosmos of change or the theory behind it refuted; rather it is constant learning and re-shaping; taking the viable parts of the past and building on those to a new (hate to say it) paradigm. The total clinging to the past - for Luddites and Neandrethals.
Why waste two years "unlearning" before you can think again...because one can't "unlearn" anything. What one has learned is part of the fabric of one's being. Learn from it and move on. Rest your mind too by trying something new.....why even go to your first baseball game. A whole new world could open up!
Yes I can fully undestand your point
of view, as to bein burnt out and
knowing what thr future holds for
music, one says this the other says that, im with you on this one, who
really knows and has the right answer for the music industry
I'm not sure this is just indicative of pure bias. When I hear those anecdotes, my instinct is simply that your samples are self-selecting: the guy with the MP3 business is *in* that business because he believes it's the future, etc.
Everyone with an interest in an industry has a thesis that's driving their efforts, naturally, and CEOs in particular cleave to them strongly.
Asking Derek Sivers what is the future of the music business is akin to asking Benjamin Franklin what is the future of the printing press.
We create the future. You certainly did. You still are. Contemplating the future is great for fiction writing, but not an effective use of time for a business leader.
Eventually higher quality download will happen, shame so much time and effort for the musicians and engineer to prefect the sound and it gets converted into mid-range/mid high sizzle. Much like my grandma's victrolla....
Re: "I still get asked to talk about the future of the music industry, but I just can't. My answer to everything is, “I don't know."
My son is trying to get a band together, commented, that he thought music as we know it is dead, or gone. I mentioned that it was going through a faze,that I agree with my father who passed away 2 years ago. Dad mentioned that like anything, music changes with the times. Elvis changed things, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison.
Now times are different, sounds have changed, better sound equipment, and maybe things will go back to the big band sounds of Dean Martin,Frank Sinatra. Did Colin James try that sound? He sounded awesome, but maybe he did it just too soon.
But, keep writing those lyrics, and songs, if the songs/lyrics are good, they can be adapted. Keep up the great work, and you may be the one that changes the future of music.
"Past performance is no guarantee of future results."
Thank goodness I saw that before springing for Kiplinger's "top ten stocks to buy NOW..."
the future of music is the creators.
How very Socratic of you, Derek. I think a somewhat measured approach may be more accurate. I mean, there are certain things you can say without being completely obtuse. I would expect a more intelligent response from you than "I don't know." For example, it's obvious to see some of the direction in the music industry, such as moving away from the older, CD based model (durr) and moving into the realm of experimental online releases. No one knows the future, but I think you could give a little insight from your position.
You're a Buddhist... There's only the NOW... why even try to explain it?
Thank you Derek for yet another great thought to start the day.
I've borrowed the John Cage quote on a few of my profiles - hope you don't mind
Don't ever give up on us - your presence in our lives is a great beacon of encouragement.
Wow! What I'm totally blown away by is all the intelligent, thoughful,inspiring and even hearfelt comments by all the above people. It would be great to meet you all at some big party. I've got the place 40 acres secluded with natural amphitheather! Anyone game? checkout my website for pics.
"He who tells it knows it not, He who knows tells it not" Wonder why that is! peace, health, music, ken
One of the most amazing things I have learned is how to say "I don't know." For so long I tried to be the one who knew everything and could get everything done, but it wore me out. Now, if I don't know something, I just shrug and say I don't. Whew.
come on! I know I spelled heartfelt and thoughtful right! Or maybe I didn't! I don't know anything! LOL
You can't receive anything new if your glass is full.
Don't recject what is to come,we didn't and look how far we have travled.Record Deals to Indie Artist,Big Studios to Our own Studios.No one knows where this music business will go but we will adapt.
Jimmy
I totally agree that none of us know. My gut feeling is that it will be a mixture of things. MP3s, CDs, Subcriptions, Live Perfomances, Film and TV, Interactive Websites. It's going to take us to be more versitle with many different approaches. The one thing that will remain is the art, the making of it and the people who appreciate it.
You'd be better off to ask a young music fan or musician, unencumbered by too much knowledge of the past.
boy aint that the truth! i loved your "hell yea!" article it stuck with me for a few days ;-)
The future? Which future? The one where we figure out whether CDs, MP3s, or subscription services get more market share, or the one where they beam the music directly into our heads?
Until the day I think of a cool innovation myself, I'll stick with "I don't know."
Thanks Derek for keeping it REAL!
I LOVE TO HEAR SOMEBODY WHO IS HONEST AND NOT FULL OF SHIT.
Thanks for LOVING the MUSIC!
And telling it like it is!!!
''In my old age, I have become frighteningly
unsure of all that I was once so sure of.
(the more I know . . . . the less I knew!)''
by:
~~ just another unsigned, unheard of, unappreciated, underdog ''artist'',
L A M M Y aka Mr. True???
WITHOUT GETTING TOO ESOTERIC, ITS QUITE SIMPLE. THE FUTURE, FOR EACH OF US, IS EXACTLY WHAT WE BELIEVE IT TO BE. AS SOMEBODY ONCE SAID:"THOUGHTS ARE THINGS. CHOOSE GOOD ONES"
Derek, if I was lucky enough to be in the audience of a panel you were speaking at, where you spoke this gem, “Nobody knows the future. Anyone who pretends to is full of shit and not to be trusted.” I, for one (and not the only), would be on my feet applauding you. And what a spectacular ride the remaining portion of that panel would be. That's a ride I wouldn't wanna miss.
Ah Derek, brilliant, so refreshing to hear that your fellow panelists look at you in a queer way.. Pity they couldn't unlearn their programmed and conditioned answers. Keep flying the flag Derek. We love you. :0)
Nothing to fear but fear itself... Give it the lash... M
Never unlearn!!!!
Maybe just look at the big picture in all different directions. Portray your views in different ways. All things keep evolving, especially clothes and music. Sing an old song in a totally different way and see what it does. The biggest lesson in life is "Put your heart and soul into it and "It" will touch someone, maybe not everyone, but does it really have to? There are still some poeple in this world who love things the old way, just revampt it!!!!!
I really enjoyed waking up this morning and reading this article. It gets my blood pumping and creative juices flowing!!!
The only thing that seems to determine the future of the music biz these days is the quality that the end listener is willing to put up with. mp3 may be enjoying a rage today but as soon as there is an easier way to get better sounding tunes it will skydive away to obscurity. Heck, CD may well return in a better form and push everything else out. Who knows? Not Me either.
Musicians, artists, creatives... Ahh, the quarkiest bunch. We all have extremely open minds yet somehow always blogging self-biased opinions. Mine is... Shut up and make music. If you're good, someone will buy it in whatever format it's available in.
Its only natural that people that have a product to sell will say that theirs, is the future. Thats part of the process, you must have this, its essential, blah,blah, blah. In the end, the people who attempt to create in the arts do so for themselves, then they share it with others and that leads to questions about price, how can I sell more of these things that I have made? As far as unlearning goes, we always look at what was done in the past and say,"Did that really work?" Then you try to come up with a new plan. Predicting the future is an amusement like checking your horoscope in the local paper.
Timely for me.... this ‘post’ The creative process is what I love and honour with awe. It doesn’t happen often.
I’ve been pondering this for weeks as I sieve the soil for weeds within my garden and I have nothing much to say to myself but I delight in the weeding anyway. It’s part of a journey and my fingers now hurt!
I can’t see any difference in the way that the creative process manifests within the garden or within a song especially when my internal voice is telling me - right now - to leave the music business alone, to go work on my garden and go put my own house in order - in every sense.
I’ve done what I can to ‘put it out there’ as a songwriter and it no longer matters whether I make it. Not sure I want to.....what?.... stop being, essentially, an ordinary bloke living a quiet and extraordinary meaningful life in a very ordinary way. Well .. no ... I like that ...it’s constructive ..... and if that’s what the time dictates ......
I love the way that ‘The Universe’ allows for such ‘holy fools’ as those who would follow that inner voice and that’s got to include some of you as well as me.
I know my songs aren’t of world beating standards but they serve within the hearts of a few within my community and they mean something to me and while this does give me pause for thought, the creative process still bubbles up and manifests within every aspect of all the work that needs to be done in preparation for the Season - whether that be in the garden or the heart.
I don’t have a mobile phone. I reluctantly dip into facebook, myspace and twitter and will cease..... because the creative process tells me that solitude and ‘work on myself’ is what is needed - for me - at this point.
I got to ‘this’ - whatever ‘this’ is - because I wrote a few songs, decades ago, while I did ‘other things’ and then I just kept writing ‘a few songs’ - as the creative process allows. ‘Good’ songs or not is another matter.
It’s very liberating to be able - at this moment - to shrug my shoulders at the business side of things and go back to just ‘being’ - and being ‘honourable’ - and allowing for, perhaps, a few more songs to percolate over the next ‘whatever many’ years........ and THAT ... ‘a few songs’ - I need remember - was the starting point and THAT had no regard for success or failure ... it just bubbled up as creative expression in one form or another.... and there was no ‘business’.... if that makes sense.......
.
What am I unlearning? My concepts of success for a start.
Bravo Derek and all who carry a torch.
The one thing that's certain about the future of music is 'there is a future for music.' Music is here to stay and boundless. Ahhh! It's so exciting and refreshing.
so...if the healing, emotional spirit of the creative act takes a back seat to those who would use it as a "format" to make money...then hasn't the music industry thrown out the content for a penny? I'm sure the fans who remember every word of something the music industry thought would be obscure (i.e. wouldn't sell) would love to know how to connect with more music that moved them...how do we get people in the music industry to be affected by content instead of by recreating mimics for money?
Thinking 'I know' something is my own recipe for failure.
Q: How many times have i done a gig i thought would be a waste of time and it went fabulously well?
A: Lots!
Q:How many times did i think something great was about to happen only to be severely dissappointed when it didnt?
A: Lots more!
More important, thinking 'I know.' assuages the egoic mind, that part of the brain that wants to be 'Right.' more than anything in order to preserve its identity. Echart Tolle discusses at length how the egoic mind is fear based and controls 95% of our actions. In order to build a case for being 'Right' my egoic centered mind can do many strange things, ie. cut off ideas that dissagree with 'my story' for why things are the way they are. My egoic brain is afraid of anything that disregards its usefullness, such as spirit-led, and intuitive ideas. Ideas like 'Everything is as it should be' are a threat to my the 'Thinking part.' of my brain which needs to explain things. It dismissises things like 'Doing nothing is the best course of action.'
Most important i think is that my insatiable desire to explain the future through the past cuts me off from THE PRESENT.
Man was not made to have the knowledge of things to come.
Through the stages of life we learn from the past, modify the present, and redefine the future.
The future is not for us to know. I do my best and then decide with my "gut" feelings!
Thanks,
Robert Van Horne
The little "soccer dude" with the empty head(?) is a nice visual metaphor for this "unlearning" topic, I'd also comment that having an open mind to the constantly changing world and it's ways of marketing/promotion/merchandising is also a good approach.
This is the difference between "strategy" and "tactics".
The strategy is to share one's music / art with others in a form where they can enjoy and appreciate it at their convenience.
The tactic is the format (MP3,DVD, M-O-U-S-E, etc.).
Strategy is long term while tactics change. I'll take my old age for a stroll here but remember the cassette/8-track and VHS/Beta battles? That was all tactical. How times have changed!!
Another truth I live by is that knowledge is about collecting things while wisdom is about letting things go. Let the formatting go and focus on connecting with your audiences.
Stan
Well, first I'd like to say that David Griffith's comment is very excellent. I seem to be in this same 'place' of letting things be.
Whatever I've learned over the years in all it takes to be a 'successful' indie musician is all being set aside for returning to the simplicity of what it all started with...me and a guitar. Right now it seems this is all that *really* matters.
Forget all the stuff learned, or rather 'unlearn' it. Listen to the inner instinct. I think out of this will come true 'success', on whatever level that is to be for me. And from this place I can happily and graciously accept the gift of music as it is to be expressed in/through my own life.
Michael
Hi Derek,
Thanks again for the posting.
Every human being learns, because he is created in the image of God (Gen.1v27).
As a person, you've got the ability, potentially to learn. What you learn, how you learn, when you learn are all subject to different factors. But how long you learn is an ongoing process only subject to the fact one is created in the image of God.
So whether you like it or not, you are learning something daily-good or bad, foolish or sensible.
The Bible gives us something to ponder when considering this learning factor, and from which this truth that: "The best way to learn is to unlearn and relearn" is being deducted.
It says that "If you hold to the truth....You shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free" (John 8v31-32).
Holding on to the truth is learning, an ongoing process. Knowing the truth is also learning. Then it is also learning when the truth you have learned unlearns the knowledge that once held you captive, there by setting you free.
Your freedom is as a result of having unleraned what you have learned by what you have relearned.
With the view above, I strong agree with Alvin Toffler that:
“The illiterates of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”- Alvin Toffler
God bless you & family
i'm thinking that the next technological development in musicmaking is that sound waves will be able to affect and alter people's moods to an alarming degree... to remain competitive, more artists and producers will need to understand how to merge mood altering sonic techniques into their mixes... listening to music will be more and more like 20th century drug experiences. but as far as what form of music distro will eventually "win out" -- i totally agree with you. lust like religion: give me happy spuculative conversation, and i'll participate for years. but if someone tells me they know the ultimate answer, i'm out the door with my hands over my ears.
There is nothing new under the sun.
The bible
I guess the unlearning would go hand in hand with how much of that stuff you allowed yourself to soak in the first place - I'm not one of those artists who can also play businessman. I write songs. Every one has told me that what I'm releasing wont sell anyway, so I just make my music and get it 'out there' sort of, like through cd baby and through it's extensions..
The future is ONE person hearing your stuff - liking it - and telling a friend, who goes and does likewise (ad infinitum) if your material is good enough. THAT is the past, present, and future.
In my humble opinion.. wink, nudge, and all that stuff.
Sir Richard
Always consider the source.
I used to spend my time trying to "teach" people how to unlearn their views anchored since childhood by the system they grew up in.
Thus, I'm always considered as pretentious, naive, vicious, but never they notice I want to help them (and myself) to be always relearning even the little silly things in life. The fact is "im too young, and i talk too much"
But as I wrote in my last song "exhausted"
"They think it's pretentious,
naive and vicious, to wish to save the world again"
Makes sense to me!!! Thanks!!!
I don't know much about anything, and I let people know it as often as possible. I must be your kind of person, Derek!
Amen, Derek. Unlearning is _so_ important. When we get back to "old" thoughts and feelings we had when we were kids, new doors open up.
It's true....No one can really predict the future of the music business but one thing I do know is that the Internet has changed everything.
1 thing that I've learned from you over the years was that you always keep it real, thats the future keeping it real..
I think your doing the right thing. Walk away and them come back fresh with a new lease of life when the time is right.
Yes!UNLEARN IT, mo fo! I LOVE IT!
Well I've avoided that problem all together...having never learned anything to begin with...I don't have the problem of "unlearning."
...
I have a simple answer which I apply to most things.
"Progress means change but not all change is progress." So is it better than before, you have to decide.
But of course with human nature anything new or different is a challenge that not everyone embraces.
And where is music going. "All music is sound, but not all sound is music."I've stated this before, what we call music today would not have been called music a 100 years ago, its all about our brains learning and excepting new things like it or not.
I agree with you, no one knows the future of the music business.
You are right on with your post and both of those quotes. Thank you for the mental massage!
Yeah, me and my friends have this conversation all the time. I always wonder about how the music game is going to change, and how to prepare for it. It always feels like someone's just going to change everything out of nowhere, and then it will be super difficult to get on! And that's generally what this question is about - how much money will we have the potential to make in the future? It hurts the music, but isn't it necessary?
In a nut shell...a failing economy creates material poverty. People lose their homes and many have to make huge cutbacks on expenses. The first thing eliminated is entertainment . No more cable tv. No more Internet and even no more phone;let alone no more going out to see films and shows. There are
industries shutting down every day of the week right now.
Whatever happens, musicians will
live on with or without the "biz".
Nobody knows the future but if ya want to have a pretty good idea,
figure if the world can't come together and create a balance so that everyone eats,child slavery in Africa and India is abolished
totally,disgusting abuse of drugs
stops feeding a war oriented economy....just who gives a dam
about the industries who pay lip service to all this evil ?
Good, decent people like you, Derek still exist. Taking a step back is taking a big step forward.
I love musicians,music and creating music too and completely
identify with your honest way of expressing your needs.
Yes, fear of old cliches, fear of old ideas...
This frightens many musicians I believe.
hey guys-I know the future- it is filled with change-the status quo doesn't even exist-its just something people do to trick themselves into thinking they know whats going on-embrace change-you really might as well-its the only thing certain to happen....
i believe steve winwood said-"roll with it"
Derek-
First of all, it never ceases to amaze me at the large reader response you get to your thought-provoking blogs... no National Newspaper (when people read newspapers!) ever received such a large individual response for the brief conversation-starting paragraphs you create!
What also amazes me is that so many people miss your "big picture" point- that of UNLEARNING and dive deep into the "future of the music industry" that was only used as an example of why we should "Unlearn".
So, to that subject, here's my bit: There's an old saying, "Originality is just a pair of fresh eyes". A person who is not an expert and not buried in their own conclusions can sometimes make a better observation of what is happening or future direction. It's a new, open perspective and that, I think is the point you were trying to make. (and in my opinion, made it quite effectively). And maybe all the responses regarding the Future of the Music Industry proves your point. That is OUR perspective and just like the Man with a Hammer sees every problem as a Nail, we're all responding with our baggage and predilictions. Instead, you're saying that we've got to free ourselves sometimes from our subjective opinions and experience and look at a situation with open eyes and a fresh perspective. We don't want "I don't care about the facts, my mind is made up" syndrome, that is all too prevelent in so-called expert panels and industry observers.
Thanks again for your brain-jarring/thought stimulating articles.
Robb
I'm an actor of some 33 years experience and on of my favourite maxims for rehearsals is: treat every classic like a new play, treat every new play like a classic.
I asked one of my teachers: "How can I get gigs?" he replied: "Jack, go home and practice."
It worked.
Derek, quote me "show me he who can have a a VERY VERY brief flicker of the future and i will show a success in the making" may the Lord open the my inner eyes.
Great thought!
Now that I've had time to look at the humor guy you highlighted a couple blogs back, I discovered he's not the slacker he portrays. He's very proactive, defining both himself & his market.
He doesn't need to worry about the future because he is creating his own world.
I should know better. You would not highlight an artist unless there was much more to what you mentioned.
I am humbled & encouraged that the future is the future, & the road there is either a stumbling stone or a stepping stone, depending on if you're running blindly or walking forward with vision.
On the subject of changes and how they are perceived, changes are generally realative to the values and wisdom of the individual. For example, there might be present changes accepted or taking place among the older generation that the younger generation would in no way accept or have any interest in.
Also thst could be true regarding gender, nationality, enviornment, etc. What about the public health care plan? What change would you like?
Toffler's great. Every musician should read "Revolutionary Wealth".
I guess I am in a pretty damn good position as I re-enter this industry having unlearned some old beat up habits that have not provided me a constant income. I am getting the reinvention of self and the business are keys to my financial and artist successes.
I love the John Cage quote at the end. I'm a big fan of his work. No one can say what will happen tomorrow. What you do today may have an influence on what happens tomorrow, but until you try something new you'll never know what tomorrow brings.
Hi Derek,
U R right, as 4 me I neither know what the future holds 4 music or anything else, I only know who holds the future.
Reff:
http://bible.cc/jeremiah/1-5.htm
"I don't know why, why is all I know.." - Colie
Derek, you continually amaze me with your forthright and honest attitude. Self-obsession is one of the most singularly dominant traits I see in people today, and I suppose it spills over into the music industry (and every other one) as a whole. You seem to be un-self-obsessed, which is one of the things I admire most about you. I guess it all boils down to the money trail... 'why ain't my stuff (music) makin' it, man?' People like that have a harder time 'unlearning' than others, I think. Perhaps if they were less self-absorbed they might be more open to the constructive thoughts and ideas of others, less prone to have their egos ruffled, and 'unlearning' wouldn't be such a foreign and unattainable thing.
It's consitant with socio illistrations "people" enjpy celebrating thier mouths ..A thing is or is not
Thanks, Derek. You continue to enlighten and give us reason to think, monitor, and adjust. Indeed change and shift are happening. I agree that no one knows what the future will bring. But right now is an exciting time--a time for the DIY's to be creative and try new, innovative methods of promotion, distribution, and connecting to fans. The things that will remain constant are talent, creativity, and perseverance.
To me time is a human concept, maybe if we focused and visualize in the "Now" and not worry about the future or past we might not get bored with regurgitated ideas. If you can hear music in your mind, why couldn't we transmitt it to play with our thoughts to a devise that is sensitive to thought waves? Now that's something I like to learn how to do!
Just follow the money trail...
Right! So, in a nutshell, quit asking derek about the industry already.
Lol.. I love the picture of the Play Mobil missing his hair. All too appropriate for the topic. It would be nice if we could just open up our heads and let the bad mojo evaporate and 'unlearn'.
Reading some of the comments above: I was listening to NPR last night, and sadly I can't remember the two gentlemen discussing the topic, however, they were talking about the future state of the music industry. I think one of the assumptions that some people have (like myself) is that the industry is moving towards commercial mechanics that act as equalizers and that we will see less and less uber money making artists.
I don't claim to know that the future will be this way, but I certainly hope that we will see the playing field leveled. I hope to see less and less 'mega star' millionaires and more of us musicians who are able to make a good living doing what we do best. The non-pop star types I meet just want to be able to support their family and future as a full time artist.
To Dave Medicott ( see above ) who wants a process to think his song into something to get it on paper or play from some process: He needs to know that neurosurgeons and others use magnets to change brain waves ( think: to treat seizures, depression, etc. ) It might be around the corner that just picking up the brain waves will convert into music in 3 to 5 years down the road.
Ted S
Without focus there is no effective
result.Your statement is true.
I am from the era of instruments and great harmonies on a cd.I never would have thought that computers would change the sound of music. I still prefer cds over mps. I purchased a Diane Reeves cd and wondered why I purchased that cd. About three years later I found out why. That cd is great with all those instruments. I can not say music will change, because I am to busy learning how to play and listen to great sounds from musicians and singers.
HOW SWEET IT IZ!!!
There is a way...we just have to find it....
Rachel
Love the honesty in all your post. I would be more inclined to ride with you due to it. Good read!
Just work. Your work now will decide your future.
If we knew what the future would be like, that would be like watching a movie where you already know the ending...
That quote by John Cage is entertaining. No doubt this is true though... all our glasses start to get a little rose colored as time goes on. Taking them off to see things as they are can be quite the endeavor, especially if you don't know you're wearing them.
so good, Derek. thanks for the refreshing frankness! such a break from all the hype.
R
i guess u could focus so much on the moment or one day at a time that you are not planning well but savoring all moments is so delicous and works best tasted one at a time if possible... rc pirate.... the future should always be a surprise and thankfully alludes us and the greedy kings.... amen
Nessuno può conoscere il futuro,nessuno può dire cosa succederà,questo lo si può solo scoprire '' vivendo ''
Well said...well said.
We are very used to asking others for the answers, and that's fine. It's also very powerful to turn to our own inner wisdom and to cultivate that relationship with ourselves.
hahah...
Yo Derek,
Aftr reading your blogs, checking out your talks and industry ideas
feels like that bit in Forest Gump where he just stops running and all the people following are stumped going
'ok so what do we do now..'
I hear you though..
Gotta be some enjoyment in it all somewhere, not a machine afterall..
Hi Derek
Yes, know one knows the future, that's the way we live in the NOW.
We find that everything that happens,happens NOW to we,me, and my 50 trillion CELLS. we do not know anything,that way we can and will learn something new every moment of so called time.
The website eamega is new so it is not up and running,tomorrow it maybe.Thanks 50trillionCELL&shane