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Last week, I had an interesting conversation about how growth in technology is moving our collective focus from our ears to our eyes- from phone conversations to texting- and from radio to video. About 15 years ago, I left law school to pursue a career in music. That was before Napster, just about the time the internet was exploding. Each time we have a major shift in technology, the music industry has feared for it's life- from sheet music to 78's to LP's to 45's to 8-tracks- to cassette tapes to cd's and now mp3's.
Lately, I've heard several established record exec's say whole-heartedly that the music business is dead. It's not just chicken little saying it- it's people who have made a healthy living who are now having to change their careers and lifestyles because of the collapsing music industry. The pie is smaller- and everyone in the biz is feeling the crunch: big studio's are being replaced by home studio's, professional musician's are having to change career's, publishing companies are closing, songwriter's are taking huge cuts in royalties and draws, entertainment attorney's are changing fields, and many artist's are falling by the wayside- unseen and unheard.
No one knows how to get people to pay for music as they once did. Singles used to drive the purchase of a whole album- now singles are sold for $1; thanks to file sharing and Napster like sites- people started to get accustomed to getting music for free, now the thought of buying a whole album is too much of a commitment. Itunes made it easy to cherry pick the songs instead of having to pay for a whole album. In a way, that's not all bad- there was a lot of filler music on albums that people had to buy in order to get one song- now the strong song's survive. We have come full circle- just as it was in the 1950's and 60's- consumers buy one single at a time. It's as if the stock of the single fell by 90%. People knew they might not like every song on the album, but bought it to get the singles. In protest and response, some artist's are making singles unavailable for purchase for a certain time after the single release. Maybe we need to retrace our historical steps to see what led to the album concept after the singles world of the 50's and 60's.
The music business has taken a triple punch: not only the shift to a singles world, but 2) the overall economy has lowered the amount of expendable income used to buy music, and 3) big labels and radio had a firm hold on what music reached people's ears- now people use their computer's to find new music, they go to youtube to watch music for free, or they use sites like Pandora instead of radio.
In one sense, the playing field is leveling- big labels and radio no longer have all the power- they are shrinking everyday as people are launching their careers from their laptops. The record label establishment has a system that will take time to respond to the challenges and opportunities of the internet, digital downloads, and the shift toward video. Today, more than ever, if it has that magic cool factor, if people get the chance to hear it, and if it is tied to a visual experience, it has a stronger chance of making it.
Labels are starting to catch on, but not without some serious downsizing.
Some say that labels had too much power and that things needed to change. So as the housing market corrects and the banking industry corrects and we recover and atone for the rampant greed, I believe the music industry will be humbled and stronger as we find our way in this new world. I'm sad that a number one record does not mean what it used to mean. I'm sad that in the last two years, the music industry has diminished by more than 50% and I'm discouraged that there are so many ways to get free music. I'm sad that last month we had the worst-selling number one album in the last 30 years (Taylor Swift). Now alternative band Cake tops the charts with just 44,000 copies sold.
However, I am encouraged that the consumer has the power to choose the songs they want. I am encouraged that the internet gives us the ability to access the world.
Even with pirating and free downloads- the universal access is very exciting if we can find a way to tap into it. Mostly, I am encouraged that there will always be a supply and demand for music- it's hardwired into the soul of humanity and we will always seek inspiration and entertainment in the form of music. We need to join forces with the technology gurus and find out how to rebuild and re- invent our industry in light of the virtual world. Come on, Sean Parker- if you can bring down the labels via Napster, surely you can try to help save the artists, writers, musicians, and engineers whose livelihood depends on this industry.
Hello Pilgrims- it's time for my semi-annual blog. I'm working on a new album. "It will be an introspective, joyful, revelation celebration to rock the nation in hand clappin' Mahalia jubilation...Rock N Roll Soul with a good measure of blues you can use!" (I hear Don King or Jessie jackson doing that voice over).
I've been reading several books that are really blessing me: Journey to Freedom by Scott Reall and No Man Is An Island by Thomas Merton. They've been wonderful fodder for poems/songs. I usually write poems that I keep to myself, but I thought I would try setting some of my poetry to music this go around and sharing them with the nameless masses (or the 3 people who bought my album and read my blog :)).
Here are a few excerpts from the up and coming inspired works...
No Man Is An Island
No Man Is an Island
No woman- no child- no man
Is an island
Sometimes we get stuck
In an unforgiving rut
We isolate and ruminate over things we can't change
We feel paralyzed and victimized and alone again
We get swallowed up in it
Too close to see it
Numbed by the hurt of it
Programmed to repeat it
Need a rope- need a hand- need a clue- need a friend
To turn on the light, hold up a mirror, Help Us step outside the fear
Someone to share the battle and bare the pain, so we can learn to live again
To Boldly walk into the unknown
To know deep in our souls
We're not alone
No man is an island
No man is an island
No woman no child no man
Is an island
Here's another one- it's a little more dark and contemplative, but it's about living life with passion and purpose- so often we task our lives away and forget how brief and precious life is. In Scott Reall's book, he has a chapter about living the dash between the dates on our tombstone- kind of puts things into perspective. As Thomas Merton says in No Man In An Island, so often we feel we are on the outside looking into our lives and we become the smoke instead of the flame. It's a challenge everyday to slow down and truly enjoy the ride (shameless plug for another song I know :)). Note to previous English teachers:I love to mix my metaphors every chance I get!!!! Call me a rebel- I call it poetic license!
Graveyard Dash
Lost in the drift and living in the lack
Derailed by disappointments, uncoupled and off track
Feeling like an apparition hidden in a cave
Waiting for the stars to align and for someone to come and save me from this
Prison of a life I'm barely living-
Sitting on the curb on the outside looking in
To a house I call my home
Where my heart's desire burns
Like a fire that keeps the whole house warm
That's where I belong
Abiding in God's hope-
but I've become the smoke,
The dust- too soon
A mouth full of ashes-
What beauty God would trade
To put the life back in our dashes.
Here's to having more spring in your step, more joy for your journey and more life in your dash!
See yall on the road!
By the way, I have several gigs coming up:
March 22- Willie Nelson- Springdale Arkansas Convention Center- 7pm
March 27 Storyville Studios- Nashville, TN w/Roger Jokela, Gordon Vincent, Rusty Horn
March 31, April 1st- big audition- I'll keep you posted!
April 3- Tin Pan South Edgehill Cafe- w/ Kim McLean-Shana Morrison-Eve Selis-Devon O'Day
I have made it passed the mountain and the valley, I have looked pain in the eye and joy in the face, I am a witness- I have lived through all of this and survived long enough to try to tell the tale, but it may take years to tell and even then I'm sure I'll leave many truths untold, much beauty undisclosed, too much hurt to put into words, too little understanding to convey the power of the moments leading and preceding to the birth of my first child: Sebastian Roy Alexander. I was ready- good 'n ready! Stuffed full of life and barely breathing, I begged for him to come early and put me out of my misery.
He came on the day he was due and not a minute too soon. I went into labor at 2:30 in the morning, went to the hospital at 4:30 and had him at 9:40. No meds, no epidural, just great music, my husband, my mother, and a lot of massage. I stood up for all the contractions until it was time to push. When he came out, he was all nose and had a perfectly round head. After 40 weeks of getting to know this little guy from the inside out, I felt I'd known him for years. Of course, I've dreamed of him for years. But my dreams were never good enough. I could have never imagined this kind of cuteness. Needless to say, I'm smitten. He makes a scene of cuteness everywhere we go. He's got slate-grey, puppy-dog eyes and the longest eyelashes I've ever seen- Tammy Faye would be impressed!
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Shocking BIG NEWS!!!!
Current mood: blessed
True confessions of a blog slacker. It's been at least 5 months since my last real blog. I suppose my knack for not returning phone calls is now being upstaged by my proclivity to neglect my blog. I've been too busy living and not looking back to write it all down, but believe me it's not for lack of drama and saga, romance and lonely road strife. Pardon me while I wax philosophic and spew a barage of wordy verbage as I continue to procrastinate my duty to let the cats out of the bag.
It's hard to keep your private life private in this world where you open your diary up to friends and strangers everywhere. When I was a kid, we had real locks on our diaries. NO one, especially our siblings much less a stranger was allowed to read our diaries. We only wanted them read after we were posthumously discovered to be geniuses. Writing in my diary as a kid, I imagined that some day scholars would analyze my day to day struggles and look for early glimpses of my amazing talent and perspective. Yes, like most kids, I was egocentric and had a more than healthy dose of a sense of self-importance. But I digress...
The biggest news in my world is... here it comes... wait for it....my husband and I are expecting our first child!!
I still try to keep my private life private, but now that my private life is starting to show, I thought I'd share the juicy details. I won't be wearing any cut off Wrangler shirts for a while. I just played a show in Woodward, Oklahoma- my last road gig for a few months while I record a new album and of course, deliver a little miracle into this world.
For several months I wondered if I had a brain tumor or some kind of evil post nasal drip that was causing me to be nauseated and depressed. After ruling out carbon monoxide poisoning, we ran to a clinic one night right before they closed. When I told the nurse my symptoms, she smiled and asked if I had taken a pregnancy test. It had never entered my mind!!! SO I took the test, and then the doctor came into my room holding the wand of truth! I carry the little pink plus sign stick around in my purse as a time capsule of the moment my whole view of life changed.
I'm happy to report that the baby is healthy and growing more everyday. I've been working through the morning sickness which for me has been "all day except in the morning" sickness.
I just found out the sex of the baby, but my husband is old-fashioned and wants to wait until the baby is born to hear those words "It's a ...!!" For me, I wanted to know as soon as I could. I wanted to know everything about this powerful force that is taking over my body.
While this new reality eclipses all other events in my life, I'm also excited to report that "Mama's Don't Let Your Cowboys Grow Up To Be Babies" went all the way to 13 on the Texas chart. Pretty ironic that I'll be a Mama soon and will surely have to eat my words!
Also, I've been talking to some amazing producers lately about my next musical project. We'll be going into the studio in the not so distant future.
So I guess you could say I'm feeling pretty creative these days.
For those of you who thought maybe I'd been hittin' the Krispy Kreme a little too hard lately or eatin' too many naner sandwiches, now you know!
What a crazy weekend we've got coming up. I've spent the last two weeks rehearsing two bands getting ready to hit the road. This Friday, I'll be opening for Willie Nelson again. I am so excited about the show. We have more friends flying in this year from Texas. My sister will be in the band this year- she's awesome- can play just about anything and sings like a powerful angel. She's going to play mandolin on a few tunes and lend her beautiful bgv's. Her husband is also going to be playing in the band. He was the Christian rock band Jars of Clay's drummer for 7 years. He's toured all over the world- he's truly an amazing drummer- I'm not just saying that because he's my bro in law either :). Plus, Dave Childress and Gary Ishee who played with me at the last Willie show, will be backing me up on bass and electric again. These guys are right on! They are my brothers in music. I am so spoiled and blessed to be working with such great musicians. Right after the show, I'll be flying to San Antone to do my first show at Gruene Hall - one of the most renowned bars in Texas. I'll be opening for another one of my heroes: Hal Ketchum. My good friend's Vinnie, Andy, and Eddie will be backing me up. Again, I could go on and on about their amazing talents. It's a real joy to jam with these guys.
The whole weekend will be documented on video for The Musicians Network. So there won't be much down time. Then next week, we'll have the album release party in Arlington, Texas- my hometown.
For some reason, I'm not nervous. Maybe it's just all too overwhelming to comprehend at once.
Man alive, I feel like I won the lottery. All the hard work is starting to pay off at once.
I guess I'll just take it one day, one show at a time.
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