vlog Being an independent artist

[admin]

I have been an independent artist all my life so I want to share a few thoughts about my life in general and what I learnt to show what it means to be an independent artist to give others an idea what such life is like.

I think the focus is on the word independent which means you don't have any backbone or a net which can catch you when you fall. This gives music and the way you express music a different vibe and you see music and they way you work with music in a total different way. On of my principles in my work as an independent artist always was that you have to touch people's emotions with your art because then people see a value in your work and then they hire you, or want to talk or interact with you and if you work independant you need to accept that you might never be able to reach the very big stages because if you want to you need to have other skills, like networking, socializing and these normal business things. I always found that if I went too deep into that world I lost my abilities to create music which touches the soul of people and so I personally decided to go the other way but as a consequence you need to be better then the others to reach fans just by the quality of your art. This way is the harder way but maybe the more honest way and it serves music most and for me personally this was always first - to serve music and to reach the highest level of emotional musical expression and the life of an independent artist supports this.

[Andrea Joy]

 Hello HP!

I sit really here  for about 1 hourand want to write a comment. Try to bring more aspects, other sides of view...but fall into thousand possibilities...

must come to the conclusion - your statement is very to the point. Yes:

I can follow very well and agree. AND it's the best way because 👍 You did and do it your way!

I learned again ( as I observed me here yet) : To be able to make decisions fast and come straight to the points, is one good talent more!

Good Luck and greets Andrea

[admin]

1 hour ago, Andrea Joy said:

but fall into thousand possibilities...

must come to the conclusion - your statement is very to the point. Yes:

I was wondering which other possibilities you thought about but my conclusion is the one which developed over years being an independant artist. I always was one. 🙂 And yes it is also very important to be able to make fast and straight desicions and then go for it. Maybe later you find that it did not work out but most artists get stuck because they never finish something. But thats the point you need to be able to finish things and make your art visible for others. 1 out of  10 projects work.

[Andrea Joy]

OK more of my thoughts... even if they may stay more general as specific to your last question.

And now I want to ask:  INDEPENDENCE? What is this?

What  gives freedom AND security?  What are the right working and living condidions? This is different for every men and also for every artist. I mean...from a higher point of view, from other perspectives, everyone recognizes and decides and judges different for himself. and That depends on believes, preferences, competence or habits, talent, needs, views of life. What's good for you can be unwanted for otherones.  So there is no best general decision. It stays the own decision and own valuation.

Examples: Does an artist who is working in the industry really have a helpful strong backbone? Can be: Yes and No! Are you really free and independend? Can be more or less! Can't an industrie artists touch people's emotions with their art? YES and NO! Can  a good organisation  and management etc. give the artist the free room: to "work" only the music, without to do the  business things?  YES!   Isn't it hard to be  in the industrie too? Shure it is!  etc. What is more real - giving the best here ore there- if everyone gives the best in every situation?  It's all relative!  The more deep you look: It's all the same while it appears in a different shape.

Ok... and maybe my view is very methaphysical too. That's whay i didnt want to make a dicussion of the topic and other peoples lifes. It's a very wide topic and at the same time very personal. I allready said : I can follow YOU very well and agree. AND it's the best way because 👍 You did and do it your way!    I admire that kind of attitude!

For myself....To earn real money with music...  Yes sometimes I thought about it, if I could make it possible. But to play over 30 years, allthough I knew and feel inside it's NOT coming easy - as other things, and my health condtion will not let it happen...

I believe to live your attitude: the artist has to be VERY TALENTED AND VERY GOOD - and that is an can't be the case  😁 for the average musicians. Yes ...to serve the music. as you say IS a very clear and high statement! Chapaeu!

Don't know, but hope that this message makes my view more clear for you now 👁️

Andrea

[admin]

Thanks for your thoughts - in fact to be completly independent means that you don't need to adapt to anybodies wishes or perceptions. How do we know if an artist which we know is truely independent and serves music and not the buisness ? Lets take Chris Rea as an example because I think thats a very good example. I always loved his songs which made him famous - but when he got cancer a few years ago he revealed that he never wanted to play that music which made him famous and it turned out that he is a blues man from his heart - going a way which was not his made him sick and he payed the price for it.

When I compare it with my way I went - I got many offers in my career and I said " no " to nearly all of them or if I said yes I mostly regreted it. After a while I found out that I need to be completly honest with myself and go my way and somehow I also got the support I needed and it worked. Well I never got that famous as many people think I am regarding my musical abilities, but at the end of the day. What is art and music all about ? Music for sure is there to tough the heart of people but you can only do that if you yourself as an acting artist are in complete flow and emotional connected and looking back all songs, projects or ideas which worked out were exactly those. And they were effortless. At the end it's a question what is important in life and not in art - because art is life, it's everything together.

[Andrea Joy]

Hello HP ...

For me -Chris Rea was not the one, whom I thought of, was independend and shure he was't.

"On the road to Hell"...BUT he HAS reach our hearts!  I love his popsongs a bit more then his good blues music!

So In one point I have another opinion:
That it IS at least POSSIBLE, to really reach people deep inside, without playing the songs wich are not the ultimate music one feels inside!
Maybe it's a lot more easy as we think it's true, as a musician with high claims.  😉

To go on a lifelong journey and play music you don`t really like - yes this is sad.

About the real reason of an illness  I'm a little sceptic all the time - so I add something more...
Who REALLY knows, C. Rea's Cancer was the result of his dissatisfaction?
CAN be - I read, what the truth becomes - are our thoughts and what works out of the subconsciousness, projectet together with our feelings. This is a modern assumption - how creatin works. So yes: at least we should take account of this.

About general music...
I find it difficult to fulfill the claim: to be  "in complete flow and emotional connected" all the time - over a long peroid of time. As much as I would have like it for myself  - to play with this deep feelings - to be in the flow, all the time etc. :
EXACT that was, at least for me - what made it even harder - sometimes 😉

OK. That is what a virtuoso is made for! 🤩
What I can read and feel about your peronal story here - it's apparent that you are very true to your heart and that you are steering YOUR TRUE journey you really love. So I'm thankful to have found a musician and musicteacher, that is showing deep insights of his personal aspects and also his very touching grandpiano music!

Fly on HP!

 

This post is made with help of deepL 😇🤣 in english from a native German to a native Jamaican Swiss musican.

[Sara]

On 5/15/2021 at 5:35 AM, admin said:

But thats the point you need to be able to finish things and make your art visible for others. 1 out of  10 projects work.

I like that statement a lot and really glad that you keep at it through the difficult times.  It is so interesting to hear about your experiences as a freelance, independent musician.  I think it takes a lot of bravery and patience.  I am very glad that you are there as an example of that for us.  

Really looking forward to your upcoming "Live and Pure" concert - that was a great album and I like it when you play in that style.

Thank you!

[admin]

4 hours ago, Andrea Joy said:

That it IS at least POSSIBLE, to really reach people deep inside, without playing the songs wich are not the ultimate music one feels inside!
Maybe it's a lot more easy as we think it's true, as a musician with high claims.

Yes thats an example - but this song will not be something for ethernity. Music where the time stands still is rare and only possible then - at least from my personal experience.

 

4 hours ago, Andrea Joy said:

About the real reason of an illness  I'm a little sceptic all the time - so I add something more...
Who REALLY knows, C. Rea's Cancer was the result of his dissatisfaction?
CAN be - I read, what the truth becomes - are our thoughts and what works out of the subconsciousness, projectet together with our feelings. This is a modern assumption - how creatin works. So yes: at least we should take account of this.

From my believe and experience - illness is always a result from unbalance in life - also check the chinese medizin. I myself always healed myself mental in the past 20 years and when I went to a doctor ( on those rare occasions ) it never was of help to me.

 

4 hours ago, Andrea Joy said:

Fly on HP!

I will 🙂

[admin]

1 hour ago, Sara said:

I think it takes a lot of bravery and patience.

yes it does - from my experience you never get anything for free or if it's for free then it has a reason which reveals later. 🙂

1 hour ago, Sara said:

Really looking forward to your upcoming "Live and Pure" concert - that was a great album and I like it when you play in that style.

Working on it to make it a great concert.