First Blog of 2024

​Photo by Bram Naus on Unsplash

As promised, this is the return of musician coop for 2024. If you’re new here, thanks for clicking and giving this a shot. If you’re returning, welcome back! I thought I’d start the year off with a little discussion on some of the posts coming up this year. This little break has definitely been a time of contemplation, and I’m returning with lots of ideas. (Bear with me!)

One of the most significant developments has been my acquisition of a lovely book called, “Mutual Aid” by Dean Spade. In addition to a rhyming title and author name (I’m a sucker for a good rhyme), the book is full of really interesting and eye opening information about the systemic problems facing us, and what we can do about it directly without necessarily having to follow the “rules” set aside for helping people. That alone has been an interesting thought to me, even the way we can help each other is regulated–there’s places where it’s illegal to give people money on the street. What?!

Finding ways to help people with no strings attached has had me thinking of how this could be applied to the music world. Much like workers in any other industry at the moment, we’ve been conditioned to isolate ourselves and struggle in solitude. Are there ways we could support each other more directly as artists, rather than depending on occasional non-profit or wealthy patron handouts? The current system hates it when we re-examine what might be profitable or good business sense and prioritize the community as a whole instead. It despises collaboration for mutual benefit, and prizes competition above all else. I’d love to find ways to do exactly what they don’t want, successfully. If you do too, stick around!

I believe the current problem with the arts is far deeper than just bad marketing or advertising, which is the usual explanation that I find people making. The problem is with the broader system we live in. This way of life we all currently participate in is antithetical to the needs of a flourishing artistic community. It is dominated by those fortunate enough to be born into positions of power and wealth, and kept that way by institutions that parade around and celebrate inclusivity while doing nothing to actually address the deeper systemic issues. People want to go see the orchestra, but they don’t have disposable income and they work three jobs so they don’t have the time or energy to get there. We’re offering beautiful art to people who have bigger fish to fry. Given the current political and economic climate, I’m honestly astonished to find that there’s an audience at all! It’s a testament to how much people value what we do, despite the challenges in doing so.

So again, I don’t think it’s a marketing problem. It’s a political problem, and if we truly want the arts to flourish, it’s time for musicians to become a force for political change.

Photo by Zeynep Sümer on Unsplash

​This coming year, I’m going to use this blog as an excuse to research problems in our industry and share everything I discover. We’ll take a look at streaming royalties, working conditions and worker co-ops, musicians as a voting block, and many other concepts. I’m going to use these rambling rants as a way to brainstorm solutions out loud, and I want to encourage anyone reading to reach out with their own ideas. Let’s discuss a better future! It’s about time we saw change in the world for the betterment of all people’s lives. There’s a big, greasy, bloated veil between us and our audiences. It’s time to do the dirty work of weakening the veil instead of shouting through it.