Years ago I would frequently be invited to attend talent shows. You know the type. There are a variety of performers there with ranging levels of talent: singers, dancers, and even rappers. The talent at these events is mediocre at best, although, you might find the occasional exceptional performer. At this specific event, there was a rapper who stepped onto the stage and began to perform. He quickly found that he wasn’t getting the reaction that he expected from the crowd. They were fairly indifferent to him. Instead of stepping up his performance and giving the crowd the best possible show that he could deliver, he stopped and began to yell. I’ll never forget it. He shouted, “You gotta support this sh*t!” He was furious because he wasn’t getting what he thought he deserved for what he considered to be a wonderful performance. It was an awkward experience for everyone- no one felt good about what transpired.
Most reasonable people understand that you can’t force an audience to support what you do. There’s no difference in art, dance, or music. Your contribution has to resonate with recipients. Ironically, although most people understand this, the music industry is reminiscent of the angry rapper who didn’t understand that he needed to give people something that they wanted.
The sale of music continues to decline. However, instead of finding a way to create music that people feel good about, music that touches fans and offers value, the industry is lashing out. It’s going after bloggers who post tracks from their favorite bands; it’s going after single mothers who allegedly illegally download, and instead of signing and developing fantastic artists, they’re starting labels that claim to be authentic, but have a goal to sell unrelated products. They don’t understand that they won’t get their business back by yelling, “you gotta support this sh*t!”
