The arts, in the broadest use of the term, is an interesting contradiction in perceptions. I see any creative process as free from all expectations and pre-conceived notions, and yet that can be far from the truth. Can (or should) a free creative spirit be steered down a conforming road? How do we see creative freedom in comparison to conformity (to expectations)?
An easy answer is to put the onus on the creator, in that if the desire is to totally express oneself as honestly as possibly, then conformity has no place … but then probably neither will the income to support that interest. Conversely, if the desire is to generate a significant and constant income, then conforming to market demands would be strategically beneficial.
The music business is an interesting one to consider. While it no doubt shares similarities with other types of business, it is probably easier to look at simply because it is a very public business.
In the 1960’s, I used to go to a folk club on a regular basis and, on one particular evening, had the pleasure of watching Gordon Giltrap perform. He was interesting because he was the first person that I had seen who had a standard acoustic guitar wired for amplification. This was necessary because of his style of fast fingering. Couple that with his songs and overall presentation, and I bought his album from him at the end of the performance (which I still have!).
He thanked me, and apologized for the album! He saw two major failings in it. One was the cover art, which was a rather “modernistic” figure of a man playing a solid body electric guitar. The other was the actual recordings. From his perspective, whoever designed the cover knew nothing about him given the solid body electric guitar, and as for the recordings? He was very happy with the sound that he could create and felt that it complimented his songs very well. Sadly, when his recordings were being processed, it was decided that orchestral strings would add a nice touch at places in some of his songs. He found out about it as it was released. I can only assume that his signature is on some document which gave away his creative control.
Listening to his songs, the strings do seem to come and go rather abruptly, and given that his gigs were then “pubs and clubs”, I would have thought that most music lovers would expect an album to sound like their experience of the artist. That was clearly not how “the business” saw it.
Gordon Giltrap is still performing but, as far as I know, was never taken “on board” by any major agency. I am assuming that it was because he wanted total creative control, which would no doubt be in conflict with “the business”. I guess it’s the nature of any profession in that you either cooperate and receive the benefits from such cooperation, or you take a different road. He appeared to have decided to take that different road, and it would appear that he has enjoyed his journey with his music.
Other performers run into issues after they have signed with an agency. It is my understanding that the U.S.’s Jane Olivor, and our own Jann Arden, both had issues with the expectations being put on them. I believe that Jane Olivor withdrew from the music scene for quite some time, and Jann Arden was quite vocal about doing “her own thing”.
The problems can arise when the working hours are dictated and allow little time for a life outside of music.. The performance schedule will likely be very time consuming and draining, and you still have to accommodate interviews and other promotional exercises. You will still be expected to be working towards new albums. You will still be expected to practise and generally polish your particular area of expertise, and there could even be pressure to change your outward appearance. Is it surprising that many performers self-medicate in order to keep going.
It would seem to me that both Jane Olivor and Jann Arden decided to make a stand for who they were, and they were not money making robots who would do whatever was asked of them. One has to admire them for not selling their souls in the name of music.
There was another young lady who had similar issues with “the music business”, and took the rather creative route of writing songs about her frustrations … and then performing them in her obligated concerts! I just have to love that spirit … but more about her tomorrow!
A New Direction Perhaps? 
It definitely is true that fame isn’t all its cracked up to be!!
Makes me think of the Olympian stars too for some of them are pushed so hard by their coaches to win a medal. Years and hours upon hours of training. I had seen a movie once about an Olympian star who called it quits because she couldn’t handle the pressure anymore. Her passion wasn’t fun anymore. She ended up teaching children how to skate and she loved it, though her coach thought she was crazy!
Will be very interested to hear about this young lady tomorrow. 🙂
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Re your last sentence … :)!
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I think all artists are faced with this dilemma at one time or another… do you write, paint, play or sing what’s in your heart and maybe live the life of a starving artist, or adjust your work to make it profitable in the current climate? Sometimes people get lucky and can do both, but it’s unusual. If you can convince a few prominent people to like your work, that helps. It only takes one big hit to put you in the spotlight. 🙂
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Totally agree with you Joan. Sadly that one big hit may well put you in the spotlight, but it won’t keep you there … hence the proverbial “one hit wonders”! I guess the ideal is a compromise between what will support you, and what you really want to do.
Interesting that replying to you triggered memories of a conversation I had with a local transit bus driver! I knew that he had a number of university degrees, and various other educational/professional commendations … so I had to ask “Why are you driving a bus for a living?” His reply was ” Bus driving is relatively stress free, unlike many business management positions, and it pays relatively well.” I then brought up the area of personal job satisfaction, particularly given his qualifications. He replied “My bus driving gives me the basic satisfaction of earning sufficient to allow me to live relatively comfortably however, its main purpose is to leave me to follow other interests. At the end of my shift, I am not exhausted physically or mentally, and can therefore be productive in a volunteer capacity. I like my bus driving, but I love the rewards of volunteering.”
In the context of today’s Post, I guess he had found that compromise between what was necessary and what he really wanted to do. 🙂
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Sometimes one big hit is all it takes. Readers eagerly await anything new from a writer who has made it to the New York Times best seller list. The thing is, you’ve got to keep serving up the same thing if you want to stay on the best seller list, like JK Rowling, whose Harry Potter series was one of the most popular of all time. Once she started writing other stuff, POOF! Her popularity evaporated. Same deal with pop stars who change their style. I like your bus driver story, how he avoided stressful jobs he was qualified for and chose something that would not leave him “exhausted physically or mentally” and unproductive in his real calling as a volunteer. Balance is key. He could have made more money, I suppose, by using one of those degrees, but he’s too smart to give up a satisfying life for more $$$. Well played. 🙂
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It’s rather off topic, but the JK Rowling story is interesting because I understand quite a number of publishers turned down her initial Harry Potter scripts! I bet there are a number of people regretting that decision! 🙂
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Interesting post. Many people want to break into the music business. Or acting, writing, or some other creative business like that. But perhaps they should be careful what they wish for, because if they succeed, they may find themselves on a disappointing path where their creativity is strangled.
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It is certainly a difficult choice to make … express myself freely, or accommodate the dictates of business. I have to admire both Picasso and Dali. I don’t like any of their art, but admire them for creating what they wanted to create. i.e. they were true to their creative instincts.
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Interesting anecdote about Gordon Giltrap (an artist I admire very much). What was that album, out of interest?
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That album was “A Testament of Time”, and it was released in 1971. From my perspective, he was a very under-rated singer/songwriter.
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‘Was’? I think he’s still around.
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He is as far as I know! The “was” referred to him being under-rated when in his prime for establishing a career in music. I don’t think that now (presumably in his late 60’s/early70’s), he is rated at all per se. I am guessing, but would suspect that his fan-base is a very loyal group, and a newcomer to his music is not likely to “rate him” per se given his age now! 🙂
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