06
Apr

Why we really want people to listen.

Take a look at Bob Lefsetz’ rather unnecessarily venomous rant on unsolicited music submissions here and then take a look at Syd’s response below.

Both articles are well worth the read for anyone who’s ever believed that their voice is worth hearing- not, as Lefsetz insinuates, because we assume we could be the “next” anybody, or become suddenly rich, famous and powerful, but because we are who we are and we have a personal truth to share with as many people as possible. Not to say that some people aren’t more than a little overbearing in their “hey look at me!” attempts to annoy us all enough to listen to their, admittedly, sometimes downright horrific music- with any creative endeavor, there will always be salesmen masquerading as artists, and the line between the two will always be blurry.

That being said, if my desire to communicate with other people through my creations was at all strangled by the babbling of bureaucrats struggling to hang on to power in a structure unnecessarily surrounding something so simple and pure, I wouldn’t have met nearly any of the friends, collaborators and mentors I have over the years. Just last month, an UNSOLICITED MP3 resulted in a personal connection so full-circle that my childhood self, long-dormant and nearly declared dead, was resurrected, my often dwindling inspiration restored in many ways. This person replied to me within an hour, telling me how glad she was to have honored her promise to herself that she would always LISTEN to anything she received. The insight shared in our short friendship has reminded me that the point of creating art is revealing your truest self to those people who are satisfied enough with their own creations to be open to seeing and hearing others for who they are, not who they’re already endorsed or verified by.

It’s easy to be tempted in a crowded musical landscape like today’s to shout from the rooftops that you don’t want to hear anything that you haven’t already asked for. Unfortunately for Lefsetz and others who’ve yielded to that short-sighted temptation, the ruthless scumbags who are relentlessly peddling trash will not stop, whether they’re asked nicely or told firmly- but the real dreamers, the believers, the ones with the crazy, unique ideas who really want to change the world in whatever way they can just by sharing the strange and often brilliant thoughts they can’t help having.. they’ll know exactly who they don’t care at all to contact or convince.

sydmusic:

(Written late last night, April 5, 2012)

I had what counts as a great day in the music business today. Records I’ve worked on are coming out better than I dreamed, my band’s summer tour is coming together and I have been re-energized by my recent vacation.

Today our little record label found…

sydmusic Short URL
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Young Volcanoes is ten songs recorded on the road in the midst of a search for a reason to release a record in the first place. Out November 20th, the project has answered its own question- with over $2000 already on its way to Burlington VT's Cancer Patient Support Program, it will continue to benefit CPSP with 20% of each sale. Literate rock and roll with a purpose that keeps one foot in the future and one anchored in 70s songwriting and production.




Photo: Jean Fogelberg

Press:
Andy Beam
Good Cop PR
andy@goodcoppr.com

Licensing Inquiries:
Music Alternatives
Phone: 213) 226-1723
Fax: 213) 226-1734
licensing@musicalternatives.com www.musicalternatives.com.

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