I like fun music that makes me feel better rather than worse; music that makes me happier rather than sadder; music that makes me want to dance rather than sit and sulk. Sad music has it’s place every once in a while. But most of the time I want happy stuff. I think that that’s why I listen to so much electro– it’s a fun genre. Nobody singing about romances gone awry or rapping about the poverty problem in Detroit. Nothing but interesting sounds, funky basslines and glitchy drumbeats.
So if the listeners are having fun, the music makers must be having a good time, too, right? Err, sometimes. You can tell there are some musicians (electronic and otherwise) who don’t enjoy making music. It’s evident in the way they interview or how they act on stage. It’s usually the more famous musicians who seem unhappy. So maybe it’s not that these people don’t enjoy creating/performing music per se. They’re probably just annoyed with all that music industry bullshit– distribution deals and royalty/management fees and suit-and-tie executives flashing calculated orders about what to do/say/think. Being a famous musician is fiscally fantastic but creatively frustrating: there are a lot of people depending on you/your music. You’ll probably feel pressure to do certain things. You’ll sometimes feel like you’ve lost sight of whatever it was that drove you to make music in the first place.
But I really can’t sympathize. Because if you’re making money by making music, you’re pretty damn lucky. So enjoy it. Or at least pretend like you do. So stop taking everything so seriously and have a good time. There are about a million people who would trade places with you in a heartbeat. You’re living the dream. Act like it.
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