Instant gratification, if we can’t have it now, then it must not be worth having. You know that famous painting of Jesus and his compadres eating at a Luby's? It’s called The Last Super. It took the artist, Leonardo da Vinci, three years to paint. Despite the fact that it was painted over 500 years ago, a week doesn't go by that I don't see a version of it somewhere. Clearly the time and effort put into it has paid off. I am sure you know some artists. You should ask them if they ever spent 3 years working on a painting. Shit, ask them if they ever took a year to work on a painting. Ninety-five percent of the time the answer is no, because they want to be gratified instantly.
So let’s pretend you are in a band. In this hypothetical situation we are going to assume you are the average musician. That will mean that you think your work is genius, even though it is actually sub-par. You believe that you have a better grasp of song writing than all the other crappy bands out there doing the exact same thing you are doing, and just like all the others you fill your BIO with hyperbole such as “truly an original sound” and “when these musician’s met it was magic.” Then, because you believe so much in the beauty of the art you create, you put all your eggs in one basket. You spend more than you should on studio time, and put absolutely no money into promotion. You release your “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and nobody buys it. You spend $70 to post it on CDBaby, and earn about $40 (if you are lucky) in sales. You are now in debt or at the very least broke, and you give up on this band because Sony Music didn’t knock on your door and offer you a limo ride to Xanadu.
Ok I am going to go ahead and admit I was kind of reaching there at the end. Xanadu was the best I could come up with. I don’t really know where Sony Music would be taking you in a limo. I am sure Xanadu is nice this time of year.
The pop music format that exists now has been around for a very long time. The Bible says there is nothing new under the sun. That is certainly true for modern music. The same group of musicians went fromm being Alt-Country to New Folk to Americana in less than 10 years without changing anything about their style. My point is, what you are doing is not original. You are not bringing anything new to the table. If somebody says they have never heard music like yours before, that is because they have limited exposure to music. Major labels are not going to offer you a million dollars. You will never play arenas in front of 30,000 screaming fans. You do not deserve these things, and you will never accomplish them. So what are you going to do, give up? Is this really going to be an all or nothing scenario? I thought you loved music. I thought music was your life. Quit being a bitch. You don’t need other people to tell you that you are pretty. If you like the music you make, then keep making it.
On your journey to the grave, if you ever feel despair and need inspiration, pull out a copy of The Catholic Girls Exposed, the new CD by the band The Catholic Girls. Not only is the album super up beat, fast paced, guitar driven, feel good music guaranteed to cheer you up, but The Catholic Girls themselves are tenacity incarnate. Their focus, and determination, not to mention talent, is inspiring. Having released their first single almost 25 years ago, and still not receiving accolades from the mass majority of the music buying world, they have proven, that with or without you, this is what they intend to keep doing.
Originally called The Double Cross Schoolgirls the band was formed by front woman Gail Peterson back in the 80’s. Over time they have released multiple singles, EP’s, and LP’s, played endless gigs, and their song Make Me Believe has charted on Billboard. Still, celebrity status continues to elude them, although not for lack of skill. The Catholic Girls Exposed is a great album from front to back. Gail’s singing style is beautiful and distinctive. At times it predates her 80’s origins, often reminding me of the more innocent female vocalists of the 50’s. At other times her roots show and influences of Belinda Carlisle shine through.
This band is no over night success. Like Leo from Vinci, they are putting in the time and crafting their art. Energetic and amazing, this is really a fun album. If you like 80’s style pop rock, then you should listen to The Catholic Girls Exposed.
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You can get more details and sample music on their web page at:
http://www.thecatholicgirls.net/
and visit their Facebook at:
https://www.facebook.com/TheCatholicGirls
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