Theron Shelton - In Loving Memory

The world is a little darker today with the recent passing of a good friend, Theron Shelton. We played together for a few years in The Blue Method, a band he helped to elevate with his spirited, skilled and inspired drumming. He was one of the finest people and musicians I had the privilege of knowing in my days, and I'll miss him deeply, and think of him often.

May we all learn from his strength of conviction, positivity and optimism. Goodbye, Theron, for now. Strength and Honor.

Rags to Riches.... Yawn.

So I'm watching Colbert, and he has this writer on who wrote a book about people's fascination with Celine Dion. One of the things he said was that some of her popularity stemmed from the respect her fans had for her because of her 'rags to riches' story.

Now, as the name implies, 'rags to riches' stories usually involve some person who comes from nothing -- no money, skills, education, job, home -- and somehow turns their life into a huge success story, usually involving fame and fortune, and a lot of times, in the entertainment industry.

Now here's my point: who cares? I mean, to me, a rags to riches story really isn't that impressive. And here's why:

Say a person has nothing... well sure, it takes a certain amount of resolve and determination just to survive in that situation, let alone excel... but it also means that there's not much risk involved in their decisions. Historically, it seems like people who strike it rich in the music industry or in movies generally are people that take the big risk. They pack up all their shit and just move out to California, or New York, and they work some bullshit job waiting tables or cleaning toilets while they try to find a way to hit it big. So my point is, it's really easy to take that huge risk, to leave everything you know and have for some crazy dream, when that crazy dream is really the only thing you have in the first place.

If you have nothing, then you have nothing to LOSE. It's a no-brainer. See, to me, what would be more impressive, and what you never really hear of, is somebody that went from decently successful to huge stardom. A sort of 'kind-of-doing-0k to riches' story.

To me, that's way more unlikely and worthy of respect. I mean, think about it. Say you grow up in a middle class family, you get an education, a job, maybe buy a house, are doing ok, and then you decide to throw caution to the wind to go out on the road and try to be a rockstar. Think about what you'd have to give up: job, car, house, retirement plan, health care, benefits... to go taveling around the country on some little record company's dime, or your own dime, somehow, going town to town making little to no money for possibly a long time just for the remote chance of someday hitting it big -- maybe. Now THAT's impressive.

Plus, to me, it seems like a huge part of making it big, is pure dumb luck. Being in the right place, at the right time, playing the right show in front of the right people. For every Coldplay or John Mayer there are a thousand bands and musicians that you've never heard of, and that in all likelihood you'll never hear of, that are as good or better. But they're not the ones that made it. And why?

Dumb.

Fucking.

Luck.

That's all. Sometimes that's all that separates the famous from the anonymous. But the thing is, the acts that take those huge risks are way more likely to find that right place at that right time. It's just a numbers game. And it's way easier to take that one show 2000 miles away for no money at that place where that record company guy sometimes hangs out when you have no rent to pay, no mouths to feed, no job to be on time for and no money to lose.

So if Celine Dion wants my respect, then... actually I don't think there's anyway Celine is getting my respect. But you get my point.

Do Musicians Need To Sell Music?

Well, yeah. I mean, I guess they do. 'Cause if they didn't, you wouldn't be able to take them seriously.

Isn't that right, Radiohead, Prince and Trent Reznor?

Well that's what an agent from an unnamed music management company told me tonight. He said that I would never be taken seriously as long as I gave my music away at shows. That until I start selling something directly to fans, I'll never be able to gain any real traction as a professional musician, that people don't value something unless they have to pay for it.

Now, maybe that's true... and, after all, this was an agent at a *seemingly* legit company, although as far as I can tell, they only have five clients, and I've never heard of any of them. But for my money, it seems like thinking like that never really got anybody anywhere.

If the rapid evolution of technology has taught us anything, it's that companies need to find new, fresh ways to make money, because more and more and more... content is free.

It's free. Simple as that. Not subscription-based free, or pay-as-you-go free... it's FREE free. As in, no cost to you, the consumer. BUT, if I can use that content to, say, peddle advertising... well now I'm getting paid, right? But not by you. No, you, as the end user, you get my content for absolutely nothing... but after listening to my FREE music, on my FREE website, maybe you suddenly have the urge to go buy a pair of pumas, or a carvin bass guitar, or you remembered suddenly that you need to go to Sam Ash. Now, how did that happen? And, oh yeah, maybe you wanna buy a ticket to one of my live shows...

Free content is the way of the future. If you're writing, singing, playing an instrument, or whatever, selling those recordings to people is getting harder and harder. But there are more ways than one to skin a cat. Or, a record.

Look, the point is, as much as this guy was peddling himself as being from a 'cutting edge' company who're 'lightyears ahead' of everyone else, he was just talking the same old trash. Or, at least, I heard the same old song and dance... and I wasn't about to pay for it. When someone approaches me with a truly creative and unique way to make music make money, I hope I'll have the presence of mind to pay attention. In this case, I'm pretty sure I didn't hear anything 'cutting edge,' but hell... if it were free, I think I'd have considered it.

-Dapp