Darien’s Column:
Author: Darien Campo | Designer

Deck: Are independent musicians putting too much focus on image before talent?

Everybody wants to act like Kanye, but nobody wants to work like Kanye.

These words have been bouncing around my head for almost a month now. I encountered the phrase on a Reddit thread started by an independent artist who was dissatisfied with the amount of attention his work was getting. He ranted, saying that he had worked hard for his craft and he deserved to have a larger fanbase by now – but nobody was listening to his tracks. A couple of users, myself included, tried to engage in conversation with him and have a discussion, only to be met with more anger and sarcasm. He didn’t want excuses, he didn’t want advice, and he didn’t want strategies; he wanted results.

This attitude is so prevalent in the independent scene.

As a musician, I’ve dealt with countless bands and artists who are just starting out but never get past this hump. We see online are bands who rocket into stardom and are showered with fans from day one. What we don’t see are the years of work that go into being a musician – or any kind of artist, for that matter.

There’s an attitude of entitlement that so many independent artists develop. This idea that “I am a musician, therefore I deserve attention for my craft.” If this is your outlook, you’ll never get far as an artist. Being a musician is hard work, it’s exhausting, it’s unrelenting, and it’s unforgiving. You have to do it because you love it, even if nobody’s listening.

I produced for a band some years ago who developed their rockstar attitudes long before they ever developed their musical talent. They would say, “we need the right equipment,” “we need top-of-the-line recording software,” “we need more Facebook likes,” before they would ever worry about their actual music. Being a band was an image for them, and that was satisfactory enough. They never felt the need to delve any deeper into their musical voice.

This artifice of artistry is what holds so many independent musicians back from discovering their true potential as a creator. It’s easy to act like Kanye, so many artists do, but it’s much harder to put in the amount of time and effort that Kanye does. That’s why Kanye gets to act the way he acts; because he works harder than you could ever imagine.

Contact the author at dcampo13@wou.edu

Ashton’s Column:
Author: Ashton Newton | Entertainment Editor

Deck: The media and the entertainment industry have had a negative effect on the stereotype of the musician.

Everybody wants to act like Kanye, but nobody wants to work like Kanye.

The entertainment industry tends to idolize Kanye and other artists for their arrogance and extravagance, without noting the hard work that they put in. This affects how people view musicians in general, and it’s making negative marks on the music industry and the mindset around it.

Movies and television often show musicians as being super cool, rebellious and very arrogant. Kids shows such as “Drake and Josh” and “Big Time Rush” showed kids that looking and being cool as a musician is more important than the music you create, which has helped to create an expectation as to how musicians are supposed to act.

I’ve seen this in local musicians, in interviews and in the behavior of popular musicians. One notable example was when Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong freaked out at the iHeartRadio Music Festival due to wanting more time to perform. Jack White also got angry at the crowd when they weren’t cheering enough and he walked out of a sold out show after 45 minutes.

This behavior doesn’t help the stereotype, and it’s bleeding down into the local music scene, too. While talking to and interviewing artists, many people want to skip over the concept of working hard and jump straight into the idea of being the arrogant, super cool musician, even when they don’t have fans.

No one is going to want to work with an artist who is difficult to be around, much less someone who can’t get over the arrogant mindset. No one is going to act like a jerk, win a battle of the bands and then get instant stardom. That’s the plot of “School of Rock,” and it’s time to get your head out of the clouds and act like a good person first and foremost.

Ending this “rockstar” stereotype in movies and television, not romanticizing performers who are obvious arrogant jerks and working hard rather than instantly acting like a celebrity are so important for the music industry and the mindsets surrounding it.

Labeling yourself as a musician gives you nothing. Putting in the effort that someone like Kanye does is the side of the industry that so many artists are ignoring. Whether music is a passion or a hobby, acting like Kanye without working like Kanye won’t get anyone anywhere and continues to send the industry into a spiral of arrogance.

Contact the author at anewton15@wou.edu