| The challenge of raising a rock star |
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"Structurally, they are set up to be anti-art,"
Spellman says. "They wear the 90-day glasses. They are totally
dependent on the indie sector to deliver the talent, totally. We
would never have heard Bruce Springsteen or Bob Marley if that had
been the model in the 70s; these guys never turned any profit for
three records, and then suddenly things started blowing up. Record
companies are good at pop pabulum, but they're not good at the niches,
and that's where the riches lie now."
The dream maker
So how much money
will you have to spend to make your kid a rock star in the new music
business?
"I get asked that a lot in workshops, and I don't
mean to be facetious or joking but the answer is: as much as you've
got," says Christopher Knab, music consultant and owner of
FourFront
Media & Music in Seattle.
Knab is one of the dream makers, a 60-year-old music-industry
veteran who prepares parents and would-be rock stars alike for the
harsh realities of making it today. Repeat after him: Talent is
never, never enough. If you don't have money, figure out a way to
get some. If you don't know the business, learn it. And if you don't
have the guts to stick with it, forget it.
"Of the calls I get, 98 out of 100 are people
who don't have any money, but they say, 'I've got some really good
songs' or 'I've got really great music.' So what, you know? There
are millions of great songs and talented artists. The industry won't
pay attention these days because of the flood of music that's out
there; everybody and their sister is recording. What will wake them
up is when they start hearing over and over again, 'Have you heard
this new record?'"
How does a young rocker create the coveted buzz? Start
small. Play locally. Develop an awesome Web site and fan database.
Listen and make adjustments to your style and performance. Promote
your songs at college radio stations. And learn as much as you can
about the mechanics of the business by reading books and attending
seminars such as CMJ conferences. (CMJ is the Rolling Stone of the
echo boom.)
"If you have a pool of water and you drop a pebble
into it, the ripples move out," says Knab. "The first
ripple of concentration should be your local scene. If it pays off,
move to the next ripple out. Develop your mailing list, and stay
in touch with your fan base with fliers for upcoming shows."
Which
brings us to that parental dilemma: How do you know when your star just isn't
going to make it? "The live shows are always the litmus
test," says Knab. "If fewer and fewer people show up at your gigs, take
a hint. At some point, the audience determines it. They never lie." Spellman
encourages parents to give their kids a shot at stardom. Even those who don't
make it often find the experience great preparation for success in another field.
"I'm very bullish on it; as long as they have
the talent and drive, why not pour it into a career that has these
tremendously open outlets now?" he says. "It's no more
risky than working for a company today. Musicians are really sort
of wired in a lot of ways to bring a lot of significant skills and
talents to the new economy. Why not give them a shot at it? What's
the worst that can happen? They're going to have to try something
else and re-purpose. Who doesn't have to do that?"
Jay
MacDonald is a contributing editor based in Mississippi.
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