So, I found this draft from a couple years ago which I didn't publish for some reason, so I decided to publish it now. Mind you, it mentions the 10th year of Brutal Republic. This summer that I'm publishing it actually marks the 12th anniversary of the Republic.
Hey all. Jeremy here. Been a loooong time since I've gotten round to write on this, but I'm just in the mood to do so now.
So I'd like to talk about the music business. Also of what being a successful musician means to me.
This summer marked the 10th anniversary of the Brutal Republic. I've gone through many phases of thought throughout my professional music career and learned a good deal of things. I hope and expect to learn more in the years to come, but I'd like to try my best to relay what I've learned to the young musicians in this industry.(especially those who look to make a career out of it)
First off, I consider myself to be a successful musician. I've "made it" so to speak. I make a living off of music alone, and I've done this since I was 18 years old. (10 years) I've accomplished this through hard work. Make no mistake about it, any musician you have ever enjoyed has worked his ass off to an extent that's comparable to most any other profession. If you took two years of school to prepare for a degree to land a job, remember I took two years on top of school every day with a guitar in my hands to land my job, and have been hitting the books since.
I should fill you in on the fruits of my success; I'm broke. As I write this, I have $10 to my name. That will be gone come tomorrow as it will go into my gas tank to get me to work so I can teach guitar. Our culture allows those in poverty to still live in luxury, as I do. My bills are paid for the month and food is on the table. I've never lacked a necessity, and have never regretted my career choice.
If you're a young up and comer in the music business, there may be some illusions to your idea of making it in this business. There are huge names in this business that have done very well for themselves. Elton John is filthy rich, so is Dee Snider. There are some huge names that are usually broke. Willy Nelson and Neil Young come to mind. The business of fame is a gamble, and the chance of getting to that casino is next to none. You may be the best player in the country, and your chances are no better. Right now the most talked about musician in the country is Miley Cyrus. For this reason, it's apparent to most musicians that talent takes a back seat to a great number of things. If you want fame, your best bet is to go on one of those get famous
quick shows. (American Idol, America's Got Talent, etc.) If you make it
far enough you'll get your record contract. It probably won't be a good
one, but you'll get it. If that's your path to fame, you'll still have a
lot of work to do to earn the respect of your peers. It's kind of like
winning the lottery and then thinking you'll rub shoulders with Bill
Gates. He doesn't give a shit about your fortune, he's been earning his
for a long time. The most legitimate goal of a musician is to put out the best work that you can, and if you can live comfortably doing it, it's all the better.
There can be a lot of ugliness in this business. Shady businessmen, broken promises, broken comraderies and broken gear. There are times when you can't get everyone on the same page. Times when you can't get a gig. Times when you can't write a song, or write what you want to say in a coherent form. I've had the privilege to poor my heart out to thousands of people, to empty bars, to bars packed with drunks who aren't listening to a note I'm playing. I've had the privilege to share the stage with legends, unknowns, humble workhorses and prideful hacks. Some people have ripped me off, but even more have been far too good to me. So here's my quick black and white beginners guide to what I've learned from these experiences:
1. Observe your elders. Without mine I wouldn't be half the musician I am today. If there aren't any offering to throw you a bone, seek them out. Volunteer to carry amps or wrap cables. At the very least attend shows when you can, but most of all observe.
2. Check your ego at the door. Headlining doesn't mean your the better band. It means you theoretically have the better pull. If another band does, be honored to open for them. Take the stage and aim to bring the house down. Hope and expect the other band to do so as well. We're all in this together.
3. Never cease the effort to improve and expand your craft. Even the best can be better. You and I are certainly no exception. Add to your material. If you can only muster up a 45 minute to an hour set, consider yourself an opening act regardless of your pull. We were an opening act for 2 years. In that span, we learned how to headline when the time came.
4. Know your worth. If you think you're worth nothing, play for nothing. Otherwise, figure out your worth and stick to it and make it grow. If you play for less than your worth, you undercut the rest of your fellow musicians. You may not intend to do this, but as whole undercutting hurts the music industry. This is how cities such as Des Moines get to the point where venues aren't willing to pay your band because they can pick up any other band in the city for next to nothing.
5. Answer devotion with loyalty. If someone goes out on a limb for you, vouches for you, aligns themselves to you, they have little reason to do so in this business unless they believe in what you're doing. There's little that can serve as such a compliment to your work. Understand your debt to those that give you your success in this business, no matter how great or small that success is.
With those points made, I look forward to 10 more years of the Republic. Through all the struggles it has persevered, and throughout, I immensely appreciate the friends and family we've made along the way. Know that we'll never present ourselves as anything other than what we are to any of you. We'll always raise a glass with you, and we'll never dilute what the Republic has become or grows to be. For this is the closest thing to religion that I know.
Cheers,
-J
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