"Listening to music isn't an event anymore unless it's live. No one sits
down and just listens. I think entertaining yourself on the go is turning
into a huge problem. It's like yogurt tubes versus nice Greek yogurt with
honey drizzled on it."
-Morgan Geist
By my reading of this, he's not saying that he thinks it's best for people
to hear his music live. Instead, he sounds to me like he's bemoaning the
modern audience's unwillingness or inability to experience listening to
recorded music as an event in itself.
I'm guessing that when you say that he hasn't dropped a record in 11 years,
you are only counting solo full length albums (or CDs?) as a record. By my
count, he's been pretty busy releasing music regularly over the past
decade, solo, under pseudonyms, and as a part of various groups.
Meaningful live representation seems like something that electronic music
in particular has struggled with since it started being created. How does
one reproduce a field recording, live, or a multitrack recording of
painstakingly edited bits, or tape splicing on the fly. Sure, there are
ways of representing any of these in a live setting, I suppose, but it is
not the same thing as a band playing something together as a band in the
studio and then together as a band on stage.
It sounds like he wants to focus on creating and capturing his studio work,
and he isn't finding the buyers or listeners he was hoping for. He's also
begging the question as to whether the type of audience he hopes for even
exists.
m50
At 2008.09.26 12:00, kate simko wrote:
You know, as much as I absolutely love Morgan Geist's music and
respect him as an artist, I don't see him as a total victim in his
"anxiety stroll."
A mutual friend of ours in Chicago told me about how he just wants to
record music (not play shows) and how he's considering quitting music
(same rant as the interview).
Well, he says in his interview that "Listening to music isn't an
event anymore unless it's live." But he's not willing to play live.
So, he thinks it's best for people to hear his music live (where they
have to pay for the show!!) but he's not willing to give them that
opportunity.
The whole history of music up until the 20th century was based off of
musicians playing for an audience. Only since the advent of
recordings was selling a copy of a performance even and option. Ask
any successful band or DJ and they will tell you that playing shows
is the only viable option for supporting yourself off music right
now. I don't think this is totally a bad thing. It should be an
honor to play for people who enjoy your music (like Morgan says, he
feels lucky that people pay attention to his music).
Anyways, my point is Morgan Geist hasn't dropped a record in 11 years
and doesn't want to play live- that's the root of his predicament.
He has a great new record and *it's up to him* to make more music and
play shows to get by financially. Or, as the original post said,
take a break.
He's a talented, blessed guy, I'm sorry to hear him sound so unhappy.
On Sep 26, 2008, at 9:26 AM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote:
Reason it's not a business is because his "fans" won't let him make a
living at it. You read what he said about people complimenting him
on a
record that isn't even released yet.
That sucks. I've talked to struggling musicians who's so-called
"fans" say
straight to their face that they really enjoy their music but that
they
didn't pay for it - just got it off someone else or from a P2P site.
That sucks and that's not any way to be a fan.
I'm not surprised that Geist is feeling the way he is. How long
could you
possibly put up with that bullshyte before losing it?
MEK
Martin Dust <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote on 09/26/2008 05:03:50 AM:
Oh yeah. I agree. Don't get me wrong, the honesty in there is
refreshing. The problem, as I see it, for people making a living
from
music is that it's hard to take that break unless you're very
(financially) successful.
I guess they are going to have to accept that it's no longer a
business
and back to a hobby.
m
