Since my name seems to have been dragged into a rather muddy and indecorus exchange of words, and I'm too out-of-sorts at the moment to even attempt to conduct a multilingual public course on separating clear statements from innuendo, I'll just say that Danny and I have plans to engage in a meaningful and productive conversation that will provide answers to his questions regarding my discreet ambiguity in print on this public forum. If you'll read my words copied below, you'll find that I have accused no one of engaging in harmful behavior. Basically, I've stated the obvious in saying that the economics have changed dramatically, and those of us who have what appears to be a surprisingly large following gained through hard work, convincing performances, and (yes) diplomacy, simply don't have the advantages that were once commonly available. And the amount of money available to any artist today through streaming is insultingly low. If you want more specifics, you'll have to wait until the book is published. Meanwhile, I remain discreetly distant from the public naming of names. RA > Date: Wed, 25 Feb 2015 13:15:46 +0000 > To: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] > From: [email protected] > Subject: [LUTE] Re: Lute in the Future > > Thanks for your thoughtful post, Chris. Your project is worthy of > support and you did an excellent job of describing the current dilemma > for recording artists in accurate and diplomatic terms. > Most people involved in the lute world, whether they are first-class > players like you, or whether they simply enjoy the aesthetic of the > instrument, simply don't even think about what it takes to produce a > recording today. It's a different world than the "fan club" approach > of the past, where top players were easily able to obtain academic > appointments, research grants, artist representation, and recording > contracts that actually paid for the session work, production, > distribution and even royalties. > Today, even the top players (with a few rare exceptions) are struggling > with the cost of making recordings - which are almost always > self-financed - and even musicians who record for reputable labels are > "paid" in rather skimpy piles of their own CDs which must be sold at > concerts if they want to make anything at all for their effort. > Talented amateurs who have piles of "the ready" can make nice > recordings without the worry of whether they should reproduce several > cartons of their CD, or whether they should buy a sack of groceries > this week and perhaps even pay the heat bill. > Again, there is no reason why someone who simply appreciates lute music > should have to think about the nuts and bolts of how their favorite > recordings are made, but we can all be assured that it has nothing to > do with the fairytale myth of merit. There are many deserving artists > out there who should be heard and supported, but there is no longer a > viable market model for financing and remuneration - especially with > the unsustainable model of streaming services. We have written about > this in the past > [1]https://mignarda.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/should-listeners-feel-guil > ty-about-using-spotify/ and others have done so more eloquently > [2]http://thetrichordist.com/2014/10/14/streaming-is-the-future-spotify > -is-not-lets-talk-solutions/ > Chris, your project deserves the highest level of support - and we know > that the amount you're aiming for is only a fraction of the total cost > of the project. You should have people knocking on your door asking > how much you want to make this recording. Kickstarter is a step in the > right direction, but as far as I can see the only viable solution in > our niche market is to ask our certain incorporated non-profit > organizations to stop behaving like fan clubs and make targeted funds > available to energetic and motivated artists for recording worthwhile > projects - and not with limitations so the funds apply only to the > select few students of the gatekeepers who have been running the racket > for far too long. > Those of us working class musicians who have been in the biz since the > 70s have watched with dismay how the new business model has changed > what used to be "$ for product" into "you're lucky we pay you 0.00012 > per stream." It's a little frustrating to see monthly reports > indicating tens of thousands of streams and not making enough to cover > the price of a good meal. > Anyway, best of luck with your project. > RA > > Date: Tue, 24 Feb 2015 09:21:53 -0800 > > To: [email protected]; [email protected] > > From: [email protected] > > Subject: [LUTE] Lute in the Future > > > > Dear Luters, > > > > If you think the lute is only for S.N.O.B.s, then read no further. > However, if you believe that there are still vast oceans of discovery > our instrument has to offer beyond the marvelous work produced by > Smith, North, ODette and Barto, then read on. > > Todays music scene is fraught with significant challenges, but also > many opportunities. The great modern masters of the lute forged brave > paths for our instrument in the 70s and 80s to which we are all greatly > indebted. Their efforts would have been in vain but for the platform of > support provided by forward thinking record companies, academic > institutions and festivals/concert series willing to take chances on > promoting what was then a promising, yet extremely risky endeavor. > > Young musicians working in early music today cant expect such > assistance. The plum teaching positions and concert series are already > occupied by members of the previous generation. This is true of record > labels as well, which, saddled with their own difficulties of making > money in the digital age, are unable to put money behind developing new > artists as they once did. This is especially true of those whose > artistic individuality brings fresh insights. > > Until recently, these deserving voices had little chance of being > heard at all. Despair not, hungry members of the lute hoard, for no > longer must we rely on outside arbiters of taste to find the boldness > we desire! The early music industry, restricted by market forces and > the expectations of recently invented tradition, must confine their > lineup of performers to a relatively small circle of recognizable > "stars" who play within an easily-defined range of stylistic options. > Admirable as the work of these well-established pioneers has been, you > can at last delight in other gems! How can you so empower yourself? > Simple. Through the support of people like you, several members of this > list, including Edward Martin, Thomas Walker and Duo Mignarda were able > to bring out valuable projects via crowd funding that otherwise may > have been neglected entirely. > > Im also turning Kickstarter to fund my next album. Its a recording of > Bach, Weiss and Falckenhagen that incorporates portions of elaborate, > written-out doubles and improvised cadenzas just how musicians of the > 18th century were expected to play. Im proud to present this > combination of art and research. However, because such intrepid > exploration goes beyond the just play the notes on the page mentality > of many in classical music, it is the type of thing that fits uneasily > into the catalog of record companies. > > The best part? Your support wont just give you the warm fuzzies; if > you back the project, your generosity will be rewarded with very real > gifts, including an advance copy of the new finished album. Click the > link below for a video presentation, description and audio samples. > > > > > https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1600736048/desperate-doors-baroque > -lute-album > > > > Thank you!!! > > > > Chris Wilke > > > > Dr. Christopher Wilke D.M.A. > > Lutenist, Guitarist and Composer > > www.christopherwilke.com > > > > > > > > To get on or off this list see list information at > > http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > -- > > References > > 1. https://mignarda.wordpress.com/2013/01/30/should-listeners-feel-guilty- about-using-spotify/ > 2. http://thetrichordist.com/2014/10/14/streaming-is-the-future-spotify-is -not-lets-talk-solutions/ >
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