Disclaimer: This is just a stream of conscience from a point in time. There are infinite ways to live and perceive life. Philosophical expression, discussion, debate, and banter is a way I share my curiosity and evolving understanding of myself, others, and life. There is some pain in this piece so take it with a grain of salt.
You can extrapolate ‘music’ to any expressive art form you’re in touch with.
Let’s say you want to pursue a career in music. Why? You believe in the value of music since it’s provided a recognizable value to you. You’ve seen others, possibly your heroes, make a good living off of their music careers. You have developed specific music skills and are able to measure your skill as comparable to industry standards. You have the capital and/or social support to take the leap of faith into what seems like an unmeasurable workload unless you just try.
Sounds great.
Music’s usefulness to society: how subjective or objective is it?
The most “objectively” or universally valuable element of music is the artist and their humanity, and/or the story behind the music. Everyone wants to understand how they individually feel, and how others feel. The more an artist is able to clearly and tastefully convey different intertwined elements of being a human in a way that’s deeply specific to how they experience their reality, the more the listener has to go off of to make sense of their own perspective of the world. The more an artist shares the joy of, and freedom in, their practiced craftsmanship, the more it inspires others to improve their own crafts. When artists with mutual respect for each other get the chance to jam, create, and share stories, the camaraderie is everything.
This kind of value in music goes beyond genre and other purely aesthetic and sonic preferences. If it’s understood that any aesthetic can be used to complement the person/people and/or story behind the music, then the value of the music becomes universal in that you can learn about someone’s authenticity, and use that to continue to explore your own authenticity.
Now.. despite me claiming this to be an “objective” or universal usefulness of music, this perception of music’s usefulness is still subjective. Another person may simply desire the dopamine hit of a particular aesthetic without associating much thought to it. This kind of consumer may never consider any potential universal value for music.
SO now I’ll focus on the type of person that perceives the value of music as I’ve described, an expressive art that helps them understand the world and be inspired through people. If you are this type of musician, seriously consider not associating capital value with your art / pursuing a financially sustainable career as a musician. You may find yourself constantly avoiding financial desperation and/or becoming highly egocentric OR sacrificing the value of music to sustainably output commercially desired aesthetics to make ends meet hoping to “earn” the right to express yourself. While not sacrificing the value, if you by chance find financial success, your sense of self-worth may become codependent.
How do you conceptualize capital value? By its measurable objective usefulness to society?
It’s easiest to sell something when what’s being sold is understood as societally needed and is comparable to other similar services or products that are achieving a similar goal.
… No matter how confident you are in your ability to measure your music against your musical inspirations, your measurement of value is highly subjective. No matter how much you’re able to measure improvement in your skill to express, compose, mix, and master, it is still highly subjective. Others may be able to measure and perceive your improvement as well, and this may lead to audience growth and opportunity, BUT this is still a collective of people that are enjoying the echo chamber of a subjective preference.
One person’s expression and preference can’t be measured against another person’s; therefore associating capital value with it is nonsensical UNLESS you’re comfortable with valuing yourself above someone else for the sake of being yourself… narcissistic? Maybe not if others simply put you in this position by asking you for more?
The Balancing Act
Now that we’ve acknowledged the highly subjective happenstance of potential financial growth in the realm of being a musician that believes in the universal value of music as a way to learn more about ourselves as humans, what about all of this is worth it?
Think about yourself as a whole person and not just a musician. Do you want to indefinitely serve a growing echo chamber of a subjective preference in order to capitalistically survive? …and as it’s happening, having no real way to measure the value of what you’re selling beyond being liked?
In pursuing that, the universal value of the music hasn’t been lost! BUT a sense of groundedness and individual value to society as a whole is lost. Your financial stability rides on how much you happen to still be preferred for who you are.
SO again, what about this is worth it? Not the potential financial sustainability, but solely the universal value of being able to hear others’ journeys, share your journey, and keep the cycle of learning / inspiration going (reminder that this value is still subjective to the persona I’m exercising in this writing piece since I personally resonate with it).
Reserve financial compensation for something that is more broadly understood as societally/logistically/systematically useful to stay grounded in reality, society and yourself (ie. environmental science, health care, law, security/defense, sustainable architecture, construction, agriculture, hospitality, education, technology, various aspects of business management, etc.). Then fund what it is in music that you believe or want to see happen.
This way I can protect and cherish the beauty I see in music.
Music is better understood as a craft, therapy, communal activity, community service, or mode of communication than it is as a career.