What Makes an Artist?
Well, we’ll start off with this: everyone has their own form of art. Whether it’s on the surface or undiscovered, everyone has something. Some people discover themselves much quicker than others. Conversely, some people may never feel that they will discover their true "purpose" or "talent". The individuals who face the latter issue may express those thoughts of doubt in a way they may not see, rest assured others do. That's the good stuff, the true grit of an Artist. Varying life experiences are fundamental to a better understanding of the self. It is easy to see how positive experiences, such as your first successful recording, have influenced your life. The trick is to reap the rewards from the negative experiences. For instance, getting booed off the stage isn’t the crowd telling you to fuck off. They might be shouting the words, which can be used as fuel to burn their words and ignite yours. Use the negative to drive you and work your ass off to kill it at the next show. It’s tough to find the positive inside the negative. The good thing about bad is the good that comes from it.
Everyone is different. As such, we all respond in different matters and have various takeaways from situations. The differences are what make an artist. These differences include our own way of coping, expressing, interpreting and most importantly, learning. Art can be expressed through a wide variety of mediums such as paint, ceramic, photography, music, sculpture, cinema, love making, sandwich making, sandwich eating, the list is literally indefinite. Nowadays, you can put a creative spin on anything and call it art. Unfortunately, with the never-ending list of mediums comes a never-ending list of “pseudoartists”. These impersonators are either in it for fortune, or simply like the title, Artist, on their resume. Other’s might spin some real shit for the sake of attention and call it art. No, seriously. I recently went to an art museum in NYC and saw an abundance of shit. Literally, shit. I’m not kidding, an entire floor of shit. But you know what they say, “One man’s shit is another man’s treasure”. Trust me, that saying does not apply here. At Setlist Indie, we’re sifting through the shit to bring you the treasure. The Indie musicians that we expose are the people who share their experiences, in a genuine manner, that often relate to many others.
That’s where Indie comes into the mix.
Independent groups of singer/songwriters actually have experiences to share that are worthwhile hearing. We all have stories that need to be shared, and maybe we’ll reach others who feel the same way. We can all relate to that one song or album that gets us through the bad or accompanies us through the good. Music has that deep inspiration to help set any tone. Hell, music even makes crying better to experience. I can be completely heartbroken and put on "A Real Hero" by Electric Youth and cry in happiness. It creates a unique relation since someone else has been there. If they haven't, how could they write it in such a way to make you listen? One of my favorite things about any movie is the score, and that's exactly why it is used. The score puts you in a characters heart by relating a sound or pitch to an occurrence....and it moves us, does it not? Indie musicians bring us that authentic story; they are true writers. I have a great deal of respect for writers. The amount of knowledge they spill all comes from a sense of truth, and Indie musicians do just that. Victor Hugo stated "Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent."
Experience is your Art.
-LT