A personal question about audience/support.

chip · May 02, 2014, 11:43:43 AM

Quote from: Hook on May 01, 2014, 10:02:17 PMI'm not a fan of Facebook or all the social media bullshit but I guess it can be a useful (perhaps necessary) tool if you know what your doing. As far as support, what do you want, criticism, kind words, money & if it's just from your friends does it really matter, I guess the $$ would. Are you there cheering on your friends hobbies, do you go to your work buddies softball games? Do you get all into what book your facebook friends really enjoying? After 15 years of marriage my wife doesn't want to listen to any of my tunes anymore, it used to bother me but now I kinda understand. I send some tunes to some of my old musician friends and they might respond or not, it's cool either way. I feel pretty confidant that selling $0.99 tracks online isn't going to support my family. I guess my point is, don't write & record music for some expected response or praise, you will most likely be disappointed. Write from your heart, record & share it for the love of music. If you want fans & or $$$ you really need to preform every chance you get & shmoooze like there is no tomorrow. I hate shmooozing!
Rock On!

Sound like me Hook. I just sent 2 cd,s to Australia I recorded, my old sparring partner lives there. He liked some of the songs, I ain't that bothered whether he likes them or not, or anyone else for that matter. I do it for me and if I like em that's all I'm bothered about. It's all good clean fun.

FuzzFace · May 02, 2014, 11:57:42 AM

A lot of people are looking for something they can mention later in order sound like they know what they are talking about with the least amount of effort. Listening to my sibling's home recording will take the time I could have spent reading 30 headlines catching up on what everybody else is talking about.

When I was a kid my grandmother gave us home-made Cabbage Patch dolls and Care Bears. Home-Made! At the time I was embarrassed by them because they weren't as glossy as what everyone else had. I had no concept that this was infinitely more valuable due to the craftsmanship, uniqueness and feelings behind it.

Flash Harry · May 02, 2014, 12:58:05 PM

My family and friends have long stopped coming to my gigs.

It's a hard life being a jobbing musician. Hour's drive to the gig, two hours to rig and sound check, an hour to de-rig and an hour's drive back home. 5 hour's work on top of the 90 minutes set. If we didn't love doing it, it wouldn't get done. Thank goodness I have a 'real' job too.

Pete C · May 02, 2014, 01:43:03 PM

Same experience here - my wife and friends saw my first band a couple of times, then I joined a semi-pro band and they only came and watched us once. This was about 10/11 years ago and we were being paid between £350 and £800 a gig so we must have been ok. My next band which was more of a hobby band lasted around 2 years - during that time we played quite a few paid pub gigs and private functions and even a coupke of years after we'd stopped we were still getting asked to play weddings. Apart from the drummer's girlfriend NONE of our wives, family or friends came to see us !!
Same since I joined Songcrafters - my wife shows little interest in my posts and my friends show even less. The only non-Songcrafters who show any interest are a couple of friends at work who play in bands.
As somebody else said, we probably don't show interest in their hobbies. My friend's wife thought I was just posting karaoke tracks - No! I play every instrument on the track!
In fact we were at a birthday party that had a band on one night and one of the girls said 'Ooh they're really good aren't they?' To which I responded that it was 2 guys playing a bit of guitar and singing to backing tracks - who do you think is playing the drums, the bass, the keyboards??? They just don't understand - at least on here we all appreciate each other's efforts ! Rant over.

Ferryman · May 02, 2014, 03:00:01 PM

Music is very individual. If you made music all your family and friends liked it would probably be mundane commercial-sounding stuff. And unless they're musos, they will not appreciate the effort you have put into your work. So don't be surprised when the gem you have worked so hard and long on is met with indifference from them. Hopefully you can find some like minded souls that will enjoy it, I know there will be some on here.