even if its playing music you hate? and like another poster said 'dancing while playing bass to auto-tuned vocals'. would you still do it?
this thread makes me sad, but I appreciate the honesty
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Be Honest: Would You Ever Sell-Out?
- Thread starter bogey_j
- Start date
even if its playing music you hate? and like another poster said 'dancing while playing bass to auto-tuned vocals'. would you still do it?
this thread makes me sad, but I appreciate the honesty
Yup, this one lol. If I can pay the bills with my money and support the family, I'm down
What would it matter if you were playing in the backing band for some disney manufactured pop-princess or some self-indulgent and esoteric solo artist with an ego as big as the stage? Most people don't even notice/care when we dance around on the stage and act crazy...do you think they are even going to recognize you after the show? lol
See, that question presumes that I don't consider certain kinds of music as equally worthwhile.
While I have preferences about what I listen to in my home, I am not repulsed by other forms of music.
If it makes people happy, I consider it worthwhile and playable.
The way I would hope to "sell out" would be to start out making simple, short songs, until I had enough money to make the music I wanted to make in the first place. Although I would have to rebuild an entire fanbase, I'd still have some past publicity that would ease things a bit.
Hell yea I would do it, but while everything is happening I would definitely have a hidden agenda. 
I would do it because of the following:
You would gain valuable music industry experience.
You would develop all sort of contacts from networking.
You'll hopefully make some money.
And when everything is said and done, you'll know how the industry works, be able to use all of your resources to make the music you want to, and you'll have contacts that could help you get your music out there.
I would do it because of the following:
You would gain valuable music industry experience.
You would develop all sort of contacts from networking.
You'll hopefully make some money.
And when everything is said and done, you'll know how the industry works, be able to use all of your resources to make the music you want to, and you'll have contacts that could help you get your music out there.
Hell yea I would do it, but while everything is happening I would definitely have a hidden agenda.
I would do it because of the following:
You would gain valuable music industry experience.
You would develop all sort of contacts from networking.
You'll hopefully make some money.
And when everything is said and done, you'll know how the industry works, be able to use all of your resources to make the music you want to, and you'll have contacts that could help you get your music out there.
but by that point no one would take you seriously as an artist
its like chad kroeger deciding to put out an art album
eh... life is big, there's 7 billion people in it, there's 7 billion different ways to live it.
would I "sell out" and make radio friendly tunes in order to make a hopefully great deal of cash? probably. But I think I'd try to write about intelligent things, and be cryptic. I think I'd rather make a living making music I dislike than doing something else.
would I "sell out" and make radio friendly tunes in order to make a hopefully great deal of cash? probably. But I think I'd try to write about intelligent things, and be cryptic. I think I'd rather make a living making music I dislike than doing something else.
I can't even be bothered reading the whole thread.
I would jump at the chance to play music for a living. Call me a sellout as much as you want. I love playing bass PERIOD!
I would do it for whoever, whenever as long as they are paying.
I told myself once that if I could earn $10k less than I earn in my day job by playing music I am there. Now it'd probably need to be the same. I am 1/10 of the way there. Next year if all goes to plan I will make 20% of what I get paid at my day job from playing music - hopefully even more as I take on new opportunities.
If that happens I will consider dropping 1 or 2 days of work a week. That gives me more days off than on work as I don't consider gigs work - it's too much fun to be.
I would jump at the chance to play music for a living. Call me a sellout as much as you want. I love playing bass PERIOD!
I would do it for whoever, whenever as long as they are paying.
I told myself once that if I could earn $10k less than I earn in my day job by playing music I am there. Now it'd probably need to be the same. I am 1/10 of the way there. Next year if all goes to plan I will make 20% of what I get paid at my day job from playing music - hopefully even more as I take on new opportunities.
If that happens I will consider dropping 1 or 2 days of work a week. That gives me more days off than on work as I don't consider gigs work - it's too much fun to be.
- Oct 7, 2000
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- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Didn't read any of the responses here cuz I have to go to bed 
but wanted to put in my $.02.
Yes, I would "sell out" but I don't consider it selling out and think that's a ridiculous notion. Countless musicians are "selling out" every day by working for the post office, police department, mcdonalds, or whatever it is they do to keep a roof over their head and food in their stomaches. If I can earn craploads of money doing what I love I'm not going to complain and consider it "selling out" because I'm not doing it exactly as I picture it. I can still do whatever I want and produce whatever art I choose to aside from what's earning me the big bucks and fame. I'd have a lot more chance of getting that underground stuff heard also if I sold out as most people define it, than if I sold out and became a plumber. That's selling out.
but wanted to put in my $.02.Yes, I would "sell out" but I don't consider it selling out and think that's a ridiculous notion. Countless musicians are "selling out" every day by working for the post office, police department, mcdonalds, or whatever it is they do to keep a roof over their head and food in their stomaches. If I can earn craploads of money doing what I love I'm not going to complain and consider it "selling out" because I'm not doing it exactly as I picture it. I can still do whatever I want and produce whatever art I choose to aside from what's earning me the big bucks and fame. I'd have a lot more chance of getting that underground stuff heard also if I sold out as most people define it, than if I sold out and became a plumber. That's selling out.
Passinwind
I know nothing.
- Dec 3, 2003
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- Designer/Toaster Tech @ Passinwind Electronics
Absolutely. I've yet to hear a type of music that I would not want to play, but even if I did I'd still probably play it just so I could keep playing bass. I love it too much, and this kind of stupid notion of "selling out" is not going to change that anytime soon.
I may be wrong here, but it seems to me that if you really would let something like that deter you from playing, your standards are too high. If you love MUSIC in general, I figure you want to do whatever it takes to be involved in it; obviously that includes doing things that someone random fan would believe makes you seem "less of an artist" or something.
I may be wrong here, but it seems to me that if you really would let something like that deter you from playing, your standards are too high. If you love MUSIC in general, I figure you want to do whatever it takes to be involved in it; obviously that includes doing things that someone random fan would believe makes you seem "less of an artist" or something.
In an instant.
+1.
And who am I to turn down such an offer?
As long as I stay down to Earth and mostly sane, I'm good.
+1.
And who am I to turn down such an offer?
As long as I stay down to Earth and mostly sane, I'm good.
If you love music, why should that matter in the first place? If you're in a situation in life where you can make the music you know you would always love to make, why should the opinions of others affect what you do?
+1 to everyone who has been dismissing the notion of "selling out" being a problem. Being able to support yourself musically is the ultimate goal. One of my drummers is on tour with a girl who is huge on Nickelodeon. My violinist plays with one of the teen mall pop singers from the late 80s. I would never consider them sellouts at all. Given the opportunity, I'd jump on those tours in a heartbeat.
if i did, i'd develop a drug habit...
there's a story...
A business man walks on a beach and sees a man sitting and fishing. He goes to him and asks him what he's doing and the man says he's just fishing. The business man than asks him if he sells his fish and the man asks why would he. The business man tells him he could buy another fishing rod and catch more fish. The man asks why would he do that. The business man says he could sell more fish and buy a boat; catch even more fish and buy a ship; catch even more and buy a fleet of ships and employ many people to work for him and so on.... The man asks why would he do that and the business man tells him that he would then be able to simply enjoy his life by doing what he likes doing...
and the man says: "what do you think i'm doing now?"
there's a story...
A business man walks on a beach and sees a man sitting and fishing. He goes to him and asks him what he's doing and the man says he's just fishing. The business man than asks him if he sells his fish and the man asks why would he. The business man tells him he could buy another fishing rod and catch more fish. The man asks why would he do that. The business man says he could sell more fish and buy a boat; catch even more fish and buy a ship; catch even more and buy a fleet of ships and employ many people to work for him and so on.... The man asks why would he do that and the business man tells him that he would then be able to simply enjoy his life by doing what he likes doing...
and the man says: "what do you think i'm doing now?"
I figured that would draw someone out. I'd submit that the music in the little holes is just made out of a different kind of plastic.
It's not really the ultimate goal for all of us. I'm not interested in trying to play music for a living - I can make a better living doing other things. I'm happy playing for 100 people in a bar and never playing farther than 20 miles from home.
But I'd rather be playing Lady Gaga and Shakira covers for 100 people in a bar than playing artistic originals for 100 people in a bar, any day. Ideally I'd like to play Kevin Fowler and Miranda Lambert covers, but can't really find bandmates willing to do those (other than "Crazy Ex-Girlfriend"). And then I'd like to have another band that does a lot of Nigerian R&B. I'm into too much music that's very popular but on the wrong continents, haha.
So to me the notion of selling out is basically irrelevant. Sure I'd go for it if the money was really good, but that ain't gonna happen, so I'll just keep playing "sellout music" anyway. I don't see any positive aspects to playing niche market music.
That's definitely a possibility, but since we're bass players, nobody in the crowd really cares about us.
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