So there is an article circulating around the web about the intelligence of drummers. The story goes that some studies have verified or claim or whatever that drummers are, in fact, more intelligent than their bandmates. Due to the rhythmic nature of their music, drummers not only require body coordination but their brains are wired differently in order to keep the rhythm with, get this, the earth. I wish I could blame all of my missed beats on being at one with the rhythm instead of simply being off time.
As you may know (or guessed from my profile picture), I am a drummer. Even though I’m currently teaching in China I still consider myself to be a drummer and a musician. To be honest, the article is a little late for me. I couldn’t care less about the argument about who’s smarter than who nor do I particularly care for comments or “jokes” about a drummer’s intelligence. I’ve heard them all and I’m tired of them. I’ve noticed that the most successful bands and musicians don’t go around insulting each other’s intelligence, that’s a sure way to break up a relationship. Moreover, I care little for the stereotypes and more about what a person can do, especially musically.
I remember having one discussion with a fellow student/musician in Montreal and I mentioned that I disliked when people said they were musicians but had never recorded. To me it seems odd that someone would say that they are a musician but they don’t have any record of their playing, especially nowadays when recording technology is so cheap. Luckily technology has enabled everyone to be able to record and share to the world so even if you don’t record yourself someone else may do it for you. With that, of course, is the rise of the hobby musician, someone who plays music simply for the joy of it. But that leads me to another couple of next articles I read…
The first one is about drum circles. The author of the article discusses why he doesn’t like drum circles and prefers to not only stay away from them, but is also wary of accepting many offers to join other music groups. I don’t think I’ve ever actually joined in a drum circle but I don’t think I’m missing much. Although I’ll admit the picture in the article doesn’t give a very good first impression, like the author I believed that drum circles would be communities of drum and percussive enthusiasts who are interested in pushing the boundaries of sound. Instead, most of them are drugged up parties that hardly convey any musical meaning, if any. There has been one drum circle that I liked and that was in Montreal, known as the Tam Tams, but even that has a sketchy history. I suppose drum circles are good for parties but nothing more. I’m not saying good ideas can’t come from them but I would be wary of accepting any invite to a drum circle.
The next article is also about music, but more about the business side of things than the musical. Posted on Bloomberg (http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-03-13/how-a-star-trumpeter-makes-money-even-when-jazz-can-t – (Bloomberg normally breaks links after a few weeks)), it concerns a trumpeter in the US who has made a financially successful go of playing music while the rest of the industry is facing hard times. He’s been on both sides of the coin, having been signed by record labels and other major artists, but has more recently been doing the business side of things on his own by way of his own label. I see these things pop up every now and then, that an artist has made their own label. But a lot of them still have ties with larger labels simply because it’s expensive to produce music. At least, it’s expensive to produce music the “old way”: recording an album in a multi-million dollar studio and then touring with all the flash and gadgets of a big show.
But as is becoming clearer day by day, just about anybody can make an album on the cheap. You can argue all you want about quality control and the purity of sound, but the fact remains that it’s cheaper than ever to make and produce music. And that’s the reason why artists’ fees have gone down and, moreover, that people aren’t willing to pay as much for their music. Yes, the internet helped kill the music star’s salary, but it has helped the spread of music much more than before. This trumpeter, however, made a business out of his music and, I note, that he didn’t just stick to one style of music, he branched out and tried several styles with different groups.
Overall, yes, music is cheaper and easier to produce and consume than ever before but that has come at a cost. Everyone can make it and so now it takes longer not only to find something worth listening to but also fighting with a larger crowd for attention as a musician. But now, more than ever, learning the business side is as important as learning how to play.