“How can I help you?” is no longer a thing.
Being a blogger is a lot like being a musician online. There’s lots of companies, like a never ending amount, who claim to help you even though they don’t ask what you want or need.
It’s bizarre behavior to assume everyone wants millions of followers and ad revenue for experimental projects I just do to see if I can do. Not only that, it’s for my friends, not millions.
We’re different.
When we think we are talking to millions of people, we shout over our friends’ heads. But if we are able to focus on our friends, they bring their friends. That’s how I do it. No shouting, no ignoring those closest to me.
Folks who “help” musicians and bloggers are focused on traffic. I’m focused on message. We are not the same.
Responsibility? In music? Absolutely.
Musicians and anyone else doing online stuff right now have a very clear and defined choice. Speak up from the gut, or shake everyone down like a billionaire with a streaming service. I opt guts.
I truly feel it is irresponsible to act as if no one listens to you. Why even make a noise? Someone out there listens, have you tried talking “at” those folks. When I started doing that, it got a lot better for me. It was also more fun.
Back to conversation. It doesn’t happen with crowds.
I like conversations. They’re extremely difficult for me to start up with strangers. I’m probably no good at it. But I’m getting better. I think talking about juicy stuff with strangers from different places is very educational. I was a trucker for 12 years and had a habit of talking to folks if they were willing at truck-stops. They mentioned something often that stumped me. So, I’d look the topic up on iTunes U and take a class on it from Yale. My life for 12 years. There were accents, perspectives, and even mustaches that caught me off guard. All the time. I took pics!
Companies want to be treated like people, but they do not treat people with respect.
An important realization to me is that no company I can think of treats me like an individual. Even if I’m employed by them! Haha. The best I can get is demographic. As a musician and blogger, I hope for the opposite experience for anyone who likes our stuff.
It’s about the individual’s experience.
I often say I sing to one person at a time. It comes from my stage habit of singing to one face at a time instead of yelling to the back. Singing to one person in the crowd helps with volume, getting worn out too quickly, and delivery. Shouting over the crowd to the back wall is a way to wear yourself out not reaching anyone.
Online, I think much the same way. I am talking to a handful of people. If they want to they can show their friends. But I’m not yelling anymore.
I do not count crowds. I cherish talks.
As far as crowd and metrics go, that’s it, all gone. Everything is uninstalled that tells me to write for numbers or traffic. We are not on streams. And I couldn’t tell you even ballpark how many listeners we have. I figure if they want to be known, they’ll shoot me an email. I don’t want to bother them.
I come across artists and techies that speak such fluent “industry” terms that it’s obvious they don’t know who reads them. That’s one way of “shouting to the back wall,” without shouting.
Signups, passwords, forums.. if you can’t tell, that stuff is lame and fatiguing. Personally, I was glad to figure out ways around it. I do not want to stress someone out for forgetting a password. I’m just a music guy.
It’s up to you, what do I know?
Your game is your game. I only bring this stuff up because I see it a lot, even with no social media. Maybe your crowd is different than mine, that’s okay. I talk to someone who’s familiar with the blog and our music every day. That’s my only method of steering the ship, basically. I really enjoy those conversations too. Email. [email protected].
Adversity is a real thing.
At some point it would be helpful to realize that not many folks are rooting for musicians. First, there’s other musicians. Then, there’s even companies out there that claim to be for musicians but simply take advantage of their desire to be heard.
Someone is listening.
I’m telling you, odds are you’re heard. It may not feel like it. But that’s by design. It makes you buy more stuff to get heard with. It makes you yell at folks you don’t know instead of talking to folks who already like you. Unfortunately this is nothing new in the music industry. Been around since electricity, at least.
Return to home.
Song for a Saturday.
Keri and I wrote this about grief. We spent a lot of time in sadness for the right words. Was amazing. Enjoy.
Like a River, by the Kintners.
Have a good day!