[linux-audio-user] Linux-Music and making a living...

Russell Hanaghan hanaghan at starband.net
Thu Sep 8 18:54:27 EDT 2005


R Parker wrote:

>--- Russell Hanaghan <hanaghan at starband.net> wrote:
>
>  
>
>>tim hall wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>On Thursday 08 September 2005 07:08, R Parker
>>>      
>>>
>>wrote:
>>    
>>
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>>>>Furthermore, artists must eat,
>>>>>     
>>>>>
>>>>>          
>>>>>
>>>>Nonesense, our musts only include sex and drugs.
>>>>   
>>>>
>>>>        
>>>>
>>>AND Rock'n'Roll, if you _don't_ mind!
>>> 
>>>
>>>      
>>>
>>Gawd....didnt this topic go to hell in a handbasket
>>quickly!  
>>Hmmm...come to think of it, much like many one hit
>>wonder rock bands!
>>
>>"muddying the waters" comes to mind??   Oh well,
>>having had my share of 
>>all of the above and being reduced to nothing more
>>than a weekend 
>>warrior at best anymore, what do I know or care...I
>>just worked 36 hrs 
>>straight on my day / night gig for "the man"...but I
>>can buy lots more 
>>gitfiddles, amps and linux boxes!!! and pay the
>>mortgage, and utilites 
>>and car payments and insurance and kids clothes and
>>food and water n 
>>taxes and......crap!!!   Where's the bloody drugs n
>>groopies!!!!
>>    
>>
>
>Apparently you travel the path of righteousness. That
>is righteous based on my chosen interpretation of the
>standards expressed in this statement--"I have yet to
>meet a musician worth listening to who's in it for the
>money."
>
>If we ever meet I can assume your music is worthy of a
>listen. You on the other hand will not be able to make
>any such assumptions about my music because I have yet
>to declare my motivations for being a song writer.
>
>Do you ever ponder how your music and life might
>change if you were fortunate or as it were unfortunate
>enough to become a heretic?
>
>I don't know about anyone else but it's concievable,
>according to my twisted interpretation, that I once
>again am enroute to hell and possibly with a fist full
>of songs that aren't worthy of a listen. I'd take up
>the fiddle and hope to jam with Charlie Daniels and
>the Devil but they probably wouldn't have me. I'm to
>beligerent/independent to sell my soul for any cause.
>
>I wonder where it ends. Will I jam with Willie Nelson,
>Johnny Cash, Russell Hanaghan, Tom Hall, will I eat or
>be hungry, will I be ostrasized, lonely and extra warm
>for infinity.
>
>Having excersized my right of freedom, by not
>declaring my motivations, I encourage anyone to eye me
>for the stake. I'm ready to face that consequence. And
>I promise not to back out at the last minute.
>
>I imagine that the stated standard I'm twisting to H,
>E, Double Tooth Picks and back might endorse making a
>living from worthy art. No doubt a consequence of
>embracing art before money. Shoot me for being selfish
>and having fun before acknowleding an otherwise
>perfectly tenable perspective. I'm the sorriest SOB
>you know. With my pyscho babble rant running out of
>gas I've got just about enough content to produce the
>lyrics for another song. 
>
>Albeit a bit late, for some, I excersize better
>judgement, cease the OT ranting and dismount the
>soapbox.
>
>ON TOPIC
>I've made my living as a producer and engineer who
>relies upon Ardour and JAMin exclusively for about
>three years. I cut my first album produced with Ardour
>in 2002ish. I agreed to do that album at a cut rate
>with the understanding that it would be produced with
>the unstable beta stage application Ardour.
>
>In 2002 anything but a rate reduction would have been
>abusive. I noticed someone mentioned competing with
>ProTools by cutting rates. Our business circumstances
>are all different but I haven't offered a cut rate
>because of Ardour since that first job and never will
>again. There's plenty of variables in that
>statement--my clients rely on me and couldn't care
>less than they do about the application. So I'm only
>addressing reliability. I admit that during my Linux
>stage I've lost one job because I don't run ProTools.
>Meanwhile, last nite, we scheduled an album production
>with an artist that purchased and produced his demo
>using a Digi 002. He wants to work in a real studio
>with ProTools. He's now excited about working in a
>real studio with Ardour and JAMin.
>
>I don't do alot of soft synth or sequencing work on
>commercial jobs but definitively can state based on
>personal experience that Linux Audio tools are
>perfectly reliable in my small commercial studio. I
>qualify that claim but only because a switch from any
>given platform to another is always non-trivial. 
>
>I'm gonna have to shutup for about two weeks to make
>up for this outbreak,
>
>ron
>
>  
>
>>R~
>>
>>    
>>
Actually, Unless I misread you (and given the sleep still in my eyes 
that's entirely possible) I did not make this statement;

"

I have yet to
meet a musician worth listening to who's in it for the
money."


And for the record, I couldnt disagree with it more! I used to hold 
attitudes such as this and my father, a musican in Australia for some 45 
yrs now, of no particular notoriety or fame, is still slogging the 
dives, bars, clubs, traps playing to beer swilling dumb$hit punters who 
could not care less if he is struck by lightening on stage at the tender 
age of 65, playing solo guitar with a drum machine, some midi, whatever. 
I used to believe that there was an achiveable goal called perfection. I 
used to argue with him that if it wasnt "note perfect" that it should 
not be played "incorrectly". THis of course on covers. He used to 
respond "While you and your anal "note perfect" buddies spend all those 
hours behind locked doors, I get to go and play, have some fun and earn 
some cash...I'm out there doing it!!"

As my teeth get longer I found compromise in not only these line items 
but many others in life that did not cause me to go into artistic 
idealistic convulsions. I do NOT and NEVER will subscribe to mediocraty 
in ANY shape or form but rather,  that the individual playing, 
performing, singing has done their level best to do their best...(I find 
I have to mentor my 5 yr old son in this way) not how it stacks up in 
the mainstream! That task, thankfully for me, belongs to producers, 
talent scouts and that dickhead on American Idol!

As for the rest of your "rant", you lost me! :)  I find your mastery of 
the english language far beyond my simple mind in depth and breadth! I 
don't have much to say in terms of your perspective. I found it very 
interesting though! 

But I do want to say this:   Me Righteous???   Now THAT's funny!!! 
(meant totally without malice) My statement "muddying the waters" was 
actually more a chilidish jab at Tim for the same statement he made 
toward me for some twisted diatribe I used in a previous thread 
regarding "software devs, what makes 'em tic"  If only you knew!!!  My 
past has more skeletons in it's closet than a medical teaching lab!  I 
strive to try and be a good father and husband...and even fail miserably 
at that most times!  But for the grace of my God, go I and fortunatley, 
he has an excellent sense of humor when it comes to me it seems!

I certainly did not intend to come off being righteous or anything 
remotley like it. I seem to lack social skills at the best of times on 
this list in the best case, would prolly be better served keeping my 
damn mouth shut...but the luxurious thing about Western civilised 
culture is that the "send" button is not behind barbed wire. And I, like 
most, like to comment even if it comes out less than socially 
acceptable, politically correct, in tone, tune, sync, on topic, etc. 
(you get the idea I'm sure). Mostly because I, like other "artists" 
often like the sound of my own voice even if born by stupid ego! What I 
need is a good "bullshit" checker before I hit the "send" button! :)

To the end of anyone taking opportunity to forge a living from this art 
or any other, If I have one issue with this it is nothing more than 
jeleousy! It is something that I (A)  Tried, (B) failed at and (C) at 
least know I gave it a good swing!  My head was far more tuned to Good 
Aussie beer, and specific parts of the female anatomy to be focused 
clearly on good art! 

And as to my ability, I'll make that clear now...I'm nothing more than a 
picker that was blessed with a keen abilty to fake it, and some motor 
skills and less than harnessed musical discipline and a large enough set 
of balls to go out there and put my heart on my sleeve as it were. I 
guess 30 yrs of doinf that helps too?  I got to the great USA and there 
are kids walking the street that can run rings around my musical 
abilities let alone dedicated musicians that have actually sacrificed 
for the sake of their art. I'm barely a spec of fly$hit in terms of what 
I contribute musically to the common pool! But I have taken the Linux 
audio world to heart...I play gigs still and I get this Linux Audio 
stuff in front of a LOT of ppl. Oddly enuf (I work for a lrage network) 
there are a LOT of musicians in Telecom. Running a PC for fx and such is 
a cumbersome pain! But I keep it there for a reason! And it keeps my 
hand in the game at least at some level. I can ask for no more than that 
at this time in my life. I have at least begun to write some simple 
accoustic based instrumental stuff that is rougher than shit but yet 
recorded soley on Linux and that everyone I have had the balls to play 
it to seems to genuinely like.

Wow...I talk TOO much! lol!  

If nothing else, I respect the crap out of what you appear to have 
achieved Ron. You have stuck with Linux and have assisted in making 
Ardour credible by keeping it out there in commercial view. I hope one 
day, we DO get to jam, we progress past the "my chops is better than 
yours" bit fast and get down to jammin up a storm just cause we can. 
Good, bad or indifferent, I DO love to pick!!!! it is at the core of my 
being...I tried Or she) to change that once to only find out it was 
impossible.

R~

P.S. The "drugs n groopies" reference was not a "stick my finger in 
someones eye" ! it was more like a "Gee, I wish I was on the road again 
flashback!  Sometimes responsibility gets old!" But I recall most of the 
"groopies" were really UGLY~ and "drugs are bad M'kay"!  This is my 
personal experience! YMMV~





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