Young Writers Society

It seems these days, modern music is going "under the knife". It's not as real and grounded like it was, or like it should remain. It seems another endangered species are true, creative musicians and artists. This article was written by a favourite artist of mine - Clare Bowditch. Check her stuff out.

The Road to 'Success'
by Clare Bowditch
Posted: 30 Nov 2010

When I was a teenager, the road to ‘success’ was fairly well paved. You joined a band, rehearsed your guts out, started playing small gigs, recorded a couple of songs onto your four-track, burnt them onto CD, sent them to community radio stations, started playing slightly larger rooms, and then tried to convince your husband’s brother’s friend’s cousins lover who worked for a record company to come down to your show and sign your band. Then Molly played you on Countdown the same week your album was released, people bought your album, and you instantly became a rock star. Forever. All pretty straightforward, right?

Not that ‘we of the late 90s’ did it that way – not at all. The gig and recording parts were fine – I had that ‘down’ from 17. It was the “record company” bit that freaked me out. Record companies were full of bastards, who wanted to change me. Or if they didn’t want to change me, they certainly wouldn’t think I was thin enough. Not that I’d ever spoken to anyone from a record company. At all. I’d rather not think about it, and keep making music. That was my attitude.

(MUST READ -->)On the surface, this rapid change appears to threaten our very existence. In reality, doesn’t it just push us ever closer to the question of whether true creativity still exists. And if so, can we muster up a little? Ever heard the saying ‘Adapt or Die’? Worth keeping in mind, me thinks.

Read the rest: Clare Bowditch's Long Way to the Top - The Wheeler Centre: Books, Writing, Ideas

For more on the Wheeler Centre: Books, Writing, Ideas:
http://wheelercentre.com/

Check out Clare Bowditch and her music:
http://www.clarebowditch.com/

First of all, I want to thank you. I'm always looking for musicians worth listening to. I looked Bowditch up on youtube and she is worth listening to. Secondly, I agree with you. Music is quickly becoming the death of itself. There are still a few out there who are toeing the line but it's a dwindling amount. I'm not completely sure of your musical tastes I'd but I'd like to repay the favor and suggest some bands and artists who I feel are really contributing (or contributed) valuable content. Maybe some of them will be new to you. So here they are:

Modest Mouse
Ugly Cassanova (same lead singer as Modest Mouse)
Regina Spektor
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic zeros
Dispatch
Portishead
John butler Trio
Neutral Milk Hotel
Joni Joan Mitchell
Granddaddy
Incubus
Team Sleep

Ah this is perfect. It breaks my heart to think of what the music industry is morphing into. I want to live 20 years ago so that I dont have to witness the utter desecration of the production of good, authentic music and the disregard for those who are still true to it!

I dont understand this!! Everyone loves music!!!:( well u am kind of psyched that musicans have been a crative spark to this world and that everyone is supportive to them and thanks for the news!

I disagree. I don't think music is dead, or is dying. Yes, many of the musicians are naive, don't know what they are singing about, don't know anything about the history and the cultural aspect of music, can't write their own music, can't sing live and are basically puppets.
But at the same time we should not forget that circulating your music and achieving world-wide fame is incredibly easy if you have talent.
We live in the Warholian-era -- anybody and everybody can be famous today. But it depends on you if you are here for 15 minutes or for eternity.
And heck, it all depends on taste. If the current mainstream music doesn't suit you then find some niche-music that you like to hear.
I would not like to generalize just because the majority of them are talent-less. Wouldn't it be an insult to other artists who genuinely work hard to reach to the top?
Aren't Lady GaGa or Adele talented? Aren't they good singers? Aren't they masters or their work? Don't they deserve to be at the top?
I think they do.

Hi Spike71294,

It's very interesting what you just said. By no means is this article saying music itself is dead or dying, but true musicianship and music with more than just digital supplements is suffering. And I'm not so sure achieving world-wide fame is incredibly easy if you have talent. Many small artists who are finding it hard to break-out are talented, yet world-wide fame hasn't blessed them yet.

And I definitely do agree that GaGa and Adele (one of my favourites) are talented, but remember, GaGa earns a lot of attention through her craziness like fashion and all. But while they may be "masters of their work" and do deserve to be at the top, they only make up a small part of those true artists who achieve world-wide success for true creative music genius. Probably even more Adele than GaGa...

Hmmm...It's hard to completely disagree with this article seeing as an artist (who has been in the industry for nearly 20 years) wrote it. They've seen and experienced the pressure to change.

To everyone --> No, while music is not dying, true musicianship and true creative-genius music may just be an endangered species. Yes, it is still out there, but it doesn't seem to be bursting into the spotlight as much now.

pletta wrote:First of all, I want to thank you. I'm always looking for musicians worth listening to. I looked Bowditch up on youtube and she is worth listening to. Secondly, I agree with you. Music is quickly becoming the death of itself. There are still a few out there who are toeing the line but it's a dwindling amount. I'm not completely sure of your musical tastes I'd but I'd like to repay the favor and suggest some bands and artists who I feel are really contributing (or contributed) valuable content. Maybe some of them will be new to you. So here they are:

Modest Mouse
Ugly Cassanova (same lead singer as Modest Mouse)
Regina Spektor
Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic zeros
Dispatch
Portishead
John butler Trio
Neutral Milk Hotel
Joni Joan Mitchell
Granddaddy
Incubus
Team Sleep

looking at your recommendations, I would love to add:

The Decemberists
Amanda Palmer
The Dresden Dolls
Neko Case
Of Montreal
The New Pornographers (not as dirty as they sound, honest!)

Exactly- where the hell is the next Joy Division? The next Manic Street Preachers? The next Nirvana? What the hell has happened? There are no more balls in artists anymore. When I become a musician, my music is going to be a smack in the face to all of those Blackberry obsessing teens who listen to that Justin Booboo guy.

Good music isn't hard to find. You just have to step off of the beaten track. Try bands like Abney Park, Escape the Clouds, and Voltaire.

Voltaire! When you're evil - one of his best songs.

Having worked in a part of the music industry and spoken/met with many people, this article is spot on. Anyone who thinks music is your parent's music industry or even your childhood's is in denial more than you would like to know.

OR perhaps, you're just fine with it and that's that. Seems to be how people go now and days; if it doesn't affect my life directly, don't give a fudge.

You will care one day. Enjoy your flash in the pan tastes for now though. Creativity is changing and the demand from companies will shift to whatever becomes marketable. Niche's will suffer, but remain niches until there's no market. The mainstream will undergo shifts, but it will never cease unless the industry that is music...disappears.

Chaos and a fascinating decade indeed.

As I listen to the pop music I don't really like anymore, I can't help but notice that few of the modern stars seem to use actual instruments consistently. Many people rely on digitally made sounds, which requires just about no talent, and means that music has lost its 'wow' factor in many places.

I've heard all the modern favorites and all the older favorites, and I have to say that I'd go for the older music any day, by a long shot. A couple of more popular songs I've heard actually made me say out loud: "Can this really be considered music?" Nowadays, it seems that all you need to be practially worshipped as a pop legend is to have a decent singing voice and, most importantly, good looks and/or bad attitude. I find that very, very sad. Plus, I'd say about half of the really popular songs my age group listens to are about drinking, sex or both. Again, that's sad, because music is supposed to reflect the real world and real romance, so this implies that drinking and sex are the best things the world has to offer.

Now, there is still older-style music being made. Don't take this the wrong way, but I think that a good combination af actual instruments and technology would be Justin Bieber (I am NOT a 'belieber'. I hate when people obsess over him like that.) However, even his legacy is tainted (and not necessarily by his own fault) by the fact that people worship him and think that he's some sort of music god. He's a talented musician, yes, but he's not a fallen angel!

Culture changes, of course, but I think that we should also remember - and appreciate - the way things once were. Change and progression isn't always positive - just because it's newer, it isn't better.

THANK you for finally acknowledging one of the biggest cultural issues I find in this age. Sorry for the rant; I tend to do that when I find a subject I feel strongly about. I'm aware that most of this has already been said... but for some reason, I wanted to say it again.

I guess, to sum all of this rant up in two words: I agree.

I'm going to have to agree here too.
I remember when I was younger running home on Fridays to watch the MuchMusic countdown ( with Bill Walychka!) and what a great use of a few hours it was.

Not the case anymore.
It's sad, but I find, a lot of the time that music is indicative of the time in which it was written/produced.

Look at the world around us and the values we hold dear. Is it any wonder songs like " I wanna be a billinaire so freakin' bad" and LMFAO rule the airwaves?

It's all about the dollar now. Pander to the masses so you can cut a platinum record. That's why taylor swift does so well. There are droves of squealing tweeners who love campy songs about Romeo and Juliet.( regardless of the fact that Romeo and Juliet killed themselves in the end. In the same song she makes reference to the Scarlet Letter by Hawthorne. I don't think she's read the book, maybe then she'd realize she's calling herself an adulterer.)

Music doesn't always have to say something or be about something, but let it be meanignful. The kind of song that, when you hear it 5-10, even 30 years down the road, it can still envoke some kind of emotion from you.
I like listening to the music my parents grew up with ( because in a way, it was the music I grew up with) and these are songs that have been around for well over 30 years now. Who doesn't know " Summer of 69" or a song by queen regardless of your age.
I listen to those songs and wonder what from our generation will last? Are we going to be listening to ( freaking) Jason Mraz in 40 years? Will our grandkids make oldies albums of Rhianna and the black eyed peas so they look cultured and elite to their friends?

Gawd, I hope not.


... And to add a few to the growing list of awesome suggestions,you should check out :
-Mumford and Sons
-Mother Mother
-Josh Ritter
-Matthew Good (Band) He has some solo stuff as well.
-Brand New
- Sarah Slean
and The Action Design

Just to name a few. There is good music out there, you just have to look a little harder these days.