A little weekend homework… check out this vid by independent artist Natalie Brown and then, I would like for you to think about how many times you may have said or felt like an artist is somehow not valid because they don’t have the backing of a major label behind them.
Now after you have done that I want you to try an exercise: In this exercise you will consider all of your favorite places, to eat, shop, folks you employ to work on your house or car and so on. Now instead of putting the term major record label use terms like national chains, franchises etc.,
Then, what I want you to do is to compare how many local or regional businesses you use as opposed to national franchises like Wal-Mart, McDonald’s, Goodyear et al. Your local and regional businesses are your independent artists and of course your Wal-Marts etc., are your major labels. Which places do you typically find that the food or the service is better or maybe they have something unique or gasp maybe they actually know you. Does the fact that the business does not carry a national name diminish your view of it at all? So why should it be any different for music?
We will be definitely featuring more from Natalie Brown in the future here at GFM. You can keep up with her here:
http://twitter.com/Natalie_Brown
http://www.facebook.com/nataliebrownmusic
http://www.myspace.com/NatalieBrown
Ivan Orr is a multi-instrumentalist, composer, performer, and writer. A native of Charlottesville, Virginia Ivan was involved with the forming and nascent days of The Music Resource Center as its first Program Director. A graduate of Virginia Commonwealth University’s Department of Music, Ivan currently resides in Richmond, VA where he maintains an active performance and production schedule while serving as the Music Editor for Grown Folks Music, a position he has held since 2010.
RELATED POSTS
January 9, 2015
Talib Kweli – “Why I Left The Major Label System”
March 25, 2011
A History Lesson For Chris Brown
April 30, 2015