The art of music isn’t a food chain
Schools are now on summer break, which reminds me that this is my third year doing music full-time and Natalie’s fourth year of being a freelance writer.
This year includes a major success for Natalie and I. In May, Natalie and I were approved for a loan on a house mortgage. (Thank you, Dan Gilbert.)
In a way, this felt like having a hit song on the radio or a book on the New York Times list. (I’ll ignore the obvious difference of being in debt till we are grandparents.)
After two months of stressful offers, counteroffers, appraisal debacles, further negotiations, and dog walks with Lois, we’ve finally did it. We bought a house!
It was the first house we saw during our house hunting.
We saw dozens and dozens of houses in the Ann Arbor area, but Natalie and I knew when we walked into the Cape Cod fixer-upper, this could be our house for decades.
We didn’t know that negotiating on a foreclosure would be worse than a root canal, but we’ve survived it.
Here’s a photo from what soon will be Natalie’s office:
As a musician who wears a lot of hats to make a living, I often forget to stay optimistic and positive. I lose sight of the forest for the trees.
This morning, pessimism crept through the cracks of my attitude, as I read some blogs about the music business, and felt down. I couldn’t put my finger on why. We aren’t all built to become stars, but why must music be portrayed as a fool’s errand?
So I went on an hour long walk with Lois. Returned home, brewed some coffee, sat down to write this blog to clear my head. I realized something.
Not one person actually knows anything about the music business. It’s all bullshit.
Like politics, it’s easier to talk about music than it is to write or perform it.
Sure, some folks know how to analyze what has already happened, but the machinery of the music business runs on its own food sources, and no one has figured them out. Some of us just hop on the machine and see if it will carry us.
Here’s one thing I do know: the art of music is powerful. Being moved by a song changes our lives. Learning to play music is a beautiful craft.
The art of music isn’t a food chain.
And when I get my head out of the clouds, see what’s really important in life, I find I’m happier.
* * *
So I’m incredibly happy to move out of our rental. Trying to live, create, and work in a small habitat has been a challenge for my songwriting. Having a basement to create a studio is going to do wonders.
Natalie pointed out that half of the first floor is about the size of our entire rental:
We will also have a garage, where we can put Lois when she’s being annoying jumping over couches when guests visit. So friends and family, it will be safe to visit us again.
PS: I’ve probably talked about this too soon, since closing is later in the summer; but Natalie said, “Since I’ve already ordered backsplash tile, you should allow yourself to write a blog.”
Comments are closed.