Thoughts On Selling Out

I met a Jazz afficionado here in Toronto the other day at a party. This guy runs a jazz show on our local jazz station. He really loves the music and it shows. Actually, it's infectious. I had a brief conversation with him.

I really hate small talk. Everyone has something unique and valuable, so why waste a potentially good talk on some random triviality. So through my socially trained head-nodding and "uh huhs", I started talking about painting. I said that I was concerned with selling out.

I commented that working a dayjob and being an artist as a hobbie are forms of selling out. I went on to say that "it seems like with great artists and musicians, there's two types: those who sell out and those who don't." To be honest, I hadn't really thought of it that way, it just came out. So this guy responded: "I'd say that there's actually about four different things that happen to professional musicians."

He went on to explain that some musicians, like one particular flute player he said was the best he'd ever heard-- took a dayjob but still practiced every day, and gigged on the weekends and that was not selling out. He was dedicated to his craft, just chose not to live off of it.

Then there were weekend warrior jazz musicians who treated it like hobbie. Then their were the people with a moderate level of expertize who practiced and played with various groups, and they were decent. Then then there are the musicians that are dedicated. That are hungry.

And that's when he said it:

"I've taken friends jazz club hopping and and they would see brilliant, seasoned jazz musicians. But they hadn't rehearsed. They'd just walk in the night of, on their experience, there for the $100 bucks, and the music wouldnt be tight. And then they'd see the young guys, not as skilled, but hungry. And these young hungry guys rehearsed all the time and that hunger and hard work came through in their music. These jazz fans said "I liked those younger guys more then the better, more seasoned musicians." Was it because the older guys had sold out? Well, no. They'd just stopped practicing and taking it seriously."

Man, it pays not to small talk.

So some thoughts on selling out: There are many ways to remain true to who you are, and produce great art, and there are many ways to prostitute oneself. There are those who get too caught up in the money, those who don't care about the money at all. There are those who have lost the love, and those who hold fast. Remaining true to your art means not losing focus, but being dedicated to making the best art you can.

So I'm not selling out. I'm hungry and dedicated, and hopefully that shows. Visit my website or eBay store to see what was and what's new and what's coming next, and see for yourself!