Sometimes it seems that the music documentaries on BBC Radio 2 are kind of patched together bits of old interviews about old pop stars. Sometimes that can be quite interesting and I have heard a few that I enjoyed such as the story of Lionel Bart's life and some of the Glen Campbell multi-parter.
But here is one that is quite unusual.
Talkin' 'Bout My Remuneration discusses the economics of being a musician working in the genres of popular music. It might serve as an eye opener for those who believe that there is any sort of money to be made in this field because, well, there basically isn't. There is for the very few. If you can find your way in life to being involved in one of these nostalgia bands (Police, Stones) that tours the world on the strength of the memories of the teens of forty years ago and who are now rather aged and somehow silly enough to cough up $200 a pop to see that band live playing that lovely tune from their golden youth, well, there is of course big money in that.
Frankly I think the concept of making it as a working musician is a pretty amazing distortion of human reality. Yet another strange feature of mass, centralized, post industrial culture. After all for all the history of mankind up until the last couple hundred years or so music was made by the people. By Farmer Joe who also played the fiddle at the Saturday night hoedown. Then there was the golden period of vaudeville where many entertainers were employed touring the country going theater to theater doing the same shining 15 minute act. Now most entertainment comes via the mass media, the locals have found their gigs outsourced to centrality via recording technology.
But in a way, if one wants to make music one is still mostly a folk artist. I'm not talking about "Folk Music" as a genre, but people who make all types of music, electronica, whatever, and support themselves by other means. This is folk art.This is what humans have always done and still do even with all the noise from above.
Anyway, Talkin' 'Bout My Remuneration is a fascinating hour that I would think would be of interest to musicians, and those who enjoy them and find them and their business interesting. The program will be available to listen to via RealAudio player through May 28, 2007.
