Narratives are very powerful. They give meaning to our actions, they lead us. A very powerful narrative is the Christmas narrative. It has all aspects of a great film: a couple are looking for shelter, they are migrants. She is pregnant, but not from him. Where ever they knock on the door, they are turned away, until one guy offers them to join his animals in their shed. The child is born in that shed at night, a big star […]
Since the murder of George Floyd, no one can deny systemic racism in society anymore. But the music business is different, I still hear some white people say. They believe that in the music business it’s-all-about-music, no matter what skin-color you have. Still, various initiatives show that in the music business we have to fight systemic racism as well. What is systemic racism? Racism is dividing society for centuries. We white folks made a division between white and not-white. We […]
None of us was prepared for something like Covid-19. The essence of the live music business is to bring people together to enjoy music. Now we can’t bring people together anymore, the heart of the business is hit. First out, last in. No wonder that I see people around me becoming very impatient. We all want to be able to enjoy live shows again, hug each other, sing along with the band. Impatience is a huge force, a huge power. […]
This trilogy is about the live music business and corona. In part I you can read about 6 reasons why people in the live music business have been hit extra hard by all corona measurements. Part II was about how to get through the crisis. Part III will be about how to prepare for after-lock-down. Here again I make a difference between business in general, your own finances, and your mental condition. Business will be different than we are used […]
In my previous post I mentioned 6 reasons why people in the live music business have been hit extra hard by all corona measurements. Now I tell how to get through this crisis. The next post will be about how to prepare for after the crisis. The 6 reasons can be categorized in three categories: business, finances and mental condition. BusinessWith first in last out and by no alternative (see previous post), all concerts have been cancelled and there is […]
The live music business was the first business that was hit by the measurements to control the corona pandemic. The immediate stop of all live shows is a global situation we have to deal with. It has of course a huge financial impact too. Next to the global situation and the financial impact, there is also a mental impact with anxiety. This is extra strong for people in the live music business, as you can read below. first in, last […]
Recently I (HS) got in touch again with Camilla Phelps (CP). I know her from ages ago, when she still worked as journalist in the music business. She turned her back to the music business and works now as freelance garden writer/journalist and gardener. Next to her regular work, she works as volunteer for Mind Food. The idea behind it uses the five principles of wellbeing: ‘Connect, Take Notice, Learn, Given and Be Active’ to promote good mental health. People […]
The most exciting part of being an artist, is to create. It starts to get really good, when you get in a flow once you start creating. The act of creating always results in something new, something that wasn’t there before. You might have an idea upfront where you want to go, though in the end you are often surprise yourself with the result. For everything new you create, you break the borders of what is known so far. This […]
It’s spring, so I’m writing about eggs 😉 Just kidding. The egg is a great symbol. The shell is strong and vulnerable at the same time, just as we are. Music is liberating, music helps you to face difficult situations. Though if you work with live music, if live music becomes your work, the situation turns around. Look at the egg. As long as there are no cracks in the egg shell, you can put a huge amount of pressure […]
Have you ever been ashamed? Ashamed that you are not famous yet? Ashamed for being famous, but not enjoying it as much as you thought you would be? Ashamed that you didn’t reach your 5-year goals? Ashamed for not being as cool as the all think you are? Ashamed for who you are, not worth to belong to the great people around you? Shame makes you feel lonely, because it affects you as a person. If you feel guilty, it […]