by Cari Cole
1. Adele
If you’re like me, you’ve been listening on loop to Adele’s new record, 25 over the past 6 days. I’m so grateful that such a gifted and vulnerable artist such as herself managed to break through the industry maze to us. May she inspire many others to come forward with their truths and transparency and stop trying to please the industry. I dare you!
2. Independent Music
I’m grateful for independent artists who have the courage and determination to slog through the onslaught of potential poverty and failure to follow their vision. Without this independent spirit, dreams die in infancy. I plan on being a force in independent music as long as I am breathing. May no artist go undiscovered.
3. CCVM Artist Community: Music is a Community Not a Competition
I am incredibly grateful for the incredible artists in our CCVM Artist Community. And I am so very proud of the generous professional natures and the “artists helping artists” attitude that has sprung forth. It brings a tear to my eye to see it manifesting before me ;). Why should music be a competition, when it can be a community. There are over 7 billion people on the planet, there’s enough room for every artist to find their tribe. This has been a lifetime goal of mine to bring this kind of professional camaraderie to the music industry and it brings tears to my eyes to see it manifesting ;).
4. Artist Friendly Companies
I am so grateful for our many industry collaborative partners and fellow comrades-in-arms whose similar mission makes a difference in the lives of artists without ripping them off. I praise you, I bless you, I am honored to be in your company. Keep on keeping on, it matters big time. If enough of us rise, we’ll reach a critical mass and the industry will stop controlling artists but inspire them to reach higher and raise the bar on recorded music, not continue to lower it.
5. Female Music Industry Professionals Rising (music producers, engineers, mentors etc.)
I am grateful for my music industry sisters who are on the rise! The music industry has long been ruled by men, and not that that’s a bad thing, it’s just us girls need more estrogen in the room. Primarily because it’s easier to honor our voices amongst each other, it helps us grow stronger. Hard to believe, but we are still second class citizens in the free world (I do NOT subscribe to this, but we still make less per hour than men and our opinions are considered less valid than a man’s…#timeforchange).I am also incredibly grateful for our new team of songwriters at Thirst For Life Publishing and the building out of our new publishing company ;). This too has been a dream for a long while and I can’t wait to share the catalog and artists with you in 2016!!
5 Music Industry Things I’d Rather Leave on the Table
1. Big Label Mentality
Well, one of the things I am glad to leave on the table is the big label mentality that says it’s okay to bully artists, get them to do their bidding, rip them off by taking all of their publishing and licensing and owning their masters forever and worse, controlling their artistic content by telling them what to write (as if they know what the public wants from their corporate view) and what a hit is, and how much they should weigh (on the scale… pathetic). Clearly Adele defies everything on the list. Keep scratching your heads guys.
2. Ripping Off Artists
Greed is ugly. Greed is so, well, yessssssterday. One thing that Millennials have brought to the table is their rights and a healthy sense of entitlement. While there are those out there that will always help themselves to more than they should, it’s tougher to fool an artist today. Hopefully the heartbreaking stories from the past (Sly, blues singers… ) will continue to fade as artists learn the business and walk with more worth in the world, less vulnerable to the vultures of the music biz.
3. Bullying and Sexual Harassment of Female Artists
This is a big one. Long overdue. As artists like Ke$ha (and Lady Gaga and way too many others…) fearlessly brave the waters and come out about the incessant and insidious bullying and sexual harassment of female artists (and the rise of female producers and engineers), I have great hopes to put this tragically hurtful and outrageous behavior to bed (no pun intended). A safe one.
4. The Popifying of Genres
Notice that some of our genres – like real R&B and real country, are disappearing into Pop? Pressured by commerce, are artists like Taylor Swift, Beyonce and others — and the big labels — pushing for the pop market and impacting diversity in music? This is not where I (or the public) wants to see music going. I vote to leave this one on the table.
5. The End of DIY
DIY was a great transitional bridge to bring independents into the marketplace. But, it is a misnomer that has misguided many artists out there and kept them from evolving. The truth is, no one does it themselves, you do it together. Being an independent means you build a team and work with others to grow your career. Glad to see this era ending, it’s held a lot of great artists back.
Here’s to a powerful year in independent music in 2016! HELL YES!
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