Of course, yes!
Mass music is admittedly very profitable especially for artists who gain great visibility.
I believe, however, that the answer to this question, when we consider other musical niches that are not so popular, may be less obvious, which raises this subject to the top of the list of concerns of those who want to make music their livelihood.
A brief observation of the market can be very interesting and an excellent starting point for understanding this issue.
The music market is much bigger than we imagine.
The industry linked to music, for example, is very large, diverse and generates an enormity of resources all over the world.
Musical instruments, accessories, audio equipment, cables, amplifiers, of all sizes, qualities, prices, etc., are multiplied in specifications, applications, for all audiences. No wonder that giants in the sector like Roland, Yamaha, Fender, Gibson, just to illustrate, have spread all over the world and certainly make billionaire profits.
There are also stores that sell all of this products, both physical and virtual. They are also giants that earn billions.
The area of entertainment is not so small as well. Cinema, theater, shows in all kinds of venues, are also spread all over the world and generate a huge volume of resources for artists, producers and support professionals.
Communication vehicles such as TV, radio and digital platforms, everything uses music.
There is also the commercial and private events market that use live or recorded music.
It seems that the participation of music in the world borders on infinity.
It is impossible to imagine that such a productive and diversified market does not offer consistent options for musicians to participate in their profits.
Why then does the musicians life end up being so complicated financially for a large portion, if not for most professionals?
Maybe the answer is in the way the musician understands the reality.
As an artist, professional musician and teacher I for more than 40 years, I have always tried to understand this phenomenon and unfortunately I came to the conclusion that the main responsibility for the difficulties encountered lies with the musician himself.
For many of us, music is sacred or divine. It seems to be a kind of religion and so we don't like to relate it to money.
That's where the problem lives.
For us, recognition is very important, especially when it comes from our colleagues and teachers.
The focus is all on excellence and when we achieve it, we think the mission is fulfilled. If invitations to work do not happen, we believe that it is because we are not understood by "normal humans". When this happens, that is, almost always, we use the emergency solution, that is, "giving lessons".
Didactics is indeed a good professional option, especially nowadays with the Internet. I suspect, however, that this is not the goal of the majority and may bring frustration to some.
The difficult truth to accept is that we need, like other "normal human beings", to sell ourselves competently. It is necessary to face naturally the fact that our art/service is a product to be sold. Only then will we have some chance to survive decently.
It's time to realise that our music is of vital importance for society. Everything uses music and we have to take our portuon of these profits.
You now ask me:
And how do we do that?
The answer comes in the other text where I will give some suggestions based on personal experience and the cases I have been able to observe.
See you soon.