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by WWghostDo you spend more time perfecting your scales or choosing what shirt you will wear on stage for the next show? Do you find looking good is higher on your priority list than sounding good? Your answers to these questions will help determine if you're and "Innie" or and "Outie". The following is my opinion and analyzation of style versus substance in the music industry. I encourage you to express your opinion in the comments section below this article. Please click "Read More".
edited by Mitch
Motivations
Every band is made up of unique individuals that determine the direction of a band and it's music. The overall chemistry of the members will determine whether a band is inner-directed or outer-directed (i.e. whether you are driven to play and perform music by something inside, like a belief or a mission, or by the need for something outside, like money or recognition.).
Innies (internally motivated musicians)
Creating music, or any art, can be a spiritual and enlightening experience. Like spirituality, musical creativity begins and ends as an internal experience; from the seed of an intangible idea to the emotional impression of the listener. "Innies", or internally motivated musicians, feel the most important outcome of their music is the communicated "message" and the emotional response of the listener. Artistic substance is more important than popular style or recognition to an "Innie".
Although the messages and emotions created by a piece of music are intangible, the actual music and the musicians are not. Music is the organization of sound vibration; it can be felt by the senses and, perhaps, more importantly, experienced socially (within a group). Musicians are quite visible, of course, (e.g. on stage, in videos, etc...), which can work against them in visually-dependent mediums.
Outies (externally motivated musicians)
In the last thirty years, image has become the most important thing in the music industry; "Video killed the radio star" if you will. If you're not built like a gymnast or have a face like a supermodel, your image is "managed", twisted into something that may have never been intended but is more easily marketed to mass audiences; hair styles are changed, tummys are tucked, photos touched-up. All this is done not to enhance the listening experience of the consumer, but to sell a lifestyle and satisfy the strongest external motivations of all: money and fame.
But these motivations have, unfortunately, created generations of musicians who are more than willing to bend their ideas or sound to satisfy an industry dependent on image. There are literally hundreds, if not thousands, of amateur bands in any given city's metro area grasping for that holy grail (i.e. a major recording contract), willing to do anything to attain the wealth and fame they imagine will somehow fulfill them. It is my opinion that such exterior motivations have created inferior music by corrupting the creative process.
Conclusions
"Innies" (interior-motivated musicians) reach inside to find the source of the music, that feeling that drives the creative process and communicates emotions and messages to the listener. "Outies" (exterior-motivated musicians) search outside of themselves for what the music should be, and what image they should portray to get the biggest reward.
Inner-direction and outer-direction, spiritual stimulus and visual stimulus, creating music versus manufacturing music. Stop looking at your belly button, start realizing the meaning and power behind the music you are creating, or the shallowness of the image you're portraying.
This is only my humble opinion. Please, share yours as well.
wwghost