Boomer Music - per Michael's 6/1 message

[jeffchurchwell]

Hey kids!I'll start. Did everyone see and read through Michael Laskow's perfectly-timed message in the 6/1 listings about the dearth of "Boomer Music" and who is responsible, and whether anything can be done about it? I say perfectly-timed, because it has been on my mind for the past couple of weeks related to TAXI specifically, and the last 5 years in my life in general.You haven't read it? Then go read it here: http://www.taxi.com/industry.php (scroll to the end of the listings). Go ahead. I'll wait.All right. I'm a Boomer, I write Boomer music, I love Boomer artists, I want to be one. Don't get me wrong, I also want to advance and grow and be MORE than what I am currently, but I do have this pent-up backlog of material that I believe would appeal (and does, when I play live) to folks just like me. We are a HUGE demographic, we have a tremendous amount of disposable income, quite a bit of leisure time, and LOVE good music. So, as Michael asks, why don't we see a market for it? Am I delusional when I think I should be able to succeed with what I've got? Again, I know I will be even better placed to succeed with forward-looking material. I guess the real question is: are the Boomers really interested in what is assumed will appeal to us, or do we all subconsciously want to show how "young" we still are by trying to tap into a generations' music that was not intended for us?I at least feel I know who I am, but I also am coming to realize what sells. The dichotomy is that I seem to need to "sell out" (THERE'S the phrase no Boomer ever wants to see applied to himself or herself) to be successful, but I still want to be true to my school.Is there a market for us? Or has that ship sailed?Thoughts?Jeff

[bc]

Michael's letter is accurate and timely. Boomer do buy cds at Wal-mart and Target, but not in enough numbers (YET) to create critical marketing mass momentum. But it's coming. Understand this; boomers don't neccesarily dislike the current state of pop music, it's just that we appreciate the more anthemic songs that paint sonic pictures of our generation's issues. Rock and roll didn't die -- it went to Nashville. Witness the back beat snare and fat kick that drives "drive time" these days. Michael's right, who lights up a bowl, pours a glass of wine and listens to a whole cd these days? Except maybe...a boomer There is a 78 million person market. Don't give up the ship.bc

[Casey H]

I am a boomer and my music reflects it which hinders its marketability in today's world. Some thoughts....Is it possible that with iPods and .99 a song that boomers will start collecting their old classic favorites that way? I just got an iPod and I am having a blast filling it up with songs from my younger years.As much as boomers love their old music, they may all just be too busy with work, their homes, and raising their kids. Priorities change as we grow older.I wonder if the right entrepreneur with the money, time, and energy could really get an indie label going with boomer music. I assume there would be a lot of "rights" issues.... And would the CDs sell? Dunno... Maybe if they put pictures of scantily clad women on the CD covers???More laterGot to go Casey

[jeffchurchwell]

Hmmmm...Casey and bc, thanks for posting. This may be premature, but after nearly five days and only three posts, I think we might have our answer. Of course, these threads don't move as quickly as some others I've been party to, but I suspect that this thread just doesn't have legs. If that's the case, then the answer is: boomer music really is dying a slow death. And if the only people who can successfully produce and market such music going forward are those who already have done so (to ever-decreasing returns in most cases), then the rest of us had better be prepared to evolve, become a nostalgia act, or fade away. Burning out is not a suitable alternative.Or am I taking this all too seriously? Jeff"Purveyor of fine Codger Rock since 2001"

[edteja]

Jeff,Don't think it is lack of interest. It is lack of a topic.I guess I have to confess I am not sure what the question before the forum really is... I am a boomer (I think). So what? I like West Coast jazz and Piedmont blues, a host of folk and rock and rocking folk and a lot of Swing music too. I read Michael's post and both threads here and I still haven't a clue what Boomer music might really be, except things boomers like, which would mean West Coast jazz and Piedmont Blues. And what are we supposed to do about it? Buy more? Write less? Is the problem that it isn't on the radio? On the radio too much? You ask if boomer music is dying a slow death and have to ask what that means? Do you think the audience is going away, or the means of reaching the audience is going away, or the musicians are going away? The Stones are still playing the same stupid songs they did 40 years ago and filling ever bigger stadiums (stadii?). It seems like if the copyright owners would allow it, every tv commercial would have Beatles tune for background. So I confess my complete ignorance (and labels are always a weird one for me--ever since I read Alan Watts back in high school and he mentioned the danger of labels making us think about things narrowly -- that labels put things in boxes). If you'd like to discuss boomer music, I am game, but first define it (and not say 70s music, cause that is reductive and incorrect) and then specify what you want to discuss about it. I'm game.

[jeffchurchwell]

Quote: If you'd like to discuss boomer music, I am game, but first define it (and not say 70s music, cause that is reductive and incorrect) and then specify what you want to discuss about it. I'm game.Ed,Did you ever have the experience of hearing someone say something that you immediately "got" and realize that the person standing next to you heard the same thing and "got" something else entirely, or worse, "got" nothing at all? That's not a poke at you. It honestly never occured to me when I read Michael's letter that anyone in my age group would have any difficulty defining what I think of (and what I think Micheal thinks of) as "boomer" music. As a result, I assumed (yeah, yeah, I know...) that everyone would "get it" the way I did. I guess the best answer for me to the question "What IS boomer music" is "the music I grew up with." Which does include the Stones and the Beatles, and James Taylor and John Denver, and a bunch of other stuff that occasionally makes me cringe to think I used to listen to it, but I DID listen to it. I view the Stones and McCartney as nostalgia acts these days, even when they release new material. In fact, I tend to think of ALL that music as nostalgic in nature. The problem is, I tend to WRITE that kind of music. In a post on a similar topic ( http://taxi.proboards27.com/index.cgi?b ... 1148693024 ), andreh said to me: Quote:I think you have to choose whether you want to remain true to your own style and find a niche audience for your music, or conform to a certain extent by simplifying your music and shaping it in a more modern mold for the masses.Respectfully,Andre And as I replied in my usual roundabout way, I wanna do BOTH. But I can't do the former if the audience doesn't exist, and I think THAT is the gist of this discussion. Does a (sufficiently large) audience exist for NEW purveyors of what I think of as classic styles and sounds? And if so, are we likely to reach that audience via TAXI postings? I'm inclined to think not. Which is OK, I can do that work on my own.Does that make sense? Thanks,Jeff

[johnnydean1]

Quote:Quote: If you'd like to discuss boomer music, I am game, but first define it (and not say 70s music, cause that is reductive and incorrect) and then specify what you want to discuss about it. I'm game.Ed,Did you ever have the experience of hearing someone say something that you immediately "got" and realize that the person standing next to you heard the same thing and "got" something else entirely, or worse, "got" nothing at all? That's not a poke at you. It honestly never occured to me when I read Michael's letter that anyone in my age group would have any difficulty defining what I think of (and what I think Micheal thinks of) as "boomer" music. As a result, I assumed (yeah, yeah, I know...) that everyone would "get it" the way I did. I guess the best answer for me to the question "What IS boomer music" is "the music I grew up with." Which does include the Stones and the Beatles, and James Taylor and John Denver, and a bunch of other stuff that occasionally makes me cringe to think I used to listen to it, but I DID listen to it. I view the Stones and McCartney as nostalgia acts these days, even when they release new material. In fact, I tend to think of ALL that music as nostalgic in nature. The problem is, I tend to WRITE that kind of music. In a post on a similar topic ( http://taxi.proboards27.com/index.cgi?b ... 1148693024 ), andreh said to me: Quote:I think you have to choose whether you want to remain true to your own style and find a niche audience for your music, or conform to a certain extent by simplifying your music and shaping it in a more modern mold for the masses.Respectfully,Andre And as I replied in my usual roundabout way, I wanna do BOTH. But I can't do the former if the audience doesn't exist, and I think THAT is the gist of this discussion. Does a (sufficiently large) audience exist for NEW purveyors of what I think of as classic styles and sounds? And if so, are we likely to reach that audience via TAXI postings? I'm inclined to think not. Which is OK, I can do that work on my own.Does that make sense? Thanks,JeffYou write great songs and have a great voice but I don't hear a Fire And Rain or an Annie's Song in your material.A market for this type of material?Broad niche at most.

[edteja]

Thanks Jeff. That helps. but....I still don't see how the question of whether there is a market for boomer music, because you write a varient of it, is any different from my concerns about whether there is a market for MY music, not matter what you call it. I have to say that part of my problem in "getting it" is (probably/might be) that I didn't grow up entirely in the States. I first heard Elvis in Berlin (on Armed Forces Radio). And the first music I can remember is Japanese (my first school was there). And then, on the road as a kid, I remember LADY OF SPAIN and DENNIS THE MENACE and big band sounds. Later on came the other stuff. I have trouble (and it can be a problem) segregrating that background into things I would call stuff I grew up with and anything else. I grew up with that stuff as much as Dylan. My first band in High School (in the US) was a swing band. We had two trumpets and standup bass and drums and a sax and loved Fletcher Henderson. But I'd go to coffee houses and play Eric Anderson and Dylan too. So anyway, that's why I can't help you, even though I still love a lot of 60s (but not 70s) music. I mean I ADORED Great Society and Moby Grape and The West Coast Pop Art Exerimental Band. So don't think I didn't experience that stuff at all. If that is Boomer music, I vote for it.

[jeffchurchwell]

Johnny,I don't know if I've written a "Fire and Rain" or "Annie's Song," yet (for better or worse). And I think it's probably better if I don't. What I really want to write is "In Your Eyes" or anything by Neil Finn. But even THAT is a niche. And dated.Ed,You make excellent points, and point up my error in assuming we all had the same experiences in the time frame we're trying to talk about. Obviously, we didn't. As to whether there's a market for ANY of the stuff we grew up with and love, I guess that's a question that we can only answer by ourselves, if we're willing to take the time and make the attempt.Thanks guys.Jeff

[edteja]

I agree with that Jeff. And always remember that your music should be taking the music you grew up with and loved in new directions. I just wrote a piece that was intended to be a simple orchestral exploration of something or other and wound up with a very Asian influenced (classical Asian) dramatic piece. It came from the music I have been surrounded with for anumber of years (off and on), but is my own, and that made me happy. It certainly is not the blues. It might be even marketable. I will find out.