A bands ‘fight or flight’ response is to ‘create or captivate’. And this only seems to happen within a reciprocal relationship. That inner drone that disposes us to music also says that without people to share it with, it begins to feel like an insular endeavour. It becomes an undertaking that is too much about ‘me me me’, which feels non-adaptive and vestigial. So, as a band, in the process of supporting our first LP, we are on the first date. We see you standing there, and it makes our palms sweaty, breath rate fast and shallow and heart rate rise. Now, we can date promiscuously, or we can put up our dukes with those who are also looking for answers, companionship, or a way out…
According to Goding (2003), the key to understanding how music or works of art gains awareness in today’s culture is by realizing one thing – you will only be sought out by the innovators and early adopters. These people are not average, nor are they interested in actively seeking things designed for the masses. Early adopters and innovators are not looking for inspiration within ‘average consumer products’. So even though early adopters and innovators represent a fraction of the population, they are everything and the apple of our eye, because we rarely hold court for strangers that we think are average, do we? We want those who want us as well.
As Godin loves to point out, the largest audience you think you have access to, is the very one that will be the best at ignoring you. It’s the classic Hollywood motion picture theme of unrequited love – spending all your time and emotions trying to get noticed by someone who barely notices your alive, while the one who really wants you is getting sloppy attention seconds. It is important for us to get real comfortable with that idea, because it implies that to plan the introduction of our music to everyone, is to actually introduce it to no one. If we spend all our time and money trying to reach the masses, chances are that we run out or resources, momentum and motivation before we can find those we can hold a litter closer…
ok…those of you looking for it…your going to get all of our attention….if we are not what you need, we can’t help it at all…
(previous post in this series: swivel)
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