I have asked my friend Robby Merkin permission to re-post one of his blogs. He is the composer behind Sesame Street music and composed the music for The Little Mermaid and Little Shop of Horrors.

He writes:

A couple of people have described my blogs as "informative and interesting, but depressing." I hope that sentiment is not widely shared.

It is not my intention to bring you down, or send up warning flags, or convince you it's impossible to achieve what you want. My goal is to inform, to tell you things you won't otherwise know until and unless you've experienced them. I do address the downsides, the potential obstacles, and the difficulties of pursuing music professionally, but I also mean to talk about and encourage true spirit, creativity, and ambition.

The music biz sucks. The entertainment biz sucks. But you know what? Ever hear of Enron? BUSINESS sucks. The American economy is founded on the principle of dog-eat-dog, and the biggest dogs make the rules. Fairness has nothing to do with it. The Horatio Alger model of good, hard work being rewarded is rarely followed. And talent? Barely figures in the equation.

Did I just bring you down again? Take a deep breath. Take two of them. Then read on.

If you remember, when I started the series on making it I said pursuing money and fame probably won't get you there; pursuing music might. Do you have a dream? One that comes to you night after night, that you simply can't shake, that you talk about so much your non-music friends are sick of hearing it? Is writing or playing or singing so vital to you that you can't imagine a life without it? Do you consider music a core ingredient of your being?

Then do it, goddam it! But do it prepared.

What distinguishes the music biz, or any field that exchanges creativity for money, from the general world of business is the unique and very personal investment made by the creator. Your melodies and your words are YOU - your self, your vulnerable children, your inner child, your private view of life. Rejection of that really hurts. If you're certain that you've got something the world will want to hear, but you get slapped down again and again, the hurt magnifies. At times it can be unbearable.

There's no question that it takes a particular combination of character traits to thrive despite this. Even the most secure individual is likely to have moments of self-doubt. The most powerful tool you have is faith, as blind as religion, that your love of music will sustain you no matter what.

Have fun with everything. Take an interest in every aspect of music making. Embrace the technology, the craft, the instinct, and the tools. If you travel for gigs, get into it - look out the window, discover what's out there, focus on the gig to come and what a total kick it will be to step out on the stage in front of an audience. When you arrive, pay attention to how your muscles feel unloading the equipment; think about the exercise you're getting. As you set up, step back and check out how cool your %#&!*% looks. Tune as though you're giving the axe you love a gift. Do the sound check like it's the peak of the gig - full out. In the hour or so between that and the performance, get something to eat, hang with your band, and remember how much you dig them, and what it felt like to finally get some folks together who clicked musically. Then when you position yourself on stage, and the lights go up, don't only get off on the applause - think of the gift you're giving the audience, think about what your music may mean to them, the trip you're putting them on, and the memories you're leaving them. Play for them. Make it a seduction.

And don't let yourself miss a second of the music itself. Notice every good lick the bass throws off, the solidity of the drums, that little special vocal turn, and how it all comes together. Love yourself, love your band, love your music. Every time you play it. If you ever get bored with a song or a set, check yourself. Change the order, mix it up. Find ways to add spice - re-arrange a tune, throw in something new, or throw it out and write something new.

Let the experience itself be completely fulfilling and compelling. How blessed you are to have music inside you, and to be able to bring it out into the world! Your parents may disapprove, your friends may tell you to get real, but you're still up there loving what you do hour after hour. That's more than most can say.

for more blogs from Robby Merkin you can visit his myspace.com page at:

www.myspace.com/robbymerkin

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Lelia Broussard, a gifted, outspoken, no bullshit Myspace artist, managed to get a tour sponsored by Wallmart. Apparently this created quite a backlash among some fans who felt she was selling out.

For some of you this may be a simple and clear-cut matter of upholding values, of drawing lines and making distinctions that are absolute. I totally respect that. For others, it might be a non-issue, barely worth talking about. I have a little more problem with that one, because I believe apathy is a huge contributor to the mess this country is in. To me the issue is far more complex than either of those positions, because our world and our lives are complex.

Lelia wrote a blog on the subject, posted June 9th, entitled "What's Up With Wal Mart?????" As usual, she pulls no punches. The blog generated a flurry of reactions. Though they were all more or less supportive of Lelia, the range of interpretations, rationales and arguments put forth is very interesting. I put my two cents in as well.
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Props for speaking your mind, Lelia. I often wonder where you got your self-confidence, wisdom and maturity.

You're not selling out because you never put up a banner saying "Lelia stands for absolute morality, and will never associate with any individuals or groups who are not." You "stand for" your music, not any particular set of values, so from a public point of view, you cannot betray a set of values. Plus, the people attacking you are losing perspective - this is one moment in your relatively short life that will become a mere blip in what is likely to be a very long and fruitful career.

That said, the most interesting thing about this post is the reactions it generated. Just as no one should make assumptions about you, so none of those voicing support should make assumptions about those who criticize Wallmart. One of the respondents said they all work for Microsoft; others said they all shop at Wall Mart; others said they only whine but do nothing. The truth is, none of those writing have any knowledge whatsoever about the people who speak out. Sure, some talk and don't back it up, but it's just as likely that some are political activists that do take action. Some may work at Microsoft, but some may work at health food stores they own which barely break even, or little hardware stores that were put out of business by Wallmart. The point is, they shouldn't judge you, and we shouldn't judge them.

Remember free speach. You can talk, we can talk, and they can talk.

I happen to agree completely with Lauren. There are many things in our world that ought not be ignored, and which can only be addressed if people of like mind band together and take action. Speaking out is not useless; we can see from the reactions here that it spurs thought and dialogue, and the exchange of ideas. It also calls attention to matters of which we may not be aware. One of your posters began her note by saying she has no idea what the issue with Wallmart is. The fact that someone pushed your buttons on the subject, and you talked about it, might get her to look into it. Thus awareness is born.

Of course there are bigger issues than Wall Mart, but can any of us stop the war in Iraq or the devastation in Dafur? No. But if Wallmart is in our communities, we might be able to pressure it to give its workers better conditions. And is the Wallmart controversy really a minor thing? Within it are questions of unionization, sexual harrassment, exploitation of workers, corporate corruption, etc. As issues, these are HUGE. In many ways, the controversy is not about Wall Mart, it's about how these behaviors cut across American culture, and are so often tolerated.

I also believe in the rights of the individual. How many people hate terrorism and the culture that breeds it, and support the war, but buy gas, even at inflated prices (speaking of whining but doing nothing)? How many environmentalists leave lights on , flush their toilets, and use paper towels? How many walk down a city street complaining about the filth while grinding their own cigarette butt into the sidewalk? Who among us is terrified about global warming, but drives a car, uses spray cans, and fails to recycle plastic? We all have values, and in small or big ways, we all compromise them. Note - compromise them. Not sell out. Whatever we think, whatever our ideals, whatever our politics, we still all live in a real world.

Bottom line, us complaining about the anti-Wallmart anti-Lelia contingent are more or less doing the same thing they're doing. What if we respected one another's right to disagree?

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how interesting.. quite a read ey?

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