James

James

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Music: Entitlement, Possession, & The Gift


Music: Entitlement, Possession, & The Gift

            Sunday’s Gospel in mass got me thinking a bit about music as a gift. For those of you who didn’t attend mass, or may not be Catholic, don’t worry. I wont be diving too much into scripture. I would start, however, with a small summary. Matthew 25:14-30 (the talent parable) basically describes a situation where a master grants three servants various “talents”. The first receives five, the second two, and the third one. In short, the first two servants double their gifts after delving into some trade, and the third servant keeps his only “talent” and buries it in the dirt. When it’s time for the “reaping of talents”, the first two are rewarded and the second is essentially thrown into Hell….because punishments back then were really harsh.

            I have been playing music in some form or fashion for 19 years now, 10 of them professionally, and have had the great pleasure of performing with people and personalities as various as the genres in which we played. I want to talk, first, about entitlement. Entitlement in music, for my intent and purpose, will refer to the “right” which an artist may assign to his/her craft by merit of it being “earned” and “deserved”. I want to disclaim any potential misunderstandings here before I move forward. I am not advocating that an artist’s craft is not of his or her own countenance and person, or that it shouldn’t belong to them in a legal sense. What I am saying is that, while you may have been given the gift to be able to compose, perform, arrange, and create music, you have not been given the “right” to it. Hard work may have created the opportunity for it, the law may say you own it, and it may have your name on it, but you have not been given a gift so profound to you to say anything but “Thank You” to the one who has given you that gift, and also to however many people adore it. You would have nothing if the gift had not been given to you, and you would have nothing (speaking specifically about music) if you did not have anyone to share in it with (like an audience, or a band member). The master in the parable did not give his servant “talents” because they deserved them. Further, the servants did not embark on any campaigns where they cited the “talents” as being earned by their own actions. Instead, the two servants were successful because they bartered gifts that they proclaimed WERE GIFTS.  My thoughts on entitlement intertwine deeply with my next two points, so let’s talk about possession in music and also about the gift itself.

            Do not possess your gift. Did you ever have those friends growing up where if a guy and a girl were dating and one of them, let’s say the girl, wanted to go out one Saturday night with her girlfriends, she had to check with her boyfriend first? By the same token, did you ever know a kid growing up whose parents wouldn’t let them go out and have fun because they could get hurt? I see artists cling to their work for dear life. That’s not always a problem, but when you let that interfere with the art’s ability to grow and influence people, then I take issue with it. The successful servants in the parable did not let their “talents” lay dormant for fear of them being tarnished or stolen, or because they wanted the gifts for themselves. Instead they proclaimed that their master has blessed them and dignified them with beautiful purpose: to share the gifts that they have been given, and allow the gifts to reach as many people as possible. I have been blessed to be able to create and compose music that I would call beautiful, but I have paid my bills by helping other artists perform theirs. In order to be successful, I have had to go up to big important people, introduce myself without shame, and ask them if I can play music with them. My encounters are a lot more tasteful than I make it sound, but basically, that is how I have had to do it. While I believe in the adage of “being in the right place, at the right time”, I don’t believe that it is a practical method for musicians who want to support themselves. Rather, you need to make opportunities for yourself. On the whole, I have been very successful in my appeals to artists and employers. I meet many of them who are willing to take a beautiful risk on me, and it has always paid off. More importantly, they have almost always resulted in great working friend relationships. The times where it hasn’t worked out have been less dignified. There have been times when my appeals have been returned with nothing, which is somehow worse than “No”. Realistically, I cannot expect every artist to be open to what I have to offer him or her musically. Further, I cannot always expect that when I make an appeal, it will be the right time for it. What we should expect from every artist as his or her supporters, however, is that they are open to allowing their gifts to grow and be shared. We are not given gifts so that we can bury them and have them for ourselves, but instead we should be responsible with them by taking risks in sharing them.

            As artists, you have not been given rewards or prizes. You have been given gifts. Behold the gift, take risks with the gift, do not possess the gift, receive the gift, and be responsible with the gift. You are not entitled to anything, not least of all in a ministry position. We don’t need more celebrities, we need more charities. We are a culture thirsting for things that are just beautiful and selfless, but beautiful because they are selfless. If you have a gift, always be the first to proclaim it to all saying, “Behold, the master has granted me a beautiful gift, come a share in them with me so that, together, we may see it grow.”