Vol 3, Issue 2: Musicians with Brains: I Never Knew the Two Could Co-Exist!

While conducting research for this piece, I stumbled upon a posting in which a blogger adamantly declared that musicians have NO right to speak out for causes they support, and that they should solely stick to music on account of the fact that they have no post-secondary academic training, and therefore are inadequately equipped to contend with such global issues.

While by all means I encourage the expression of individual opinion, I do not condone speaking on subjects about which you have little to no knowledge such as the above described individual has, because in fact, he couldn’t be more off-base.

Not only does this blogger fail to acknowledge that it is more often media personnel cornering musicians into situations in which they are forced to speak out on these types of issues, rather than the musicians making these efforts on their own (perhaps with the exception of someone like Bono), but on top of that, this blogger is clearly unaware of just how many of our talented songwriters are, in fact, schooled in far more than just how to play a 12-string.

From Dexter Holland’s (Offspring’s frontman) Masters in Molecular Biology to Mick Jagger’s degree in business and economics to Huey Lewis’ Ivy League record at Cornell to David Draiman’s (Disturbed’s frontman) triple university major in business admin, poli sci, and philosophy, clearly our rockstars are more intelligent that the average person gives them credit for.

Now, I completely understand musical preferences and one’s right to their own tastes. In fact, these days, there are few bands that are able to generate universal appeal. But, the next time that you even contemplate having an opinion on an artist that goes beyond your sheer sonic partiality for or against their genre, I suggest that you do some background research on that artist so that you do not end up looking like an ass, just as our “friend” above has. All of this buildup, of course, brings me to the issue at hand - that of rockstars with academic credentials.

Though this is not a subject that is often touched upon by most music media, I think it is important to demonstrate that even people who have achieved rockstardom at its pinnacle assessed the extremely low likelihood of their careers being successful, and thus planned accordingly just in case. I know many of you do not want to hear about the importance of having a “plan b”, because I too, was once in your shoes arguing with my parents that no matter what, music was my life, and I was born to rock. However, after actually going through the industry, and experiencing first hand all of the crookedness and the false promises, I gotta tell you - I’m forever indebted to my folks for making me stay in school.

Had I not entered the industry with my strong background in PR, negotiations, and entertainment-related business know-how, there is no way that I would have been able to accomplish the well-respected reputation for being a “professional” that I have. Further, without this training, I indefinitely would have found myself the victim of a lot more entertainment industry scams.

Most importantly though, if being a professional musician is truly the path that you desire to pursue, you need to recognize that fame is transient, and that musical fads come and go. If you want to be able to maintain career longevity, similar to the artists that I have mentioned, you need to know a thing or two about how to stay as a leader in the pack, and procuring a good education is definitely a good start.

Lastly, there’s always the fact to consider that after you’ve had your stint of fame, perhaps you’d like to move onto other ventures - it wouldn’t be the first time. Did you know that, for instance, Craig Ferguson, host of NBC’s Late Late Show was originally the drummer in a Scottish punk band known as “The Bastards from Hell” or that Mike Rowe, now the MC for Discovery’s Dirty Jobs, started out as an opera singer or that there was a time in history in which Henry Rollins actually played music? The point I’m trying to make here is as follows: it is possible, even though I know you likely won’t believe me, that once you’ve worked in the industry, you’ll come to the conclusion that it wasn’t all that it’s cracked up to be, and so a career change will be in order.

Though school will always be there, I’m sure most of you don’t want to end up in your late 40s still living at home with only a highschool diploma in hand waiting for your rockstar dreams to come true. Trust me, I’ve met people like this, and it ain’t a pretty picture!

To summarize, think of it this way: knowledge is a weapon, and the more you have about your craft, and the industry itself, the better able you are to protect yourself. Plus which, from a sheer songwriting perspective, the more worldly and cultured one is, the better his/her songs will be and the greater good he/she can do with his/her influence.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/

Vol 3, Issue 1: Let's Begin with the Facts

In the modern world, “the musician” is undoubtedly one of, if not the most, disrespected occupation in society. Consumers and clubowners feel no need to pay us well (or at all really), record labels make it their personal mission to exploit and commodify us in every which way they can, technology allows even the most talentless people imaginable (ah hem Paris Hilton) to pawn themselves off as “artists”, there are innumerable scams lurking around every corner just waiting to steal what little resources we have, often the only way we can attain mainstream success is by abandoning our principles and deeply held values, but most brutally, if we are to survive all of these hardships and merit for ourselves just the slightest bit of celebrity, the fans who once respected us as being “underground” and “indie” will degrade our newly found popularity by claiming that we are “sellouts” - that we’ve gone mainstream - failing to appreciate that just like every other professional, we deserve to be paid for our work. But that’s just it about musicians - for some reason, far beyond my comprehension, we’re supposed to be satisfied with offering the world our art - a piece of our very souls (at mighty hefty production costs I might add) -expecting nothing in return, not even the slightest seal of approval.

As if the transience of fame wasn’t enough to contend with, the criticisms with which musicians have to bear are well beyond the realm of “constructive” or “insightful”. Instead, they are laden with downright personal attacks, dehumanizing irreverence, and unfortunately, more often than not are poorly researched and written from a place of sheer ignorance (yet that doesn’t impede their impact on consumer purchases). All of this, of course, brings to mind the question: then why the hell do we do what we do? Simply put, musicians are a breed of their own, one that wider society rarely understands, yet is so quick to judge.

Being a musician is NOT simply a decision - something that can be switched on/off on a whim - it is a calling, a central piece to our identity, something we live with every day, and something we take with us to the grave. And though it may not make sense to the rest of the world, we refuse to go down without a good fight - if only the sides weren’t stacked so unfairly against us, maybe we’d have a chance. But my friends, I hope you’ve been paying attention, because if you have, you’ll have noticed that change is on the horizon as the industry has proven that its current infrastructure is in need of a radical overhaul, if it is to survive. And you know what? This overhaul may prove to be the very remedy that musicians have been seeking for years - a means to take back what rightfully belongs to us: our industry, our music, our art. So then, why the grim introduction?

Well, as you’ll learn over our year together, I’ve never been one for sugarcoating the truth, and in my humble opinion, there are enough music rags out there that gloss over these pertinent details, and instead continue to perpetuate the long-standing myth that artists can be overnight successes. To break it down more simply, I don’t believe in bullshitting, and feel that you, my fellow rockers, and greater society deserves more, and I intend on fulfilling that void in the best way that I know how. But enough with the prelude already, I’m sure you’re wondering who exactly am I and what makes me so credible?

I was once just like you - young, naive, idealistic, living and breathing the rockstar dream to a rather successful plateau I might add. After years of being signed to a major label, touring incessantly, selling out concerts, and being graced with multiple prestigious awards in the indie music community, yet still struggling to make ends meet, it occurred to me, after a fan of my band’s snarkily remarked at us that we should be buying him and all of his friends Jaguars, that the average person, moreover, the average musician doesn’t have a clue as to how the music industry actually works! After my own experiences, I can honestly say that I’m not surprised in the least why so many artists end up embittered and strung out on drugs, because let’s face the facts straight-up: it’s set up for you to fail, and if you are successful, you often lose your soul in the process.

But I’m not here to bitch and moan about all that I think is f--ked up about the industry, rather as an advice and insight columnist, I’m here to not only try to help you avoid making the same mistakes that I did, but as well, I hope to try and inspire change - not just within the music community, but overall, I hope to bring to light the truth about the lives of musicians to anyone who is willing to listen. So if you’ve got a story to share, please do, I’d be honoured to act as your voice - to share the blood, sweat, and tears that you, just as I have, exuded for your craft.

Many philosophers have said, over the years, that the first step to progress is education, and I really think that they are onto something. What I’m about to share with you, over the next few months, will not be found in any textbook, lecture, or popular music magazine. Though I value all that the educational system has to offer, there are some things that only real life experience can teach you. So, consider this your first step towards a real musical educational - if you really wanna be in a rock band, I hope you’re paying attention. And just as I’ve said every year previous, if you have any ideas for topics you’d like me to cover over our year together, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

About the Author:

Rose Cora Perry is the frontwoman for Canadian hard rock band ANTI-HERO known as “The 21st Century Answer to Nirvana”, as well as the sole owner and operator of HER Records, a management company in which she offers marketing, promotion, publicity, tour booking, and artist development services.

Her band ANTI-HERO has toured extensively across North America playing notable festivals such as Warped Tour, Canadian Music Week, NorthbyNorthEast, Wakefest, and MEANYFest.

Voted “Best Rock Act of the Year” by numerous industry publications, their critically acclaimed debut album, "Unpretty" is available worldwide for purchase.

Rose Cora Perry is a dedicated promoter of D.I.Y. ethics, and an avid supporter of independent musicians.

For more information on Rose Cora Perry and her band's accomplishments, please visit http://www.anti-hero.ca/ or http://www.rosecoraperry.com/