Saturday, May 22, 2010

Are We Just 15 Seconds?


According to Wikipedia, a JUDGEMENT is a balanced weighing up of evidence to form a decision or opinion...

Other sources call it "..The act of forming an opinion with or without knowledge."

I am guilty of such a thing when buying wine. Oh, the pretty label will sometimes sway the soul to purchase the bottle, not really giving any thought to the taste of the product inside...

A book.. The attractive cover will sometimes draw me in and fortunately I have been lucky with my attractions...

15 seconds of a song... I have a problem with this. I love music and I don't take the subject lightly. How in the world can we judge a song in 15 seconds? How is it that 15 seconds makes or breaks a performer, their vision, their passion, and their voice...

Entering in competition is something that I almost never do. I hate popularity contests and have never felt that I needed the validation of the public to tell me that I was a good songwriter or not. I am not mainstream, top 40. And I never want to be. I am just a woman who loves music and sings from the heart. The judging process in the Lilith Fair competition for many reasons saddens me. Firstly, you have to vote for songs that don't particularly move you, secondly, you don't have to listen to the entire song, thirdly, most people pass their judgments on tunes that are not professionally recorded, home recorded, or perhaps too quiet the instant that it starts. From looking at the standings, it appears that many just say, 'crap' and push them aside. WhaT? Indie music is just that... INDIE. That means we make it up as we go along, we have to do the very best that we can with what we have, we may not be shiny and polished but if you truly look, you will see the sparkling treasure just below the water's edge.

I have found several songs in this competition that are true treasures! These songs are truthful and from the heart and moved me. They aren't polished and overproduced. They do not sound like everything else that is played on the radio. They are raw and real and I wished that more people gave them a chance.

I find that, just with anything, many people will try to be something that they are not. They will focus their energies to fulfill a certain look or sound that is marketable, thus shelving their artistic integrity for fame. One of my favorite quotes is from Miles Davis who said, ".. You have to play a long time to be able to play like yourself." Be yourself. Or figure out who that person is artistically! You are worth the exploration and being you IS enough. There are a whole bunch of carbon copies in this world. It’s the ones who allow themselves to be vulnerable, to find their voice, to shine their light, that move me. And I applaud you.

"Don't compromise yourself. You are all you've got!" -Janis Joplin

15 Seconds... doesn't make or break me. I long to live in a society with a longer attention span and patience. I continue to support those who are pushing the 'norm' and being true to who they are. I cheer on the ones that perhaps are rough around the edges yet have a truth that is clearer than any million dollar studio album produced. Let your light shine. You are worth it...