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March 16th, 20253/16/2025 Greetings..
Entry 8; Monday February 22, 20212/22/2021 Greetings. There is no question that music streaming services are raking in billions in revenue while paying next to nothing to the artists their businesses rely on - all while cannibalizing what was left on the market for recorded music. Due to the demand by listeners on these platforms, it would be a challenge for any band willing to be heard if they don’t participate. These days, music is basically free in the eyes of the public and as such, many of the ideals from the 70s and into the late 00s regarding buying a bands music to listen them has all but vanished, making way for the today’s platforms. I suppose a question to ask would be “would you rather have low proceeds or no proceeds?” Of course that answer is clear to any artist: we want the profits from the selling of our art. Like any other job or profession, the money we earn from our work goes toward supporting ourselves and our families, paying bills, feeding our families, etc. I believe that if all music lovers truly knew how little their favorite artists were paid, primarily due to these streaming services that dominate the market today, they would abandon them completely and find a different means of attaining the artist’s product. It wasn’t so long ago that piracy was a major concern in the music industry and although that concept is still abused today with such things as movies, television shows, games, etc., which also still includes music, we have essentially abandoned an illegal system that pays nothing for a legal system that pays nothing. Bands that refuse to list their music on such streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Deezer, Pandora, Amazon Music, Google Play, YouTube Music, and a plethora of others, all have fewer listeners, fewer record sales, and dramatically limit their exposure. Let’s break things down a little bit. Most bands have 4+ members, but for the sake of argument, we’ll say 4 members, which would mean that whatever is the total net pay (before taxes) of all of your streams exclusively, that total is divided into 1/4. For now, we’ll take three of the top dogs: Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music.
All three of these streaming platforms also get paid for playing ads, so they’re benefiting even more from the artist. How many streams would a band need to have per month in order to make a living wage? Of course that’s entirely dependent on what your expenses are per month, however for the sake of argument, we’ll say 100,000 streams. Don’t worry, I’ve already done the math. For 100,000 streams:
For 500,000 streams:
For 1,000,000 streams:
Take each of those totals and divide them by four, since there are 4 band members. Then each of those members also has to pay taxes on them. Again, this is how many streams are needed PER MONTH for the artist to make the figures above, then those royalties are divided into fourths, or sometimes more depending on what cut the label or management take out, which cuts that number down even further. If a 4-member band I worked with had 1,000,000 streams on Spotify, assuming I was in the band from stream 1 to stream 1,000,000, each member would earn $827.50 excluding taxes. In Texas, the state tax is 8.25%, so after taxes, each artist is making $759.23. Again this is excluding any additional fees the band may be paying such as merchandise, management, legal representation, etc. I think we can all agree that 1,000,000 streams on any platform is quite an accomplishment. However, looking at the total amount made off streams exclusively, it costs many, many times more to create that content. Most professional albums on a fairly low end would cost $10,000-$25,000 per album only, again excluding anything else such as merchandise, management fees, etc. You also have the expense of gear which can range from thousands into tens of thousands of dollars, then thousands into potentially tens of thousands of dollars in merch as well. The expenses go on and on and on. Next time you’re at a show, go up to any of your favorite local musicians and ask them how much they’ve spent on gear and if they have made their money back from playing shows. 99.999% of them will say no and the other 0.001% are lying. The way the industry is set up for us is to not only fail, but crash and burn and shit all over us while the bigger companies continue to make their money on us. There needs to be a change, but like so many things not only in this country, but throughout the world, the bigger corporations dominate with an iron fist and there is seemingly nothing or no one who can or will stand up to them and if there are, they are swiftly shut down. There’s a saying that “the richer get richer and the poorer get poorer” and in the music industry, we’re all treated poorly. I have been drumming since I was 6 years old (24 years), taking it seriously since I was 12 (18 years) and playing professionally since I was 16 (14 years) and throughout that time, I’ve put in tens of thousands of hours into my profession and as my dad and others that know my level of dedication, that is not an exaggeration in the slightest. We as musical artists don’t do this for money, although when you get to a professional status, we shouldn’t have to do anything without getting paid. Sometimes we don’t choose the music; the music chooses us. So when others say “music isn’t making you money so you should drop it and do something else,” while that may be true, for many of us, music is all we have - not that we’d want anything else anyway. The next time you’re at a show and see your favorite bands, especially local bands, who are charging $10-$20 for a CD, you’re not just buying the music, you’re buying our loyalty, all of the combined hours of writing, recording, practicing, money for gear and for studio time, you’re helping to put money in our pockets to help support our families, and so many other things that we as artists appreciate more than we can ever express. We have done all the work and foot all the bills to create a product that will entertain you at your leisure. All we ask is to be compensated for it Entry VI; Thursday January 21, 20211/21/2021 Greetings.
I cannot speak on behalf of Trump supporters, nor Biden supporters, nor Bernie supporters, but I will say a part of me wishes to see this country rebuilt to what it was originally intended for. If you’ve ever read a history book on the entire reason the United States of America was founded, it was European refugees (as well as others from other countries) escaping the corruption, tyranny and persecution of its governments and to build a country based on moral and ethical freedoms for its people, something which is given to all of it’s citizens to this day. However, I don’t believe for a second that when the Constitution was written, including all of its amendments throughout the years, it was anticipated how much those established principles would be abused and misshapen to the current realities of the modern era; I say realities (plural) as each of us have our own reality separate from another, yet equality as true and unique to us as someone else’s is to them. I am not sure how much I believe in conspiracy theories regarding to government or anything of the sort, nor do I claim to have knowledge or expertise of such things, however in this day and age, it is sickeningly apparent that the media dominates over all and even more so, how easy it is to push ones’ bias over fact to push an agenda. That in and alone of itself is sickening, but none of us can fathom the amount in which this is being abused under freedom of speech. It is because of this, in addition to all of the things most people take for granted and abuse, seemingly everyday, thats part of me wishes to see it burn so that it can be rebuilt with better intent. This is by no means a threat of any kind, simply my own view on reform and interest in seeing what it will take for a nation to change. Many things I simply do not understand or relate to that are apparent issues within this country, but I am only one man with my own opinions and viewpoints, expressing them as such here, though not in entirely full detail. I have no interest in politics and even less interest in any form of political agenda, however equally a a strong as one’s faith is to religion, so too is the strength in backing a political party or agenda, which is perfectly fine. In my not so humble opinion, neither party stands for making this nation better as much as it does trying to get the leg up on the other for whatever reason, perhaps to make the opposing side look weak or whatever the reason. It matters not to me. I do believe every person within politics has something good to contribute to society, however because of the hard and harsh biases of media and social agenda, those viewpoints are dismissed and are no longer pushed as much as the bashing and discrediting of the opposing party. It is beyond appalling, sickening, pathetic, and that same corruption and tyranny is the same in which our nations first refugees escaped from. There is a saying “if you don’t learn from history, you are doomed to repeat it” and without care, caution, or concern, we have indeed continued to repeat those same mistakes, oddly enough turning our government into the same in which we escaped, but possibly stronger now than back then. Although this statement may be quite immature, I have no interest in arguing or exploring the ideas of another in politics or religion as the realities created by one, though true they may be to said individual, are a fallacy which can be dismissed due to another’s discernment. A blind belief, whether intentional or unintentional, are equally as toxic as the other. Entry V; Sunday January 10, 20211/10/2021 Greetings.
There is no time like the present. Take a good look around you. Seriously, stop and take a minute to yourself to really soak everything in; breathe and let the sights, smells, thoughts and emotions set in. Tomorrow they will not be the same. Change is coming whether you want it or not, like it or not, accept it or not. Change is inevitable. When I think about the future, I begin to feel nauseous, light headed, anxiety and my adrenaline skyrocket. I’d be lying to myself and everyone else if I said I wasn’t absolutely terrified of the future. My dreams are a reflection of people, places, things, and scenarios that have shaped me and although I can say I am proud how I am, certain [for whatever reason] dark elements still linger on in thought and mind. Images have been seeded that will never decay through time. However, time itself it changing and shaping our current realities into our own individual and personalities heaven or hell. At times, time is at a complete standstill; others, days and weeks go by without having a single reflection on the present. Truly appreciate what you have right now. Things will not be the same today as they are tomorrow, just as they weren’t yesterday as they are today. Take a moment...for you...to be aware of your existence and your reality. Be better. Do better. For yourself and for those around you. The life modeled for you was eventually given to you to shape at your leisure and in your own fashion, so mold it into one you never need a vacation from; develop a stability in your mind, body, and soul, for time is changing and you’ll need the strength to carry on. Entry IV; Sunday Jan 3, 20211/3/2021 Greetings.
I often reflect on previous relationships and friendships with people and like many, dwell on both positive and negative things I have experienced and/or learned from them. In doing so, my mind often wanders to other places, contemplating different scenarios or things I might do differently now, all of which I have realized give me anxiety. I can only view things through my own eyes and with my own perceptive bias, so trying to see another’s point of view can be challenging for me, however I understand that by doing so, successfully or not, I am learning about myself and how to be more considerate. Subsequently, I also ask myself why do I not have more in life? Not to ask in a greedy fashion, but simply why do I not do more; be more; create more; be more active; live more? I have stopped looking back upon many past memories and getting down on myself for feeling like I didn’t do more, but I view it for the reality it is and apply it to the present, trying to create a life in which I never need a vacation from. There is a beauty in change, whether creation or destruction, life or death, love or hate; time will grant all. I have found that by writing these posts, they are a great reflection of how truly sporadic my thoughts are, yet they are calculated and organized with their manifestations. Part of the reason why I function this way is due to music and the ability to view all fills, drum beats, musical notation, and the overall combination of all as a giant mathematical sequence in which I can easily (or sometimes not so easily) put together and make sense of. This has proven to be far harder with things outside of music such as in dealings with feelings, emotions, and especially in reflecting on positive things that decayed into negative things. It is a struggle I have dealt with throughout life, which in and of itself is a struggle to grasp, and I find that on the days in which I ask myself “why aren’t I doing more,” the motivation washes over me, but only temporarily. The more I remind myself to do more, to be more, and to not settle for anything less than I feel I deserve, the better things have gotten within my life. This cannot purely be by coincidence. At the end of the day, sometimes even at the beginning of the day, a personal reminder that I am flawed and because I am flawed, I am free to do anything - to learn and grow and to struggle- is a good challenge to accept and attempt to overcome. Make sense of the chaos. I do not need, nor will I subject myself, to those whom I do not resonate with or whom don’t share the same personal goals of growing and continuously trying to be a better person. I can only focus on my development and trying to be the best man I can be for myself and hopefully benefit those around me and start there and even with the flaws and issues I have within my own life, I will not let others’ conditions that they do not acknowledge and attend to bring me down in any form or fashion. It will be a good day because I will make it as such and I will continue to move forward without past interferences hindering life. Entry III; Friday January 1, 20211/1/2021 Greetings.
Happy new year to all and #fuck2020. So glad that shit is over, yet as we all know, the bullshit of 2020 with extend into this new year, at least somewhat. We will be fine. Last night I had a dreams that got me to think about several deep things (that’s what she said). The dream was about a friend of mine, or whatever we are now, and I who started out as friends, then lovers, and things go kinda fuzzy after that. In the dream, I was remembering this person as they were in 2010,: their mannerisms, looks, sex, attitude, character, etc. Of course at time has gone by, they have changed into who they currently are, which is someone different than I remember. This got me to thinking about something I think we all face at some point, possibly even struggle with, with friends/partners who we used to have something for/with. The way in which we perceive ourselves is obviously not the way in which we come off to other no matter how hard we try, and even more so when you add the factor of change over time. The way someone once was, especially if you were close to that person at one point and are no longer, is preserved in our memories and while (at the time) it was true, it is also a lie. Certain mannerisms and characteristics of people are carried out over time, while others are lost, for better or worse. I understand this is part of growing, learning, and maturing. However, how we think someone to be an how they actually are are both correct, and yet simultaneously are incorrect. How can this be? I don’t think I have an answer, although I’m sure psychology majors and people who study mental health and character development could explain in a more relatable way that I ever could. The phrase “time heals all wounds” comes to mind for some reason. In the death of one of my closest friends and girlfriends Charlene, many things of that lifetime were buried over time and although I can remember many great things, the struggles of losing someone that close never truly go away. The same can be said for those whom are still alive, but we have lost (or feel like we’ve lost) throughout our lives. There is little to no chance of rekindling those relationships that once were and are no longer, however the memories of what were, preserved forever in our heart and soul, are not what are here in the present. Sure things could have potentially turned out different, but they didn’t, and what we are left to deal with is the here, now, and the reality of what is rather than a false misrepresentation of present reality from a past reality. Hopefully that makes sense and others out there can relate. This is not the first time I have had these types of dreams and when I awake from them, I am usually in a funk, missing that person or at least the person I thought they were. Entry II; Saturday, December 26, 202012/26/2020 Greetings.
Finally some (moderate) time off. Question: what is moderation? The holidays (for the most part) are over and I find myself once again mentally retreating into a place of self-awareness and self-development, questioning how much time is a “moderate” amount of time to spend on the various areas of my life and what/how/where I spend my time. More often than not, I don’t realize how much I have exceeded this “moderation” into something more excessive, spending hours and hours playing World of Warcraft, hours into days with the girlfriend where (feeling) nothing is really progressing with either of us individually or as a couple. I suppose in dealing with all of these experiences, specifically speaking on relationship matters, it’s all a somewhat new experience for me, so it’s all things I welcome, even if it is a struggle. I have learned to be open and honest with myself about the reality things. I think this is a strength that others struggle with as a lot of people who cannot be honest with themselves create a false reality in which their shrouded view of the would is how the actual world is; a false interpretation of reality. This topic is something I would love to discuss at another time, but i digress. If I am being perfectly honest with myself, I not happy. Nor am I sad or depressed. I simply am. I’m alive and carrying on the only way(s) in which I know how. Things could be better and they could certainly be much worse, and although I have things I could complain about, I have accepted that complaining about them is moot. If I wish for change, I make it myself. Most of these changes I have made alone, with the exception of aid from those close to me like my dad and few friends. I have never been the best at limiting myself for many things, which is why I ask the question “what is moderation?” so that I may be able to find a balance without pushing things. The older I get, the more I realize that my sense of humor and using humor as a coping and defensive mechanism in order to deal with real-world serious issues, the more I realize how much others see this and not only do not handle things in the same way, but others do not receive it well and as a result, I have few friends. I have been okay with this for a number of years, however I am still questioning myself as to what moderation is so that I may be able to find other, more productive and positive ways of dealing with things. Entry I; Monday December 21, 202012/21/2020 Greetings.
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