As an amateur composer-someone who does it just for the Love of the thing, sharing my music with the world is fraught with complex feelings. But then to think that, If I were to feel like sharing is something I would want to do, the thought of jumping into promoting myself on the internet sounds daunting, and unbecoming. Purist? Nah, computers just scare me. And I am not a businessman. But, Mr. Kahane, just so you know, I got on, and created this account just to let you know that you made a bunch of good points, spoke some truth, and some people agree with you.
I've recently left twitter, a place where I managed to build a reasonably substantial following considering I make new musicals.
I've been using it as a space mostly to advocate for a type of musical theatre that is artist driven, disruptive and innovative in way it is rarely allowed to be in the UK (or anywhere). This article is the most perfect depiction I have come across of why trying to sell independent art using social media or trying to change the systemic landscape using social media is at best a sort of illusion that leads to more anger and pain that it does to change. It's a time sink that rarely activates the true engagement or sense of community that at first seems possible. My solution to the strange isolation I have felt since leaving is to have more parties or just to spend more time having coffee or food with other artists. Or to make things. I also started a substack for longer form thoughts, and a mailing list to actually speak to people who want to engage less but with slightly more substance. Thanks again for summarising this all with such clarity.
Thanks also for your beautiful new album and for February House which I have listened to many many times over the recent years.
Thank you, Gabriel, for taking the time to put down your thoughts and experiences and fears. I'm so last-century, I didn't even know about your social media posting, because I'm not on any social media. But, I worry about all of this nonetheless. (The article in last Sunday's NY Times about teenage mental health sent me into a cycle of despair and anger.) Anyway, something I try to remember is what my first therapist (of a few) said to me - and I don't mean to be glib - if we/I really need to worry about something, set aside 15 minutes and go wild and then move on. [Typed with a wry if sheepish smile.]
This is so illuminating and frightening. Thank you Gabe! I’m off to the Brown bookstore to find Zuboff’s book. It’s scary but not surprising after reading this I first went right to Amazon to find it. Rather than see if it was right down the road.
The most pernicious type of behavioral manipulation of course is that which I imagine coming from my own needs and wants but in fact has been placed there by my feed. Ughhh. Very important to have read these words today.
Great post and glad to see you doing more 'public' writing so to speak. I also decided to divest myself from social media in 2020 and mostly haven't looked back, although every time I peek in I'm reminded of how much musicians rely on those services to keep people in the loop on shows, find gigs, and generally remind the world that people are still doing anachronistic things like playing chamber music. I think my algorithm got heavily calibrated in that direction at least. It's tragic that this wholesome impulse of ours to connect with each other got so hijacked by the profit motive and behaviorism. I'd like to see a more Wikipedia-esque nonprofit organization emerge to help us advertise our Messiah singalongs without making us crazy in the process (is it possible?). In the meantime Substack is nice.
However I've heard it argued that Facebook/Twitter et al became so influential as the latter-day "public square" not just because they're so addictive, but also because our physical public squares and social institutions they usurped were already in serious decline. The atomized, car-centric design of cities in the US makes it hard to spontaneously congregate, and the COVID era created for the first time a socially acceptable equivalence between in-person and virtual interactions that I found deeply odious. I felt like there was no choice but to get on a screen all day if you wanted to continue to be an engaged member of the public, and escaping into real life was in some way irresponsible or least a little deviant. Even as a technoskeptic I spend all day on devices, just reluctantly...
It also certainly feels like musicians are now expected to be quasi-engineers, where the production and consumption of their art takes place entirely mediated by digital technology. It certainly affords a lot of new sonic possibilities, and I recognize that some people love the creative freedom and control you get, but it subtly shifts the focus away from the subjective experience/enjoyment of playing for its own sake with others and into the realm of production and output. Rehearsals, even tedious ones, always have felt a lot more alive to me than staring at a DAW alone for hours. I teach voice these days and notice that none of my students are interested in joining choirs, and prefer to learn covers of their favorite artists for their private enjoyment. Nothing wrong with that (keeps me employed) but speaks to the spirit of the time I think.
Last thing - I highly recommend the Substack newsletter "The Convivial Society" by L. Michael Sacasas who has been writing about technology-society-culture issues since before they were, uh, cool.
Yet, I think , you should be aware that when we become fast-dopamine addicted, we are likely not to read long texts carefully. Anyway, keep up being you. Keep up contributing. you are a great story teller and a great musician.
As an amateur composer-someone who does it just for the Love of the thing, sharing my music with the world is fraught with complex feelings. But then to think that, If I were to feel like sharing is something I would want to do, the thought of jumping into promoting myself on the internet sounds daunting, and unbecoming. Purist? Nah, computers just scare me. And I am not a businessman. But, Mr. Kahane, just so you know, I got on, and created this account just to let you know that you made a bunch of good points, spoke some truth, and some people agree with you.
Heaving a huge sigh of relief over here for this trickling truth. What’s your thought about patreon?
*sigh* yes
I've recently left twitter, a place where I managed to build a reasonably substantial following considering I make new musicals.
I've been using it as a space mostly to advocate for a type of musical theatre that is artist driven, disruptive and innovative in way it is rarely allowed to be in the UK (or anywhere). This article is the most perfect depiction I have come across of why trying to sell independent art using social media or trying to change the systemic landscape using social media is at best a sort of illusion that leads to more anger and pain that it does to change. It's a time sink that rarely activates the true engagement or sense of community that at first seems possible. My solution to the strange isolation I have felt since leaving is to have more parties or just to spend more time having coffee or food with other artists. Or to make things. I also started a substack for longer form thoughts, and a mailing list to actually speak to people who want to engage less but with slightly more substance. Thanks again for summarising this all with such clarity.
Thanks also for your beautiful new album and for February House which I have listened to many many times over the recent years.
Thank you, Gabriel, for taking the time to put down your thoughts and experiences and fears. I'm so last-century, I didn't even know about your social media posting, because I'm not on any social media. But, I worry about all of this nonetheless. (The article in last Sunday's NY Times about teenage mental health sent me into a cycle of despair and anger.) Anyway, something I try to remember is what my first therapist (of a few) said to me - and I don't mean to be glib - if we/I really need to worry about something, set aside 15 minutes and go wild and then move on. [Typed with a wry if sheepish smile.]
This is so illuminating and frightening. Thank you Gabe! I’m off to the Brown bookstore to find Zuboff’s book. It’s scary but not surprising after reading this I first went right to Amazon to find it. Rather than see if it was right down the road.
The most pernicious type of behavioral manipulation of course is that which I imagine coming from my own needs and wants but in fact has been placed there by my feed. Ughhh. Very important to have read these words today.
I love that after reading this post and subscribing to your substack I get a prompt to share that I am subscribing on Twitter ...
Thank you for this thoughtful essay, and thank you for a beautiful show at the Reser Center last week!
Great post and glad to see you doing more 'public' writing so to speak. I also decided to divest myself from social media in 2020 and mostly haven't looked back, although every time I peek in I'm reminded of how much musicians rely on those services to keep people in the loop on shows, find gigs, and generally remind the world that people are still doing anachronistic things like playing chamber music. I think my algorithm got heavily calibrated in that direction at least. It's tragic that this wholesome impulse of ours to connect with each other got so hijacked by the profit motive and behaviorism. I'd like to see a more Wikipedia-esque nonprofit organization emerge to help us advertise our Messiah singalongs without making us crazy in the process (is it possible?). In the meantime Substack is nice.
However I've heard it argued that Facebook/Twitter et al became so influential as the latter-day "public square" not just because they're so addictive, but also because our physical public squares and social institutions they usurped were already in serious decline. The atomized, car-centric design of cities in the US makes it hard to spontaneously congregate, and the COVID era created for the first time a socially acceptable equivalence between in-person and virtual interactions that I found deeply odious. I felt like there was no choice but to get on a screen all day if you wanted to continue to be an engaged member of the public, and escaping into real life was in some way irresponsible or least a little deviant. Even as a technoskeptic I spend all day on devices, just reluctantly...
It also certainly feels like musicians are now expected to be quasi-engineers, where the production and consumption of their art takes place entirely mediated by digital technology. It certainly affords a lot of new sonic possibilities, and I recognize that some people love the creative freedom and control you get, but it subtly shifts the focus away from the subjective experience/enjoyment of playing for its own sake with others and into the realm of production and output. Rehearsals, even tedious ones, always have felt a lot more alive to me than staring at a DAW alone for hours. I teach voice these days and notice that none of my students are interested in joining choirs, and prefer to learn covers of their favorite artists for their private enjoyment. Nothing wrong with that (keeps me employed) but speaks to the spirit of the time I think.
Last thing - I highly recommend the Substack newsletter "The Convivial Society" by L. Michael Sacasas who has been writing about technology-society-culture issues since before they were, uh, cool.
Yet, I think , you should be aware that when we become fast-dopamine addicted, we are likely not to read long texts carefully. Anyway, keep up being you. Keep up contributing. you are a great story teller and a great musician.
Thank you
Thank you, Gabriel, for this thoughtful and nourishing piece of writing. I savoured every word.