Are
Indie Music Artists Singing
Scales?
What is
the Definition of Inde
Music?
If you
search the archives from now till
doomsday you still might not find
a clear definition of what
“indie music” is. Most
people think of it as a "way out
there" source performed by guitar
or keyboard players signed on to
obscure labels, and it refers to
artists that are
“independent.” Whether
it’s an accurate description
of the word or not, it is often
casually used to describe
anything that’s little-known
or unusual. But, it doesn't have
to be harsh.
Does a song
or a singing style become indie
music just because it’s
obscure? Or maybe there’s
something about the type of the
music that’s different from
mainstream musical fare. These
styles do tend to sound different
from more “famous”
music, but in what way is it
different?
If you try
to come up with a definitive of
what independent music sounds
like, it wouldn’t be indie
anymore because it’s being
influenced by popular opinion.
And if you really want to go
there, making it a genre in the
first place already contaminates
its “indie” status, and
then even referring to it as a
status does that too, and you
could go on forever.
It feels
like indie is becoming the new
alternative, and alternative used
to be sort of what indie is
supposed to represent.
Alternative was an alternative to
mainstream music, but now
alternative is so widespread that
it is mainstream. And now that
indie music is getting more
exposure, one could argue that
indie music has become mainstream
as well.
The thing
is, if indie is about distancing
itself from the mainstream,
it’s impossible to separate
itself entirely. When you
non-conform, you’re still
conforming because what you view
as conformity affects your
actions.
By trying
to distance yourself from the
mainstream, you’re already
affected by it. And anyway, it
doesn’t feel like the true
meaning of indie is just to be
different from the crowd, because
how pretentious is that, how
un-indie. For example, trying to
make your music sound as
different as possible so that
it’ll be unique would be
more obnoxious than creative.
And if this
alternative is just about doing
it for the music's sake and not
for the fame, there’s a thin
line to walk. Music needs an
audience, and it is difficult to
have a lot of people like your
music and still remain out of the
spotlight.
If you are
a musician who is getting ready
for singing auditions for record
companies you have some choices
in the style you want to present.
Be yourself and you should go
further in the business. No
matter if your music is
alternative, country, gospel or
rock it should reflect something
you really love doing.
The Idea of
performing because you enjoy it
and not because you just want
others to enjoy it is admirable,
and all music should be in the
spirit of indie
music—whatever that is.
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