You Might Win On "The Voice" but I Think You Suck! (ruminations on the gamification of american culture)

in #music8 years ago (edited)

I'm old (see here: https://steemit.com/steemit/@mikeinfla/i-m-old-and-jaded) and opinionated, I've been around. I've seen a lot of music : the Ramones at CBGB and The Beastie Boys at an all ages punk show, Miles Davis, Sly and Robby and The Boss, Michael Jackson and Gil Scott Heron and B.B. King and The Meat Puppets and Pierre Bensusan and Michael Hedges and Aquarium Rescue Unit and the Dead and G.G. Allin and on and on and on....
And after that, all I want to say is that-
MUSIC IS NOT COMPETITION!
It's art , and because you might be technically great and actually impress the judges on a t.v. show it means jack shit to me! Music Is Art! not competition!

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I agree music shouldn't be a competition but what do you actually think of their talent? Have you actually watched The Voice? What do you think of Christina Grimmie?

Talent is not art. Art is served by talent. Art needs discipline and technique and execution, these aspects are well addressed by the voice and satisfy 90% . Art however is less tangible, more personal. Many artists I love would most likely never even make it on the voice and succeeded despite being critically panned in their time. It would be a pretty narrow and boring musical world if it all was funneled through a game show mindset.
I've heard Grimmie, she was a great singer but art? performer for sure, but art? I'm not so sure.

"talent" to me is passion+hard work. All the time people say to me " but I'm not talented like you" and I think " no, you have no discipline or drive like me" My skills come from shedding, hour upon hour of practice, year after year. Still, what I get is skill! Talent is a myth.