Welcome to The New Classical
Hey everyone, I wanted to get things moving with a quick introduction into why I have built this new service and site. First and foremost I am here to help my fellow artists get up and running with a great looking website that doesn’t just sit there in obscurity, but actually helps give artists the tools they need to grow, establish and (gasp) monetize their careers.
“Wait, I thought being a starving artist was all part of it, Ed?”
No, I don’t think it has to be. I think the word starving artist is a term thrown around by upper management of larger arts organizations to convince you they don’t have to pay you very well. Art is all about people, and as long as those people are putting out content there is no reason for you to sit on a street corner begging for scraps.
What is the difference between a major arts organization and a few individuals going on their own? Well, one of the big differences is marketing budgets. Yeah your well-connected social elites with deep pockets might be enamored with their local (insert organization here) but to the average person it often doesn’t really matter if you are playing Carnegie Hall or putting out some really top-notch YouTube content.
“Whaa???? But how could you say that about the venerable so and so institution….”
Ok, I’ll stop you right there. If you have had that reaction then I probably am not the right service for you. I am for the artist that has spent their life pursuing their craft and doesn’t want to wait around for that single position to open up in the next decade, but instead wants to take charge of their career now and get their great auntie off of their back about finding a “real” job. I am for the artist that realizes there are a host of opportunities that people in ALL types of businesses are taking advantage of that can help them achieve success. Success no matter who they are or where they came from.
Now here is the obligatory acknowledgement of the pandemic: it sucked for the arts. It arguably hit us harder than just about any industry. But many times with hardship comes opportunity if you know where to look. Arts organizations everywhere are going to be feeling the blow from this ordeal for years to come if they ever recover. And for those that do recover they will likely be hiring and paying even less. That doesn’t mean you as an artist have to go down with them, but instead can work to take control over your careers. Its a revolution, one that doesn’t starve its artists but celebrates them.
“Revolution? Seriously? Slow down there Bernie Sanders”
Fine, let’s just build some websites first. But as more people become a part of this network we can leverage our numbers to connect with audiences from all over the globe. And if that happens my goal is that artists won’t need to scramble for scraps and vie for only a small handful of spots in order to “make it” but instead have unique opportunities to share their voice with the world.
