Is it necessary to have a niche in music

Subject: what do ya think?
From: kat Logan
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 04:21 PM

I am a performing musician and have lately been thinking that I need to narrow things down. My folkie friends advise me to learn the traditional tunes to pass on, my blues buddies...say the soul music must survive...my jazz friends...etc., etc. I love all good music. Do you think that we have to commit to a genre of music to be good at what we do? Or is it OK to sing and play just what you want, in the eclectic sort of way. Anyone else struggle with this?

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: CarolC
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 04:48 PM

What do your audiences tell you?

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 04:49 PM

Yup. If audiences liked to hear jazz, blues and folk, you'd be fine. Truth is, most audiences are fairly narrow in their taste. I was always amazed when I booked a bluegrass band in the folk series I ran. I wouldn't recognize at least 50% of the audience. Most of the folk series regulars stayed home, and the people who came to hear bluegrass wouldn't be seen until I booked another bluegrass group. I'd encourage you to evaluate what you think you do best and most DISTINCTIVELY, and try to build your reputation in that area. That way, you can spend the first half of your career trying to become identified narrowly, and then spend the last half of your career trying to escape your self-created image. But, the first thing to do is to become recognized as doing something really well, with an individual style. Later, you can loosen up a little, and your audience will be more accepting. Just my opinion.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: Justa Picker
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 04:55 PM

If you are a full time or want to be a full time professional musician and WORK all the time, the more versatile in various styles you are, the better your livelyhood will be assured.

Yes, lots of pros have their personal music preferences and exclude certain gigs where they might have to play styles they're not keen on or music that for whatever reason doesn't appeal to them, but many, are happy just playing to be playing music - any kind of music.

If you are an amateur or semi-pro musician(and have a day job or other means of support and not dependent on performing to pay your bills) then you have the luxury of deciding how selective you want to be with regards to repertoire and gigs...and just perform what makes you and those you perform for, happy.

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: Jerry Rasmussen
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 05:09 PM

Maybe the distinction is whether you are a solo performer, or a musician who can play in many different settings, like JustaPicker. I know IanB can do everything from gutbucket blues to high society coctail hour music. As long as you enjoy doing it, Justapicker is right. If you're trying to make it as a solo performer, I still think that you need a recognizable identity.

Jerry

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: M.Ted
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 05:28 PM

If you want to be a working musician, you have to play everything, and, though JP forgot to mention it, you've got to be good at everything--

If you want to be a solo performer, or front your own band, though, it is a different story, you do have to have your own niche--and it has to be one that everyone understands--sad but true, the entertainment world loves to label, and what it can't label, it ignores--If you want to establish yourself, make up a catchy name, dress up in a memorable costume, and put together an act that can be labelled with one or two words, oh, and make sure that they are words that people like!

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 05:36 PM

I think it has a lot to do with the size of the community you live in. The bigger the city, the more specialized people's tastes seem to be.

If a guy really likes bluegrass, but he lives in a smallish town where bluegrass bands only come around once in a blue moon, then he'll probably go to other kinds of concerts, too. But if he lives in an city where there are bluegrass concerts every weekend, he is more likely to go to bluegrass gigs exclusively. Same for any other kind of entertainment.

People who live in small towns HAVE to have eclectic tastes, or middle-of-the-road tastes, otherwise they'll be awfully bored by whatever is available.

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: Justa Picker
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 05:39 PM

Thanks Ted. (Yeah....I forgot to qualify that remark because I figured it just went without saying about being good as well as versatile.)

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: Suffet
Date: 21 Feb 02 - 07:07 PM

On the other hand, some niche performers have made out pretty well. Take Raffi, for example. He could have had a career as a garden variety folk singer-songwriter, playing the college, coffee house, and festival circuits forever. But as a children's singer-songwriter he packs Madison Square Garden time and time again.

--- Steve

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: kat Logan
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 10:07 AM

Thanks to all that responded. It's so helpful to have the perspective of others and I know it comes down to what do I do the best. I just love so many different forms of music but it can be like being a music chameleon. Listeners who have come to my concerts have put up with my changing styles...but I guess to get any depth with it, you need to concentrate on an area. hmmmm...theres the challenge, what do I love the most that I want to give it my all?? Then, there is the crowd, will they support folk? I put on a black dress and sing jazz...theres always a job.hmmmm......Interesting dilemna......??

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: M.Ted
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 10:59 AM

If you are looking for focus, remember that you can focus on either subject, style, or image-- If you chose a subject, say children's songs, you can have a lot of latitude in style--no one may even notice if you go from a folk song to a swing tune, to a reggae thing--If you choose say, bluegrass, you can do any tune you want, as long as it has that dang-diddle-ang-diddle-ang-dang sound to it--but image is probably the best choice, because you create a larger than life personality, and you can fit select subject and style as they suit you--

People tend to think of David Bowie or Madonna when you talk about image, but Pete Seeger is a great example of a performer who has created used his image as a way of tying together about the most diverse bundle of subjects and styles of anyone ever! When you hear his name, the image pops into your mind instantaneously--the banjo, the face, the politics, and the voice, and it never occurs to you for on single minute that all that stuff he does, from Turn, Turn, Turn, to Guantanamera, to Bring Me Little Water Sylvie, to Where Have All the Flowers Gone, don't fit together in any other way--

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: Gary T
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 11:52 AM

I'm not a pro, but my niche is "songs that don't get heard enough." Covers a wide array of genres.

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: C-flat
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 01:40 PM

It's great to versatile in musical styles. I play in a couple of bands which are miles apart musically and I'm just getting started with a Django style trio (was a quartet but we lost the jazz violinist).I also love to drop in to a folk club and do a bit on my own. The problem would come if people were coming to see ME and expecting to hear a similar style of performance to what they'd seen before. From your post it sounds like you have a bit of a fan base (is my envy showing) and it's a risk to do an entirely different act to what you're known for.Of course you could gain a reputation for having a broad repetoire but how many audiences are appreciative of that sort of talent range? Presumably there are different "circuits" To showcase your talents on to avoid singing folk ballads to a room full of Miles Davis fans? I should have your problems!

Subject: RE: Is it necessary to have a niche in music
From: SharonA
Date: 22 Feb 02 - 06:31 PM

....Of course, once you have a niche, you should scratch it.

Sorry – couldn't resist!!