How much for that House of Songs?

I had the pleasure of playing a show with Dave Madden, Chris Hawkes, Sara Hickman (2011 State Musician of Texas), and about 15 other really great performers on Friday night.  Here's a video of my doing a request from a patron in San Fancisco: Drive (the password is "cars").

Dave spent months arranging the music.  We've all spent years honing our performance chops.  It was so much fun, and basically... none of us made money.

And it got me thinking, if we're not being financially rewarded for our work, why do this at all?

The reason of course is that music is worth more than money.  We value it in our hearts, but there hasn't been a very effective way to get our wallets into the game.

Since Friday night's concert was co-presented by The House of Songs, let's look at what it really took to make it happen in the context of building a house.  And since artists are community property in a way, let's call this house a community center:

Construction costs, John Pointer Community Music Center:

• $50,000 - piano, cello, percussion, and guitar lessons, ages 5-18
• $25,000 - instruments to learn with
• $25,000 - one year of music studies, room, and board at Univeristy of Texas at Austin
  • Quantity: 6 years
  • Total: $150,000
• Total materials estimate: $225,000
• $25,000/year labor costs
  • Quantity: 15 years as a professional musician
  • Total: $375,000
    

Total construction estimate: $600,000

But we're not done.  Dave Madden is worth about the same.  Sara Hickman is worth more.  Chris Hawkes, AnnaMarie Jensen, Bryan Austin... we're not just building one.  That night of songs was a whole network full of community music centers, serving two continents.

So let's say the average is $500,000 per unit.  There were 21.  That means it took about $10.5 million, just to put on one night of music.

So why is it that artists are expected to build and build and build, but are rarely compensated fairly for the work?  I think it's because it's been so hard to translate the value of music into dollars.  They are not naturally related, especially not in the US market economy.

Now, I don't expect you to personally buy the whole Dave Madden Community Music Center, but someone needs to start paying rent or the walls crumble, the foundations crack, and the art disappears.  If you spent half a million dollars and a couple of decades building a community center, wouldn't you hope that the people who valued it and used it would chip in toward keeping it bright and vibrant?

Now... I know that no one likes a complainer, and on Easter, no one needs to hear another sermon. 

I paint this dreary picture only to illustrate the power of patronage.  For every 104 patrons at the site average of $11.50/mo, an artist clears $1000/mo.  With only 416 patrons in the entire world at that rate - equivalent to two visits to Starbucks per month - a compelling, dedicated artist like Dave could earn $48,000/year.

In that situation, he could really create art to move hearts, minds and mountains.  He could afford to share it with the rest of the world without having to hustle 99 cents out of every passerby.  He could go out and perform to his highest capability, having dedicatd most of his time to practicing for your pleasure, and for the benefit of anyone with ears to hear, and a heart to listen.

Doesn't that sound like a better way?  Don't you want to work with your favorite artists to create a world more reflective of that vision?

And most importantly... is there an artist or two on this site with whom you would like to do just that?

I beleive this is the future of music, but that's my job. 

I also beleive that only you can decide to take up the challenge, and only you can make that future a reality. 

And I sincerely hope you do.