For starters I'd like to say that honest true FEMALE composers and songwriters and performers are far and few between. Many, though of course not all, get caught up in the glamorous aspects of what it is to be part of the entertainment industry. Soon what brand you wear, size you are, car you drive, relationship you are in or not in and who you "roll with" mean more than what should be--the music and being yourself.
I have been lucky to have met women in the entertianment industry that have shed a bit of hope upon the fact that real true to themselves and their art composers and artist still exist. And to name a handful of those I have been lucky to know and meet are: Charlyn Bernal, Lisa Coleman, Honey LaRochelle, Susie Bench, Brooke deRosa and Macy Gray. I have been very lucky to have also studied with the most true-to themselves and honest composers out there, Illinois Jacquet, Joel Thome, Ira Newborn, Sonny Kompanek and Steve Sanberg--have all taught me to be tough, and in the end stay true to yourself.
In an industry so corrupted by a quick buck, etc. one might assume that a place like Los Angeles would be just reeking with sleeze...but to be honest, in my experience I have been lucky to meet and become friends with those that have been kinder than even some people I've known my whole life. Oh yes there are those that claim to be all into your music, will keep in touch and all that bull shit. Don't get me wrong it IS out there and you WILL meet them and they WILL try to screw you over...and no matter how slick you think you are...dude you WILL be fooled at least once. Don't kid yourself.
Now about what it is like to be out there right now.
You want the honest no bull shit Emily Carmen answer? It BLOWS [insert favorite curse here] DONKEY [leave to your imagination] BIG TIME!
Why?
well ok let's lay this out...
So you see, when composers constantly offer services for free...a lot of the time, MOST of the time the gigs that ARE out there are NONPAYING. Now, for a while it's all "that's cool i love the music this is awesome" But ha uh yeah ok man..now you have to pay your rent, buy clothes, you get sick, have to go to a doctor, gottah eat, shit, bathe--ya know the whole shin dig. Now these things called BILLS show up and you say to yourself "oh right how do i pay for that?"
Yeah...
There is this whole write up about the composers union...is this really going to happen? And...another question, will it truly make being a composer in this day and age better???
We'll have to wait and see.
SO what the hell is Emily Carmen going to do to pay her damn bills?
Well, as of today, I started my studies in Personal Training. Ill wait for the laughter to die down a bit.
Yes seriously I have decided to do that on the side. I'll get back to you on that in April when I'm certified...for now we'll..as John Lennon puts it "Let it Be" (WARNING: lame jokes will be throughout these entries if they annoy you read no further.)
