The Desert of Arizona
Sunny 34 Degrees
Enya recently released a new album. It’s been seven YEARS since the last one.
She doesn’t tour, she doesn’t really even perform live. She certainly isn’t spending her time blogging, or doing Facebook ads or anything like that.
She does what ENYA does.
Oh, but she can do that… she’s ENYA. Well, you’re right. But she’s been doing that, pretty much from the beginning.
She doesn’t play by the rules of the game because she’s playing another game.
Now I never became a big classical music star, even though I did go to music school. People aren’t exactly busting down the doors to get into pipe organ concerts these days.
But this guy is becoming a bit of a star. And he does play the pipe organ.
You’ll notice the first sequence in that video is of him taking his shirt off. A PIPE ORGAN PLAYER. From experience, I can tell you that this is not something you normally see. 🙂
But he does a lot of stuff like that. Who transcribes a Chopin piano etude for organ and plays it in white… with SEQUINS?
You know what the highbrow “critics” in the industry think of him? I’m paraphrasing here but… They think he’s a disaster. A “mess.” An “abomination to the industry.”
Except for one thing… people LISTEN because he’s saying something real and interesting. Not the critics so much, not the old traditional “fuddy-duddies.” I’m talking about normal people. He knows who he is trying to reach.
He’s not playing the same game as everyone else, so the rules simply DON’T apply.
From the L.A. Times:
“Carpenter is one of the rare musicians who changes the game of his instrument… He is a smasher of cultural and classical music taboos. He is technically the most accomplished organist I have ever witnessed… And, most important of all, the most musical.”
From the NY Times:
“Extravagantly talented… the audience’s response was raucous… everything he touches turns fantastical and memorable…”
So the question really is, are you playing “their” game or a game of your choosing?
If you play “their” game, that is the game of your industry, you will be one of many. Good luck with that!
If you make up your OWN game, you win before you even start. The longer you go, the more of a lead you build over the pack.
Obviously, sequins are optional…