The American Dream

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The American Dream Money, fame, and promiscuity are the three main components of the American Dream, and what better way to get to that level than through music? The truth is, almost any other profession has a higher statistical chance of achieving this goal. Musicianship is a nearly impossible career plan to survive with. An artist will spend incalculable hours learning and mastering their craft, only to be oppressed by the community. No matter how much time or money a musician spends on his/her creations, the world will typically find a way to avert their success. The fact is that buying a song or album won't affect the original artist in the slightest (economically speaking). If an artist is famous, it generally means that he/she is affiliated with a major record label, and therefore not autonomous. This is where the swindling comes in. Brian Reed proclaims that "A low-end royalty deal only pays 30 cents per album sale" (Who Really Profits From Your iTunes Downloads?). If one hundred full-length albums are purchased each day on this contract (which is outrageous, especially for an up-and-coming artist), the performer will make $10,950 in an entire year. If the musician is part of a band or group, then that profit still has to be split evenly amongst members. Nobody can live off of $11,000/year in the first place, so how is one supposed to support his/herself? The answer is simple: he/she must find a second job. The cost of being a successful musician is exorbitantly high. One must pay to record in a studio, to put all of his/her music on vinyl records or compact discs, to feed his/herself, etc. Sadly, a career in music will usually not give this person anywhere near the amount of money that he/she needs to survive. People often... ... middle of paper ... ...a bad decision. With that being said, one must be prepared to get knocked off the musical radar at any second, while industry workers remain without empathy. Whether it’s due to an economic, social, or physical problem, it is necessary to realize that everybody can fail in the music industry. After all, the American Dream really is just that - a dream. Works Cited Barnett, Laura. "Don't Give up the Day Job." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, 25 Jan. 2010. Web. 26 Feb. 2014. Finberg, Lars. "How I Survived Not Making Any Money in the Music Industry" The Stranger. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014. Reed, Brian. "Who Really Profits from Your ITunes Downloads?" Investment Strategies, Education & News. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2014. Windermere, Anna. "What Are the Advantages & Disadvantages of Being a Professional Musician?" Work.chron.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Feb. 2014.

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