“Economic downturns typically bolster creativity. A poor economy often forces us to look inward, and in doing so, we turn to the arts.” —Arien Rozelle (Feeling Anxious PR) For Matthew Roth the changes in the music industry are two-fold. On the one hand, there’s less money going around... but on the other, there’s a lot more going on nowadays than there used to. “I think it’s a lot harder now for bands to get noticed or to get label support. But I think that’s good. You really have to love what you’re doing. I think Brooklyn is still a fantastic place for bands in the early stages just because you have so many places to play and stuff to inspire you.” Arien Rozelle from Feeling Anxious PR is helping artists do exactly that. “New York will always have amazing musicians. It’s where you go when you want to pursue your dreams. And I don’t see that going away – ever. Additionally, economic downturns typically bolster creativity. A poor
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economy often forces us to look inward, and in doing so, we turn to the arts.” That’s something to think about: What if a bad economy is actually good for the arts? Is it possible that there is an inverse relationship between the health of a local scene and the health of the economy at large? After all, the last wave of big NYC indie bands (Interpol, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, TV on the Radio) happened right after the recession following 9/11…
Music Is for Lovers Although all musicians naturally hope to get to a point where music will be their full-time job, true artists make art because they need to, in some kind of spiritual way. The creative process might not bring food to their table, but it does feed them spiritually: Artistic creation generates feelings of joy and euphoria, makes people feel alive and gives a sense of accomplishment and purpose. It takes more than a bad economy to dissuade lovers from pursuing their love, dreamers from chasing their dreams. And if the best love stories are the ones that overcame the hardest of obstacles, a bad economy may as well be the best premise for a music renaissance.