What It Means to Be a Musician (Patreon)

Greetings my friends, this is a new blog I posted on my website. Obviously, you are all patrons. But in case, you're wondering, what the heck am I giving a few bucks for to this crazy musician, I thought I'd share it here too.

I want to thank you so much for your continued generosity and support of my craft. You are amazing!

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I am a musician.

That means I live off the generosity of others.

Yes. I create music for you. But I don't charge for it, per se.

I create. I share it freely.

If I am truly blessed, then you are kind enough to send a few dollars my way.

This is kind of different from the music business you may have casually seen in the past. You know, with the big record labels signing some new artist and giving them millions of dollars.

That's what it looks like from the outside. But that's not the reality of it.

In order for me to make a living with my art, I have to create. Often.

I have to share. Frequently.

I must promote. Constantly.

And I must hope that someone like you loves what I do enough to buy a songbook, sticker, shirt or CD.

Unfortunately, of those four S sounds (heh), the last is in jeopardy. People are not buying as many CDs.

I played Gen Con this year. My CD sales were 1/3 less than previous years.

Yes. My income dropped by one third!

There are MANY reasons this happened. But I am certain that one such reason is that you may not buy CDs any longer.

And that's okay. I don't begrudge you not buying CDs. I no longer have a CD player in my computer. I no longer accept CDs for my Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. I have access to the world's music library through Spotify for $10 per month. I love it.

But it does make songbook, sticker, and shirt sales all the more important at shows.

It also makes Patreon even more essential to my music career.

I am a musician in the New Music Business.

Patronage is the key to my success in this new business.

I still live off the generosity of others. But now, that generosity might include you giving $5 per month to help me create new music for you.

And that's what I'm doing. I released two new singles in the past six months. More are coming.

I also share sheet music, exclusive podcasts, and live streaming events. Yes, it helps support my weekly video shows. It allows me to create and share videos with my music. It's all-encompassing.

But Patreon is more than just about new music.

It's about supporting the music you love. It's about standing for something important to you.

It's about joining a movement.

If my music moves you, then Patreon is the ideal way for keeping that music alive.

So if you are a Patreon supporter, I thank you.

Every day, I thank you.

Your kindness goes far. It feeds my children. It puts clothes on our backs. It pays utilities and housing costs. It keeps our cars running. It allows us to have a decent quality of life.

You also allow me to be me, to create music at my leisure, to celebrate my Celtic culture and geeky fandoms.

So Thank you!

If you're not, that's okay too. I want you to feel joy and have fun through my music. That's my mission.

But I can't complete that mission without your generosity. I would like to ask you to support my music.

Make a pledge on Patreon today.

You can give $1, $2, $5, ten dollars, twenty dollars, fifty, a hundred... Whatever you like. I am deeply grateful for your generosity.

Thank you so much for your continued support.

Slainte!Marc Gunn, The Celtfather