Peter left excellent feedback in my last post below regarding my abundant use of the term “indie” in GarageSpin:
“You are trying to talk to us, normal people struggling in the music business. And on that note of struggling maybe being “indie” as in “independent” actually *isn’t* what it’s all about these days. Maybe we should be finding new ways to *depend* on each other so we can stop being bitches (In the prison inmate sense) and start being an actual economic force (Bitmunk?). Please drop the “indie” pretension.” (full comment here)When I started this blog, I wanted to write from the trenches, to immediately find and interact with fellow music enthusiasts that were interested in the process of writing, recording, and/or promoting music independently of record labels using the latest tools available. I’ve used “indie” to communicate a more general, entrepreneurial independence of action relating to one’s musical tastes and practices. Ok, that being said, I’m not 100% positive I consciously thought about it that much. Mostly, I’ve been trying to make my subject focus clear to first-time visitors; perhaps I’ll try to curb that somewhat. However, Peter raised another important issue. Perhaps terms such as “indie” and “independent” are inappropriate on a site attempting to address and create a community. Perhaps the message of “independence” that we deliver to each other by claiming to be “indie” hampers our ability to collaborate and support each other? Are we erecting creative silos by isolating ourselves into independent entities that are less powerful than the ‘whole’? And do I really use the term all that much? 😉 I’m still thinking about this, and would love to hear your thoughts. Peter, thanks for your feedback, it’s genuinely appreciated. Don’t stop. ]]>
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