You're in the same boat as a lot of your friends...

... but what if our ship's already come in, Omni?

Boats in Stonington, Maine

A couple years ago, I was referred to a business strategist who graciously agreed to consult with me. He has been responsible for catapulting several companies to huge success. As we talked, he painted grandiose pictures of what was possible for Omni Sound Project - partnerships, funding, grant money, speaking engagements, online learning software. 

But something was bothering me. As fascinating as he was, he never asked me about YOU. We didn’t talk about the community we’ve built, the comfort we find being around other women, trans, and non-binary musicians and engineers. We didn’t talk about what feeds my soul, what feeds your soul.

Well, we did, exactly once, when he told me that I’d never scale my business by asking you for community support, $5 at a time.

I hung up the phone, head swimming. Of all the intriguing suggestions the strategist presented, I only had one very clear conviction:

I don’t want to scale.

I’m noticing a shift in the music industry. People are tired. All we want to do is make music, but the focus is on explosive growth, growth, growth (or scaling), instead of creative satisfaction. I’ve spent far more time in the last three years making social media posts than I have music... a realization that makes me nauseous.

Even when I am writing music these days, I find my mind wandering... will this mix be considered polished enough? Would this song be suitable for sync licensing? Does the use of this instrument put me in a different genre?

How did this happen? Musicians are famously anti-big-box-capitalism, so how have we been hoodwinked into an obsession with money and fame, at the expense of genuine happiness and pleasure?

I don’t think the big box mentality is sustainable, and I think we are seeing proof of this globally. The desire to create local economies is not a new one, reemerging every few decades. I believe we are quickly shifting to the $5-at-a-time community support model, poo-poo’ed by successful capitalists.

Let’s stop scaling. Let’s start creating. Let’s embrace explosive growth if it’s born of acts of service and not soul-sucking marketing strategies.

We can make a new economy for creatives. Crowdfunding platforms like this one ensure that the people with the most valuable insights and art are directly rewarded. Physical merch allows us to feel connected to artists. And live shows allow our human flesh to feel soundwaves pulsating through our bodies, which can have a direct therapeutic benefit.

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Speaking of making music, I’m finally bringing a new song into the world. It’s my first solo recording in over 10 years and I’m petrified to share it. I’m shipping it off this week to a friend, the best guitarist I’ve ever known, and I’m hoping when his tracks are added to mine I’ll feel a little more brave about sharing it. I’m gonna share it, though, thanks to you, Omni. You inspire me, and I hope to do the same for you.

Demo of Let It Sleep, coming sometime in 2024

Thanks to everyone here who is supporting this community, $5 at a time. If you have more than $5 to spare, an annual membership is only $40 until the end of the year. Your contribution has a BIG impact in my world and allows for some stellar content coming your way in 2024… spotlights, interviews, audio notes, and song recipes that all uplift and celebrate marginalized folks in audio.

p.s. This week’s lyrics are a gimme, right? One of the greatest social justice tunes ever written, by one of the best humans ever… comment if you recognize it!

Dottie, in a coat, in the cold