A 'Real" Job

Eric Wilson - 2014


It is quite possible that I have not given my teenaged son enough credit.  What started as a gift of a guitar has transformed into a passion for music.  It has become an outlet for his creativity and an opportunity for him to express himself.  And how does he do this?  But of course, by grabbing his guitar, harmonica, and hat and heading out to a corner or local Starbucks and performing.  Yes, just what makes every parent proud: a sixteen-year-old boy without a steady job, whose hair is just a little too long, who is living out the dream of being a “street performer”.  But, it is quite possible that I did not give my son enough credit.

 In many ways, he is turning the system upside down.  He is performing with no guarantee of compensation or payment other than simple gratitude for a service rendered.  He is putting himself out there and getting rewarded – not only for doing what he loves – but by people who choose to support him.  Thinking about it further, I doubt he garners more than a couple of dollars most times, but instead receives the chance to share his passion with others.  What he has created is a symbiotic relationship of mutual respect and a small tribe that is not playing by any conventional rules.  And guess what?  He is not alone…

 Krista Branch – a singer and songwriter most known for her hit “I Am America” – is recording her first full-length album of original songs.  What makes this project unique is that her fans are funding it.  Krista used “Kickstarter” to allow fans to fund everything she needs to record a new album outside of the usual constraints of record labels.  Krista believes the best way to share her project would be to give those who love her music the chance to invest in it.  She needed to raise $20,000 to fund everything from studio time, audio production and mastering, all the way to manufacturing cost of initial CDs.  In just thirty-two days, she raised from her fans and 321 individual backers over $22,000 and confirmation that her project is worth continuing.

 She follows in the footsteps of other artists like Amanda Palmer – a well-known performer who does something radical: relies on her fans for support.  She cut her teeth starting as a street performer and carried that philosophy into her career, even after she sold millions of records.  ”Don't make people pay for music.  Let them.”  She says, “I firmly believe in music being as free as possible. Unlocked. Shared and spread.  In order for artists to survive and create, their audiences need to step up and directly support them.”

 Is this not – in a sense – the same thing we are doing here?  In many ways what I do here is no more than a glorified street performer. Brush Fire Forum is a free site supported directly by you.  We are measured and graded – not by what we did in the past – but by the next article or posting.  And in order for this to survive and for “brush fires” to continue to burn, you the audience must step up.  Not because you are made to, but because you want to. Shameless plug inserted here:

 This is in stark contrast to what we see in most people of power or fame today.  We live in a society where people are put on pedestals without accomplishing anything.  Nowadays, you must admire these people from afar and they stand untouchable – a society of peasants and stars where any public figure, rock star, or even politician is propped up as a celebrity.  They then live out the part by feeling a right or privilege for whatever they desire.  We have created a society tipped in the balance from producers to looters with the people at the top disconnected from those at the bottom.

 What would it be like if those in leadership roles would serve and then we had the opportunity decide if we liked the service they provided?  Imagine if politicians and public figures would listen to and respond to the people?  What if fame was not people’s motivation but instead a chance to share with others or help to a cause greater than themselves?  Maybe then we could conceive a relationship of true servant leaders and empowered supporters.

Watching my son Aaron on a street corner performing for total strangers and seeing that one person stop and place some change in a hat, I have to reconsider my previous misjudgment.  In many ways, he is personifying the traits of a true leader.  He has made himself reachable, put himself out there, and allowed people to decide for themselves how to react.  He is a living example that we should never be forced to respond but allowed to live in freedom and enjoy the liberty to do so.  It is quite possible that I did not give my son enough credit.  He is not a “street performer” but instead a leader in training.