Greetings and salutations... on the topic of ego in music. Is it a good thing or a bad thing?
Well in my humble opinion, EGO is an absolute MUST! Inside every performer there is a little child screaming "LOOK AT ME! LISTEN TO ME!" and anybody who says otherwise is either full of shit or in in denial themselves! Someone says to me that they prefer a musician free from ego and I say "
Everyone has an ego, its the courage that gets you to ask out a girl that you fancy, some egos are stronger than others and the folks who possess these egos are usually your boss, an entertainer of sorts or a sporting hero. But for this purpose, we're talking about entertainers, specifically, performing musicians.
A true performer needs to want it beyond want! They want to be heard! They NEED to be heard! Or their precious art will be like that of the artists of yore, appreciated long after they have shuffled loose their ...mortal coil. If all a musician wants to do is play to near empty rooms or compose for performers that can't write for themselves, then I guess a larger than average ego isn't needed, but if they want to peddle their own wares, ego is your best friend! Folks want more bang for their buck! Your average concert/gig goer wants to be entertained! If they didn't they'd just stay home and listen to the (best case scenario) CD or (worst case scenario) illegal download!
Ego has copped a bad rap for too long! Just having an ego doesn't instantly make you an asshole, it gets you noticed, its your wingman when you're courting a new manager, agent, publisher, promoter or record label. Ego is what gets you over the line in both business and performance! Look at the biggest artists in the past 20 years, Guns N' Roses, Metallica, Madonna, Lady Ga Ga, Black Eyed Peas, the list goes on... their glorious Egos propelled them into the stratosphere beyond their dreams and into a reality that only their ego, talent and good fortune could provide in that order!
Bottom line... A musician without ego is a songwriter (which is very bloody valid in itself), not a performer. A performer has to have something driving them, that desire or EGO is what gets them a CAREER and not just a hobby! The truth can sometimes be an ugly thing, but it will set you free! \m/
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