Bob Lefsetz recently sent out an email titled “Quality” and producer Bob Ezrin responded with conventional wisdom. Let’s not forget that Bob Ezrin has seen his fair share of quality artists that would even make me envious, he produced Pink Floyd’s ‘The Wall’. This is what he says:

But unless it is especially touching in some way (even if it’s in a juvenile or prurient way), nobody will care and it will end up having no value at all. Which then goes to your title “Quality”. If a thing lacks quality of some sort, it will not touch anyone. It will simply be a not so special thing in a world of not so special things. It will blend in and disappear. But if a work or performance is of high quality and special, then it has at least a shot at becoming valuable to someone – and the person who creates it has a shot at being appreciated and rewarded for it. If I were talking to “struggling musicians” I would say:

First, be special. Make something of such high quality that anyone would care. And that’s not as easy as it sounds. Just because you can use a sequencer and play an instrument doesn’t make you an artist. You have to create something that is special – unique and capable of moving others in a meaningful way. Once you are truly special, truly great at what you do, you may have a chance at finding an audience willing to reward you for your specialness. More than likely you will not, because special – by definition – belongs to the very few. But if you do, then someone somewhere might recognize that and show up to help you to take your creativity out to a wider audience.

How do you get recognized in the first place? Play to people as much as you can. They will let you know if and when you are truly special because they will either begin to pay you to do this, to be able to be close to you – or they will ignore you. Play: in your town; at your school; in the next town over; on the web (but that’s a whole other and longer discussion); at parties – anywhere you can. If you have created something truly special someone will recognize this and the ball will start rolling.

But whatever you do, DO NOT pick a market and try to create for it. You may decide to do that later in life when you become so good at your craft that you can aim your creativity wherever you wish, even when it doesn’t please you. But you cannot start there. No one is born a hack. Hacks are failed or jaded artists, each and every one. First you must be able to create for yourself and find the way in which you may be special, and then you have to work on becoming really great at that. Create from your heart and from your will. Your will is what you use to keep you practicing and trying and trying to get better at what you do. Your heart is where the inspiration comes from to use that ability to make something really truly special. But above all DO NOT listen to critics, pundits or “experts” who try to bend you to what is happening now. By the time you get there, now will be long gone.