The Decluttering Project: Day 3

Howdy! Today I wanted to reflect on my feelings about getting rid of my stuff.

I would probably get rid of most of my stuff without the slightest hesitation.

However, my piano is a different story.

About my piano

My piano has been with me for more than 10 years. I have recorded and published fourteen albums with it during this time under the Bosques de mi Mente moniker.

Furthermore, the piano always was that shelter I kept on resorting to when I needed a moment of peace. Work, stress, traffic jams… As soon as I started playing, it all disappeared.

However, a piano is not only a big piece of furniture you have to carry with you forever, it’s also a commitment. You need to play it often, rehearse, and also take care of it, make sure it gets tuned often, etc.

Additionally, after ten years of releasing music, I would probably have earned around 3k. That is less than what I earn from freelancing for two weeks.

Yes, it’s not about the money, but recording 14 albums is a lot of work, time, and effort… I would say I have quite a following on Facebook and Twitter. People send me emails telling me how much my music helped them… but then again, when I release a new album, I have hundreds of likes… and sell seven copies.

If everybody that clicks on “like” or leaves a comment actually bought the album, I will consider investing more time and effort in music. Needless to say, in the era of Spotify, Apple Music, and Mediafire, everybody wants everything for free. And that’s ok, times change, and business models should adapt or die.

The emotional toll

Composing and releasing music is a very personal experience. You become emotionally engaged with your music.

In my case, my music has been used throughout the years for commercial purposes without my permission, for disgusting things like promoting guns (which I’m completely against), and misused/abused in many other different ways.

Being an indie composer and musician, you can’t really do a lot against these attacks on your intellectual property. However, you try of course, and end up spending time -and sometimes money- on something that makes you feel miserable. And of course, the bad guys usually win, so additionally you are left with the feeling that your work was not worthless, or worth fighting for.

I think this is worth going through if you can really make a living out of your music. If you sell 10000 copies of an album, you don’t really care if someone is stealing your music and using it without your permission. However, if you are like me, after some years you start to realize you are giving your time and effort for free so others can benefit.

Getting Rid of the piano

To summarize, is it hard for me to get rid of my piano? Absolutely. It is, without a doubt, the object I am more emotionally attached to.

Am I ready to let it go? All things considered, I have to say, yes, I am.