Rant: Why I'm not BRIX BOSTON on Steemit

I was reading this post from @edje about verifying who you are on Steemit so people know your music is yours.

Before I get into my rant, let me establish my own identity:
Here is my Introduction Post
Here is my Verification Post

Now I'm going to get a bit DEEPER here:

Here is my actual ASCAP card.

Here are some random Magazines sent to me.

I decided to join Steemit (in I think February, 2017) as a PERSON, not as my music PERSONA.

My day in the sun is over— for the most part. In a way, I've missed the boat.

You see, I entered the Music Industry before the internet was invented, at the tender age of 11. There were no smart phones in those days. Making a song cost thousands of dollars. Making a music video was beyond the financial reach of the average youthful budding artist. Those were the days you needed a record deal. And I got one. In fact, I've had several. And I got my first introduction to industry politics as well. I was, essentially, a tax write off. I got shelved.

When Myspace launched I was one of the first people with an account (same with Facebook) because I was lucky enough to have an AOL broadband account. I was part of the Boston Computer Society (community service... smh) and so I was got on the PRE-TilaTequila wave of Myspace. I did super well. And I was able to make a living as an indie musician for quite a long time.

But things changed and continue to change. The game changed. The internet changed. Most notably, I've changed. I had kids. I've gotten older. I have a 401K plan now. My interests have expanded. Music didn't grow with me though.

I think it's pretty AMAZING that young people can now get on their smartphone, make a song with a $32 mic from Amazon, make a video on their iPhone, and gain a million followers on Snapchat for it. That is instant fame by my era's definition. There's literally 14 year old kids who make a hit (subjective) and end up on the tonight show, because their video went viral. Being a musician in my day was the grind. While I don't believe it's a competition between the old school and the new school, we just didn't have the advantages artists have today.

This is not to compare, but myself and a lot of other Gen X indie musicians aren't as relevant and can't become as relevant as the kids doing it. Many of us don't even WANT to be relevant anymore. We don't want to be COOL by today's standards (e.g. eating Tide Pods, dressing like lunatics, acting 12 at 30, etc.)

I consider myself RETIRED, and I do other things. Still, I have come to know many musicians who have gotten their chance in the spotlight. And that makes me feel good. To have been associated with WU Familia, get to know folks who some would consider idols, and become friends with them as peers was amazing. I have no regrets.

I started rebuilding a studio this year because I was thinking I'd take my experience and connections and help new artists bridge new technology with the old music industry; at least hip hop (you know, the Puffys and Fiddys.) It may be a good chance to explore my music again, and my art, and again give it a shot- but just in a different way.

I'm really hoping to figure it all out and how to use the technology for real in a practical way for regular users. I hope to find a way artists can make a living as artists without "The System." And I know there are artists (like 50 Cent) who are already on the crypto-train, but just have lived in celebrity mode that swimming with the minnows is a bit intimidating. I believe that can change.

Anyhow, to digress, I may start a few extra pages later as I now see that it helps to really have a blog be niche specific here. In the meantime, this blog is just ME- the person, the Bostonian, the woman, the mother. However, I am also an artist, a musician, a coffee addict, a weirdo, a dreamer, a doer, an entrepreneur. I think the blockchain is big enough for all of me.

/end rant/