Tonight I am not going to write of music in the media, but I will write of music that we discussed in my writing class.  We watched a film on "Zines" which can have multiple definitions, but if I had to choose one, I would say that it would be defined as " a self-published magazine regarding a fanatical interest."  We watched the film and it stirred up different emotions within me.  Part of me understood where these "fanatics" were coming from , for we all some type of obsession in some way shape or form.  But another part of me was upset at the way these people seemed seemed to look down upon those who were successful in their own right.  I understand their point of  view in a sense. They feel as though once you become recognized from a successful corporation (lets say a successful magazine) then you lose who you are as an artist.  In class we discussed the fact that the good thing about Zines is the fact that the audience and the artist themselves seem to have more open communication with each other.  There is not that wall of corporation that is blocking you from the artist which can make some artists feel that they have a better connection with their audience.
  The argument that these "zinesters" make is regarding let say music is "How can you have a connection with an artist when you are one of thousands jam packed in a huge stadium?"  I can understand this point of view, but at the same time I also know that it is possible to have a connection with an artists even if you are one in a million.  The connection is made if you are a good artist.  If you have that "it" factor, then you can make that connection.  I have been to many different concerts of all different genres and I feel as though a person can decipher if an artist is truly a good artist based on the connection that they feel with them at a live concert.  For example, I went to a Fray concert last Fall shortly after (well maybe not shortly but months after) a Bruce Springsteen concert.  The difference was that of night and day for I couldn't make any connection at The Fray concert.  Although the music sounded great, I felt as thought they were just there to play and that was it.  The only thing that I could honestly focus on was the huge array of cell phone "lights" and bad singing by the audience.  I know I use Springsteen as an example quite often, but it is all in good reason.  I have attended his concerts and the experience is nothing short of a music revival.  He has the audience in the palm of his hand and we are  willing to be there.

Springsteen and the E-Street Band were always fully involved in the way that they were going to sound to their audience.  Here they are working in the studio.

  Springsteen is a perfect example of a successful artist that is still able to make a connection with his audience.  Do we physically always have to make a connection with the artist?  I mean, sure I would love a handwritten letter from Bruce Springsteen mailed to my door, but in all actuality that won't happen and I am perfectly fine with that.  I feel as though I already have that personal connection with the artist by listening to their songs and relating them to my own life.  The fact of the matter is that it is quite easy for an artist to lose their identity when being under the name a successful record label.  However, I believe that the artist has to create a certain balance between themselves and the record label.  Springsteen was an artist who could have lost his identity through the record label. After the successful "Born to Run" album, he had  a desire to want to take his music into his own hands.  Following many lawsuits, he finally regained his voice and was able to produce his next album. The artist first needs to gain and appreciate the help that they are getting from the record label, and then they can have the luxury to make changes later on.  Without that initial signing with a successful record label, there would not be albums. If I were a musician, I would thank my lucky stars that I was signed by a huge record company.  When push comes to shove, all humans want to be heard.  Every artist wants to get their message out to someone who can relate to their music.  Once you become successful, then you can have the luxury to make decisions for the way in which you want to portray yourself to your audience.  I believe that a lot of artists in my present generation simply get swallowed by a record label and do not create that balance of remaining true to themselves while also listening to the direction of the label.  I feel as though they get lazy and are too wrapped up in the glamour of the music industry and forget about who they are as artists.  In all actuality, the music industry shouldn't be glamours, or at least it wasn't thirty years ago.  Musicians struggled for their recognition and now it seems as though only the pretty faces can get a record label. 
   I want to wrap this up by just stating that there is no reason for  a person to blame another for being successful. You can express yourself through a successful magazine just like you would through a zine, but the zinesters in the film seemed to stubborn to negotiate with corporations.  Life is all one big compromise for goodness sake!  I mean,  a lot of their writing is great and unique and it probably should be read by many different people, but it will never get the chance for these writers are too stubborn to compromise with a successful corporation.  They need to grow up, and negotiate in order to get their voices heard.  Just because you are writing for a successful magazine, doesn't by any way mean that you are losing who you are as a person.  If these writers are so good then they should take on that challenge and see if they can write for a successful company without losing thier own identity.  That's the challenge that every writer has to deal with and it is only normal.  I felt such a sense of immaturity coming from these writers.  I felt as though they were complaining and felt a sense of sadness from each person in the film. If they know who they are as a writer and as a person, then they should find no struggle with losing their identity in their writing.