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'Mainstream' - a principal current of a river, 1667, from main (adj.) stream, hence, "prevailing direction in opinion, popular taste, etc.," a fig. use first attested in Carlyle (1831). 

I propose that the concept of 'the mainstream', be it music, art, ideas, politics, entertainment and all other social constructs, is and has always been a social myth. 

The key to this argument lies in the cyclical nature of the market economy, political thought, and technological advancement. For sake of simplicity, I shall concentrate solely on the development and eventual disintegration of the concept of the 'mainstream'. 

What came before the MP3? The CD. 

And before that? Vinyl. 

And before that? Shellac and wax drums for musical boxes. 

And before that? Sheet Music. Musical Scores. 

As funny as it sounds now, at the very dawn of 'Popular Music' or pop, a 'Hit' technically accounted for the total sales of a sheet of music, a musical score. The expectation and reality of the market was solely reliant on availability of current technologies at the time (namely music boxes and pianos) and the musical ability of the consumer. 

For the main part it was more economic to purchase an upright piano rather than a the musical box, purchasing songs for a music box was a privilege of the rich. Imagine paying $500 for an mp3 track? No one in their right mind would, yet the physical nature of such devices meant that supplying a range of music for any device would be beyond the reach of the masses. The 'Player Piano' moved things along somewhat, creating rolls of punch paper reduced the costs considerably. For many this was new technology was still out of reach of the average, or even middle income family. 

For most, instead of an Ipod, there would stand, pride of place in the Sitting Room or Parlour, a basic upright piano, of which at least one member would be able to read and play music, and the others would at the very least need to hold a whole gamut of decent notes to make the performance painlessly entertaining. The more savvy music publishers (yes they were printers and nothing more), realized early on that if they wanted to increase their sales they'd need to expand their market. 

A few seemingly harmless pointers to publishing a popular 'hit' led to a series of hard and fast rules that held back the creative growth of the music industry for over a century. 

Family friendly. Their market was the Middle-Class Family, they had money, Sunday Evenings with little to do, a strong moral and religious upbringing and a very definite idea of what music should do. 

It shouldn't offend, anyone, anywhere, anyhow. It cannot include any mention of any controversy. The melody must be light, instantly engaging and simple to follow. The whole family must be able to join in and not feel awkward or embarrassed in anyway. Basically hymns. 

The market began to fracture eventually, songs for the kids, religious, risque ditties for young lovers and dirty old men, then came style... jazz, blues, big band. Finally wax rolls for musical boxes gave way to shellac and eventually Vinyl discs and as the sound quality improved, and the availability increased and prices reduced, finally those that played the piano instead of a Gramophone, were the rare exception. 

The World has changed a lot since then, but as with all things fashion has a funny habit of repeating itself. More and more iPod fans and mp3 addicts are beginning to manipulate their own collections, with the development of a whole series of cheap and cheerful music mixing software releases on the way, it doesn't seem so far-fetched to imagine a time in the not so distant future where rather than the 'Mainstream' we will be talking in terms of Single Streams, or even the 'Onestream'. 

In the past the more forward thinking printers and publishers of the day decided to buy music from songwriters for a pittance, sometimes even steal them outright and make all the profit for themselves. Now things are changing beyond belief.

Anyone can make music to a point with the aid of software and electronic instruments that a child could learn and play within minutes. With the increased interactivity involved in many of the new technologies, the PC being the original focal point, most consumers are no longer purely consuming, they are now producing. Be it their own Tivo TV schedule, the play list on their iPod, the answer phone message they recorded themselves. Consumption was never a creative act, but finally it seems technology is enabling individuals to come to that conclusion by themselves. 

Eventually few people will purchase entertainment in any form, simply the means to produce it. As part of my Fine Arts Degree many years ago, I specialized in Photo Montage, appropriating and aggregating a variety of disparate images, and manipulating and combining them to form a new and original work. Nowadays few would ever consider going through the rigmarole of cutting and pasting printed matter when a graphics program and the Internet can provide vast more choice in subject matter and imagery. 

Technology has led our actions, or rather inaction for most of the 20th Century, in the 21st we are witnessing the slow decay of Consumerism itself, and at the beginning the first change we are all both witnessing and providing, is technological manipulation of consumer goods. 

As the manufacturers of multimedia devices finally catch up with demand we will witness more and more graphic and sound interactivity to the point that most products will simply enable us to create our own entertainment, as we have in histories past. The only difference is that your Bedroom DJ Mix is now heard by the world rather than an unwilling friend or family member. Local heroes and heroines will be born, down the road from my place are the band Keane, a very successful UK pop band from Battle, Sussex. Without the proliferation of social networking technologies I doubt that their meteoric rise to fame would have been as startling. 

Other more stark examples are Gnarls Berkley and the Arctic Monkeys, who via the Myspace.com service have become major players in the world music scene. This isn't simply a technological change. The 'Futurism' Arts Movement at the turn of the last century was obsessed with painting fast cars and trains and planes, as much as a young boy might do these days. No one wants to draw an MP3 player, no one wants to write a poem about their Xbox. People want to 'use' them, and they do, all of them. 

The idea that materialism can enable anything other than a show of wealth has changed, we no longer have toys, we have tools. Consumption is now lured by the idea of Production, the snake is eating itself. 

Within your lifetime, your or someone you know will produce something remarkable, the miraculous is about to become commonplace and the 'Mainstream, obsolete. 

The mainstream is diverging into a billion tributaries, the concept of popularity, and eventually mass advertising will dry up, along with monolithic centralized institutions and corporations. We as individuals are finally learning to disagree with each other, we are taking informed and personal choices in our consumption, and eventually the production of our own 'streams'. We fish for ideas, we take those ideas and create our own unique range of arts, entertainment and individual understanding of the world. And when we're bored with our own minds, we trade our goods with others, some like-minded, some not so. 

Music, Art, Entertainment, conceived, designed and produced by the individual for the individual. Very much the way we began. Travelling Minstrels, visiting one village and the next, trading music, trading styles, ideas, even new technologies, but for the main part from home. 

There never was a mainstream, the concept of the mainstream was conceived for the convenience of unwieldy organizations with little ability or even impetus to change. Like a vast dam, blocking and filtering the river, it is now beginning to crumble, and creative sources and flowing in from all directions, a veritable waterfall of new ideas, sounds and images are about to be born. 

Music can be beautiful, and for those who play an instrument, the musical experience is even richer, especially if you want to be a professional musician. No matter what your chosen instrument is, there is a professional path. Some desire fame. Others simply want to get paid doing what they love. No matter what your goals are, there are things to consider that will help put you on the path to success. 

Here is some advice on what you need to know to become a musician. 

Choose Your Instrument. This may seem obvious, but some musicians have a difficult time focusing on just one instrument. If you want to be a professional musician, your chances of making a lucrative living will be greater if you spend all your energy focusing one thing. Of course, there are people who make a good living at a few different instruments, but they are the exceptions. 

Get to Know Your Instrument. Once you choose your instrument, the next step is to practice, practice, practice. Not only practice, but get to know your instrument as much as possible. If you play the guitar, get to know the fretboard to the point where you can visualize it. Learn all the chords and scales you can, etc. The more you know your instrument, the easier it will be to become a success. 

Take lessons. Another essential step to becoming a musician is to take lessons. You may think you can learn all there is to know by yourself by reading books, etc. But, working with a teacher has a lot of benefits. They can help point out weaknesses, thus shortening your learning curve. They can also help expand your knowledge by encouraging you to play things you wouldnít normally play. 

Find Reasons to Perform. A big part of being a musician is your ability to perform. That is why you need to find reasons to play your instrument in front of people. Join the school band. Start a rock group. Visit coffee houses and play your instrument. Do what you need to do to get experience playing in front of people. The more you do this, the easier it will get. 

Consider Music School. Another option is to consider going to a performing arts high school or university. Specialty schools can help shape you into a great musician, and also open doors that you may not have considered. Of course, there is a down side to going to a school devoted to the performing arts. Many musicians find these environments stifling. 

Your Goals. There are so many roads you can travel down to be a musician, the only way to really keep it straight is to set goals and define your own path. Decide what type of music you would like to play and exactly what you want to do with your career. If you want to start a rock band, make that your goal. The end result may be to get discovered by a top producer, or make a living performing with your violin, etc. 

Everyone wants to be famous: live in a mansion, drive a sports car, tour the world in your private plane, date a model, float around in the pool while collecting royalties for CD sales, and drink beer right out of your private tap. But not everyone is aware that, with any career that has the potential to end in a bounty of riches and beautiful babes, climbing your way to rock stardom is very hard work. 

So, how does your average musical genius go from penniless Pop Tart-eater to Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous? How do you move on up from momís garage to a deluxe apartment in the sky? Whatís your first baby step on the Yellow Brick Road to fame and fortune? Thatís simpleÖbe committed! 

It sounds silly, but many a musical boat has sailed with a crestfallen unsigned artist standing confused on the dock, for lack of nothing else but follow-through. Commitment to your deeds and plans is the single most essential skill towards achieving your goal of Ultimate Superstardom. Entertainment is a fickle business and chances donít come along every day. One missed opportunity now could have spiraled into dozens even hundreds of opportunities down the line. 

It may be true that talent is a gift you carry with you from birth, but commitment is a learned skill that you need to hone every day. So, how can you make sure that youíve got what it takes to gather up your supreme musicality and conquer the universe with it continuously? 

The following are a few tips that may help you to make sure that youíre truly committing yourself to your musical career on a daily basis: 

1.) Follow Up On All Leads---No matter how insignificant they may seem at the time, itís important to follow up on every musical lead thatís thrown your way. Letters, calls and emails should be answered politely and in a timely fashion. New contacts should be logged in your address book for future correspondence. Opportunities should be taken, invites accepted, and chances to network relished. By starting out with just these simple rules youíll watch your resources and mailing list grow. Suddenly youíll have music community friends with which to share your leads and ideas, ask advice, trade experiences, and combine talent and energies. Through these friends, youíll meet new friends and fans and from them even more new connections. Soon, youíll have so many opportunities that your concern will change from lack of opportunity to lack of time in the day to pursue each new chance. 

2.) Just Show Up---Sounds so simple itís stupid, but youíd be surprised how many talented people have fallen by the wayside because they were unable to simply show up. Cancelled gigs, forgotten meetings, and missed auditions say to the Musical Powers That Be, ìIím a huge flake who doesnít think your opportunity is worth a half-hour of my precious time.î This is a really bad thing. Entertainment is a small town with a huge memory. Donít give people any reason to think that youíre not the person they want to work with, give the job to, book for the gig, sign to their label, write about, talk about, and help any way they can. Remember there are tens of thousands of musicians waiting to take your place, so step up to the plate and seize each chance with optimism and enthusiasm. 

3.) Take Initiative---Donít wait for opportunities to come to you. The world is a virtual cornucopia of information, so reach out and nab yourself some chances at stardom. Comb the internet, join music communities, visit open mic nights, take classes and workshopsÖput yourself out there where there are cool musical happenings and let others know that you can be relied upon and want to be involved. By going out and seizing your own opportunities, you may double, triple, etc. your resources and chances, and expedite your journey to success. 

4.) Do The Best Job You Can---As important as it is to show up, it is also essential that you come off efficient, talented, and professional when faced with a new opportunity. Being there is half the battle but the other half is being the best that you can be and impressing industry, press, clubs and your fellow musicians enough to make them want you to be involved in anything and everything they do. Make a commitment to put on the best live show possible, to have a terrific CD, to make a professional presskit, and to spread the word about your music. Be punctual, be courteous, be positive and be fun. Donít give anyone any reason not to work with you again and youíll see that it becomes easier and easier to get what you want for your artistic career. 

It really is as easy as simply showing up, following up and giving it your all. Making it in music is not impossible; itís just a lot of elbow grease, a little organization, a bit of strategy, and the simple sculpting of your talent into a marketable commodity. There are thousands of chances offered every day to musicians...reach out and grab them by the handful, make every opportunity your own, get everything you want from this business and when youíre richer than Oprah and more famous than Madonna, remember that it was you who made it happen. You were a pro. You showed up. You committed. 

Hi everyone! 

My name is Kim Wist and Iím a professional magician from Finland. Finland is a rather small country, and we have only about 10 professionals who make their living on performing magic. 

Despite this above mentioned fact, I do around 150 gigs per year, and that is about as much as I can handle. 

I have been around the world in many magic conventions and seen a lot of good performers and sleight of hand artists, but the big question remains; why do some make a living performing this art, and other donít. 

Is it personality? 

To some extent I would say yes, definitely. You have to be an open person and you must find it easy to communicate with people. Letís say you do close up magic (which I strongly suggest you should also do if you want to make a good living in magic) but you find it difficult to confront people up close. This will obviously make you somewhat unnatural and the audience senses this very quickly. 

It is of vital importance for a performer to be very bold, strong but at the same time sophisticated and not too aggressive. It is very important to be able to read the audience correctly and to ëtune iní into the audience. 

A performer is not just anybody. He is someone people are used to look up to, give him the space and enjoy the ride. But if the ride is not enjoyable and the performer is uncomfortable it will end up very quickly. 

Is it my technique? 

The skill of the performer is also very important. A skillful performer always gets credited, take for example a good juggler; it is enjoyable to watch heís pure skill and the excitement of the art. 

So being skillful is also important and will add up to the total entertainment value. This should also not be overused and never just show off, blend skill into the performances with taste. We are speaking of the whole package here and that is what people are going to remember. 

What magic style should I choose? 

Well, obviously the one that suits you best, but there can be variations and exceptions. 

What I do, is mixing comedy and magic. This is very common and many do this, but you need to be very good and very funny to make it really pay off. 

Let me give you an example: 

I used to perform more seriously, but I also wanted to have comedy in my shows. I ended up being confusing and probably not funny at all. I thought that the tricks I do will make people wonder and it is not so important what I say. Still after many performances I felt confused and lost. I havenít found my stage person, and I did not get the reactions I knew were possible.

Then I saw a younger friend of mine perform in a magic competition. He was so funny I could not believe it, the audience loved him and he was having a good time on stage. 

This was a big lesson for me. 

I started to work with my program from scratch and really going through every second of it. What I say, how do I look, what gestures etc. 

I had always on my mind my goal, which was to do good quality tricks but to be very funny at the same time. I rehearsed my show over and over and left out parts that did not really work and finally ended up with a 15 minutes of solid material. 

I went to gig with this material and the response was amazing. People laughed, enjoyed themselves, and wanted to get my cards more than everÖ 

I knew I was on the right path. 

Then I started to do the same to my close up magic. I was always a more natural close up worker than a stage performer, but I took my close up to another level also. 

Finally I had a stage personality and I knew what I was doing and what I wanted to do. 

What a relief and how nice it felt doing gigs and make people happy. 
That is the secret how I get so many bookings. 

Marketing is important, but the most important is the gigs you do, because there is always someone in the audience who is arranging a party in the near future and need a good entertainer. And the word gets around. Many times when a new customer calls me, he says he got a reference from somebody else who had seen me somewhere. 

Customers want to get a good performer, because we all experienced the annoyed feeling a bad performer generates and if you do corporate magic you will never be booked again if you do a bad job. 

Summing it up; be natural with people, practice your art, practice and review your show and donít risk anything. Have a complete script for your show and follow it. 

Keep improving and the gigs will come. 

I hope you found something of value in this short article and wish you good luck and happy performances. 

Magically yours 
Kim Wist 

web: http://www.kimwist.com