This passage is written from the perspective of someone who is a stakeholder in the Singapore music scene.
An observation that I have about small music scenes is the perceived differences between people who have a very “mainstream sound” VS “indie/alternative sound”. The music might sound different, but the material conditions of your music-making have a lot in common.
The concept of “material conditions” is loosely borrowed from Karl Marx’s historical materialism that, among other things, takes a closer look at various existential conditions behind the production of various objects & social relations in society. Things like class, living conditions, work/employment, income, and modes of production, etc.
To the average person-on-street, “local musicians” are really just one generic group of people who participate in musical activity in varying capacities. And for a group that’s supposed to be “local”, we’re ironically quite closed off from the rest of society. It is a highly contextual label that makes people cringe, laugh, cry, and celebrate, sometimes all at once.
Being “local” when all the music around you is “international” might trigger some kind of inferiority complex due to the challenges of our undeveloped industry. Being “local” in some circles might mean that you are some kind of “hip” tastemaker. But step into a different room, and you might be looked upon with disdain for being aloof and self-absorbed. And when you’re sitting at a table of policymakers, being “local” means you are part of the labour force (“creative economy” anyone?).
There’s no shame in being “local” all, but many of us are aspirational so we all want to break into other regional/international cultural scenes too. Many are eager to distinguish themselves from the rest thru various forms of cultural and subcultural capital.
Take a step back and examine the material conditions of our creative labour & music-making: Most operate as bedroom musicians or have home studios setups. Sometimes recording is done in a proper studio but that’s only when things get serious. Everyone’s using Ableton, Logic, Cubase, or Protools. Voice notes or garage band for newer entrants.
A good majority of us are from working- or middle-class backgrounds, lots of students in polytechnics/tertiary education, while the older adults have day jobs. Some are working professionals in the industry but hold positions in creative agencies, production houses, events companies, promoters, and record labels. We have actually have a lot in common with common people.
In terms of company structures, many operate (moonlight?) as SMEs or Sole Proprietors with no strong binding legal contracts because there’s not enough commercial interest. A lot of work is collaborative in nature and depend heavily on good vibes, creative alignment, and most importantly trust & reputation.
So please stop drawing lines in the sand and just make friends and collaborate with each other. If we don’t help ourselves, the government & general public sure as hell aren’t gonna give a damn about us. Brands, big labels, and corporates only care when you have audience. Until then, don’t deceive yourself and think that you are unique and special. Strip away the superficial stuff, we’re quite similar on the inside.
