Playing to the Crowd: Musicians, Audiences, and the Intimate Work of Connection (Postmillennial Pop Book 14)

In this evocative, thoughtful book, Nancy Baym's illustrative cases of musicians managing professional ties with fans echo the tensions that come with living any part of one's life in the heat of the internet's spotlight. In drawing this parallel, the reader can see herself in a host of Indie Rock pop stars as they manage what Baym dubs the "relational labor" of connecting with others while tending the fragile boundaries we all use to define a sense of self (and sanity) and nourish our creativity. The balancing act isn't easy and the pain of professional pressure to be more public or more "authentic" is captured beautifully in this book. For me, the book's immeasurable value is its prompt to rethink a basic question: what do we want from the relationships in our lives and what role do mediated connections play in that work? And Baym's work, ultimately, calls the question on the obsession with likes, followers, and other net metrics that don't generate or stop fame, in any coherent, predictable way. So, do we really all need to be online, all the time to build our professional brands? How liberating to see excellent research suggest, "Probably not!"

Worth keeping in the shelves for continuous reference and further reads hidden in the notes.

Most of today's musicians spend countless hours interacting with fans through social media. Why? As Nancy Baym thoughtfully explains, the practice of making music has evolved significantly over time. What was once a community activity turned into a commercial one in the 20th century. Musicians became products. More recently, the rise of social media and other digital communication platforms has reconfigured the relationship between musicians and their fans once again. While some artists relish opportunities to interact with those who appreciate their art, others are forced into such emotional labor engagements out of expectation or to achieve record label goals. In this book, Baym describes the complexity of this arrangement for both the artist and the fan. Highlighting the voices and experiences of musicians, Baym grapples with how new intimacies are produced and managed, and the costs that they have for all involved. As a fan, I found this book super thought-provoking in challenging my own expectations of musicians. As a scholar, I found the frameworks she offers for thinking about labor, media, and culture to be tremendously valuable.

Great, thought-provoking read about how the internet and social media are changing the landscape of the music industry and about what all people have the responsibility to do with that power, to create meaningful connection but with appropriate boundaries, for everyone's mental health. This book humanizes the musicians and delves into the modern-day struggles of having to make themselves noticed amidst all the noise, the problems of feeling the need to connect "authentically" with fans but struggling with balancing their personal lives with the professional demands of social media. But, it also reveals the upside of the unprecedented level of communication possible now between artists and fans. It's a reminder that though you can put a price on an album, on an mp3, on a concert ticket, you can't really put a price on how people make each other feel. As the book reminds us, "it is always appropriate to be kind," and in a time when so many people can be hostile over the relative anonymity and distance that the internet affords, it's a good lesson to remember.

The rise of social media and other digital communication platforms has reconfigured the relationship between musicians and their fans, as musicians now spend countless hours online interacting and engaging their fan bases. In her book, Nancy Baym describes the complexity of this arrangement for the artist and the fan. Certain artists relish opportunities to interact with those fans who appreciate their work and others feel way forced into emotional labor engagements out of the pure pressures and expectations to reach record label goals.Baym's approach specifically highlights the perspective of musicians and how these new intimacies are both produced and managed. As a musician versed in direct to fan, I found this to be a thought-provoking read and thought piece gleaning valuable insight to the dynamic of media and culture. Essential reading for the modern musician! As an industry person, the work is an absolute must-read for a key look at the perspectives of musicians navigating the new business models the digital age allows for.