I don’t know how and why, but sometimes search algorithm can surprise. And not just surprise, but surprise in a good way. I was minding my own business when somehow I stumbled on the pretty old article on MusicRadar about Michiru Aoyama. The Japanese man who dropped his work when he was 38, and instead pursued his dream of becoming a full-time musician.
He accepted the full-time mindset to a point where he introduced a very strict regimen to his dream. Every day he wakes up at 5 AM and works on music. And not just works since he has a rather hardcore goal – by the end of each day he should upload an album.
He started this in 2021 and it is 2024, and the article is from 2023 and it looks like he isn’t going to stop. The guy is just a fucking monster of production. I mean, yeah, he works in the rather specific genre of ambient where nothing specific might happen throughout the whole song, but I dig it. I understand such genres and respect them. After all, at times everyone needs to listen to some calm, meditative music. Just to get on the same page with Zen and your inner spirit. Or something like that. I don’t know.
What I know for sure is that the guy is just a certified mad lad. What is even madder (is it even a word?) is that he makes a living out of it. Yep, according to the article, he earns $3k on a monthly basis which is actually very freaking cool. And he does it from Spotify alone (or almost exclusively from Spotify) which is also sounds crazy since their changes in politics make it hard for little musicians to even get somewhere, leave alone earn decent living.
Now, I don’t know how much is $3k in Japan. Maybe it is peanuts, but my wild guess is if you’re not living in Tokyo or some other expensive city, you’re safe and can afford a rather comfortable life with it. Especially if you’re a true Japanese man who can set a goal and stick to it with adamant conviction.
When I read articles like that, I feel optimistic. Like there’s still a hope for musicians who aren’t fall within paradigm. Musicians who produce music not widely accepted by the crowd. Ambient isn’t an extreme one, but on the other hand, in the environment where you have to be louder, faster, up-beater than others, ambient might not be it.
Also, such musicians like Michiru Aoyama are a good inspiration when someone keeps telling that music is dead and now you have to be a sellout to earn with music for a living. Turns out not necessarily. Of course, it doesn’t look like you’re going to earn millions with ambient music, but once again, if you’re writing music only because of money and dreams of getting filthy rich, maybe you should’ve studied investment banking instead? Just a thought.