I was on a couple of Zoom calls over the weekend at a writer’s conference. When one of my fellow authors found out that I wrote rock star romance, she said “I’m married to a musician – it’s not as glamorous as you might think.”
She’s partially correct.
It is glamourous. Successful musicians have money, privilege, and the types of experiences you can’t imagine. I know a dude who picked up a guitar because they loved Eddie Van Halen (DEVASTATED by the way) and found himself himself touring with the band – it’s crazy.
THE NOT-SO-GLAMOROUS LIFE
As someone who worked very closely with musicians for many years, I’ve seen first hand the struggles they have with relationships, drugs and alcohol and the feelings of isolation.
I began to delve into this in ENDLESS, where Ty struggles to deal with fame. For Ty, as a shy person, he is suddenly be forced into talking with hordes of people who he doesn’t know – but feel like they know him. You see his evolution from eschewing any interaction to embracing and owning his own notoriety.
In LIMITLESS, I take it further. Jace, for the most part, is a very well-adjusted dude with a supportive family. But he’s on the road for years at a time. Life goes on he misses a lot. Dynamics change. When he tries to assimilate back into the mix it’s hard.
SOCIAL CURRENCY
Social currency means the level of influence a person has on social networks (e.g. online and offline communities) and the degree by which people value you because of that influence.
It is one of the “celebrity culture” dynamics. An example of this is if you see a celebrity and get them to take a selfie with you, you’ll get more “likes.”
Many famous people, musicians or not, now face this new phenomenon. Fans “use” them for social currency. So, they become very protective of their inner circle – for good reason. You never know who wants to be your friend because they actually like you or whether
In Jace’s case, an old girlfriend wants something from him – and will do anything it takes to get it. Including going to the media – and social media – to get it. Being taken advantage of – or used – is something a lot of musicians struggle with.
SHOUT OUT
In conclusion – I want to shout out to a friend of mine who used to work for a big record label. She’s changed careers and serves as the inspiration for my character Lisa Kinkaid – so shout out to Jodi Jacobsen Milstein: https://jodimilstein.com/specialties/musician-support/
