Passion vs. Game: A UCC Student’s Story

 ‘I feel like there's no place to begin... The music industry comes to you if it wants ya, you don't go to it.’- Cormac Porter.Two almost inseparable things come to mind when gigging, producing and performing enter the conversation: talent and the snakes and ladders game that is the industry. According to Cormac Porter, a UCC student, incredible producer and craftsman, there is no struggle with the music, ‘the struggle' lies within the backbone of trying to be known. He compares his experiences to a prostitute cloaked in the red and blue lights of an Amsterdam window, waiting to be noticed.Craftspeople like Cormac often have to choose between respect and paying the rent. It is not a choice for most. That being said, talking to Cormac I got an overall vibe that he would rather go broke than admit defeat.He compares his organic connection with music to falling in love - I have to disagree. To me, his connection seems more personal than falling in love. Cormac perfectly sums up his one constant, ‘I've looked back and said to myself that was my passion, is my passion and will always be my passion. I'll be doing this for my whole life.’But his passion can’t be ripped away without leaving behind the dark industry that brought the likes of Gorillaz, Caroline Rose and Funkadelic to his ears. Without the ‘masters’ to look up to, who knows if covers would still be posted online, people would become friends because of their matching band t-shirts, or if millions of pre-teens would be saving up for their first instrument? Cormac refers to the music industry as a frustrating game, an inescapable game for him. Talent does not matter in the long run, it is the individual’s passion and drive that achieves goals. Cormac admits it pisses him off but his answer to it is to make more music.  ‘I played a gig one night. It was shite. So I went home and made more music.’And so he sharpens his skills. ‘Writing a great verse is like growing a garden patch. There's no inspiration involved, just skill, the good stuff and the bad stuff and knowing which is which.’ Which ultimately leads to another crossover between the music game and his passion.Cormac, whether he is playing with his acts Economy or Trap Bitch, will always be Cormac Porter. The guy who rewrote leaving cert compositions, worries about whether people will like his next ‘choon’ as much as he does and, most importantly, the guy who never gives up.