"There was a man who invented the art of making fire. He took his tools and went to a tribe in the north, where it was very cold, bitterly cold. He taught the people there to make fire. The people were very interested. He showed them the uses to which they could put fire - they could cook, could keep themselves warm, etc. They were so grateful that they had learned the art of making fire. But before they could express their gratitude to the man, he disappeared. He wasn't concerned with getting their recognition or gratitude; he was concerned about their well being. He went to another tribe, where he again began to show them the value of his invention. People were interested there, too, a bit too interested for the peace of mind of their priests, who began to notice that this man was drawing crowds and they were losing their popularity. So they decided to do away with him. They poisoned him, crucified him, put it any way you like. But they were afraid now that the people might turn against them, so they were very wise, even wily. Do you know what they did? They had a portrait of the man made and mounted it on the main altar of the temple. The instruments for making fire were placed in front of the portrait, and the people were taught to revere the portrait and to pay reverence to the instruments of fire, which they dutifully did for centuries. The veneration and the worship went on, but there was no fire…"
This story from Anthony de Mello's book "Awareness" is a perfect parable to showcase how ruthless gatekeepers insert themselves between the bearer of many kinds of fire and the ones that live in the bitter cold. It is particularly applicable with regards to the spiritual quest, where the bearer of truth and light is so often misrepresented and ultimately crucified by those that are the alleged rightful representatives of the truth-bearer. What they are really about is to suck up all that energy and devotion that the truth seekers are emitting in their efforts to become one with the light.
The same thing can be said about music and the world of arts. Instead of serving the ones in need by giving hope and soothing fears, music and arts have become an industry - a deception with the sole purpose of making the gatekeepers even richer and more powerful. Mercilessly, they make sure that only those can get in, that are prepared to abandon all that is true and beautiful in the artistic endeavor and replace it instead with a cynical and vulgar forgery that is designed to only resonate with the lowest version of ourselves.
So, what to do? Realize this: you don't need the gatekeepers! The bearers of light are out there and looking for you. They are easily distinguishable from the gatekeepers in that they are not interested in recognition or your followership, they do not put themselves between you and the truth and they do not fabricate conditions and dogmas that you must fulfil in order to be whole - they simply want you to be well. However, true bearers of light are few and far between and will defy all preconceptions you will have of them, whereas gatekeepers are abundant and eagerly trying to embody your cliché of a light-bearer.