Posted on | May 7, 2009 | No Comments
I was surfing the BBC news website this lovely Saturday morning and came across an article titled “Music giants’ fortunes dwindle” (there’s a link at the bottom of this entry if you’re
curious). But the gist of it is that all of the major players on the music scene are watching their cash grow legs and wander out the door.
Why? Because their name, persona and talent is run like a business — businesses invest their money in stocks and bonds and use money to make money — and the stock market is like a goldfish
that’s not dead yet, but can only swim on its side (hasn’t kicked the bucket yet, but it’s standing near the bucket for ease of access)
Whenever there’s a major turn in the music industry my ears perk up, because it’s my business, too. I’m a card carrying member of the Musician’s Union, PRS, MCPS and PPL (aka – the people that
help with entertainment law and track royalties). So when the music industry starts to gasp for breath because of piracy and the lowering of music’s worth, it makes me wonder. (At the
very least… after all, this is brow-furrowing stuff…)
At the root of it I wonder how music could ever be worth millions at all. When you think about it in terms of The Beatles or Led Zeppelin, it gets easier, because they’re so influential (not to
mention freakin’ incredible). But as people begin to expect music for free, how do you fight it? And should you?
I grew up in a house FULL of (free) music. Two musical parents who have both writing music and gigging for my entire life (sometimes with me in tow). Every member of my family is musical
in some way and music is sometimes used as a substitute for conversation. Everyone grabs their instruments and the bluegrass talks instead. In fact, my grandma only recently retired from
her last (touring!) band. So I know for a fact that music is free…
I guarantee that you, my lovely and attractive reader, know someone musical right now. At LEAST one musical person. I bet if you picked up the phone, gave ‘em a call, and asked if you
could go to their house and listen to them play a coupla songs they’d be PLEASED AS FREAKIN’ PUNCH to play some tunes for you. And there it is again – Free and beautiful music on tap…
Is this where the industry is headed? Small intimate music scenes? The triumph of the cottage-music-industry? Maybe next time you go to your friends house you bring a couple of
friends… then 10 people turn up… then 25… and the next time you have to book a venue instead because there’s not enough room and everyone chips in so the muzo doesn’t end up
out-of-pocket. Alakazam! – it all begins again…
As the music industry continues to try and Houdini itself out of it’s current pickle, it’s only a matter of time until there HAS to be a change. Not just small change… nonono… a major
shift… a big ol’ music-quake.
But will we still make music?
Or course, we will! It’s free!
(Oh yeah, here’s a link to that article that I was talking about:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/8015303.stm)
We’ll see where it goes… you never know!!
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