memfree's Journal: Janis Ian comments

My comments seem off topic to the current Janis Ian story, so I didn't want to post there. I was a trifle annoyed that there was no direct link to Janis Ian's own comments -- which seem to address some of the questions people are planning on asking her.

I am STILL heartily in her camp of believing that music file sharing does NOT hurt musicians. I agree with her that one of the problems is that ...

of everything we are taught, one issue is always paramount - in America, it is the people who rule. It is the people who determine our government. We elect our legislators, so they will pass laws designed for us. We elect and pay the thousands of judges, policemen, civil servants who implement the laws we elect our officials to pass. It is the promise that our government supports the will of the people, and not the will of big business, that makes this issue so damning - and at the same time, so hope-inspiring.
When Disney are permitted to threaten suit against two clowns who dare to make mice out of three balloons and call them "Mickey", the people are not a part of it. When Senator Hollings accepts hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from entertainment conglomerates, then pretends money has nothing to do with his stance on downloading as he calls his own constituents "thieves", the people are not involved. When Representatives Berman and Coble introduce a bill allowing film studios and record companies to "disable, block or otherwise impair" your computer if they merely suspect you of file-trading, by inserting viruses and worms into your hard drive, it is the people who are imperiled.

Yes, I, too, feel that the government is far out of the hands of the public. I actually suspect the 'get out the vote' campaigns HURT U.S. politics by flooding the pool with ad-based voters instead of folks who know what the candidates do.

As far as music goes, I have actually noticed my album intake decrease as web radio stations shut down, and there is less new music reaching my ears. I did, however, buck that trend a bit this weekend by buying a big stack of used CDs (plus a couple new ones). Two of my purchases were solely because I was at the show (Le Tigre)-- where upon I feel almost duty bound to buy products -- to give "Tour Support" in the hopes that my contribution will add to a cash pool that drives artists to bring me live performances. *AND* those 2 CDs were only $10 each!

Like everyone else, I'm sure I am not a 'typical' music consumer. A couple of points are that I a) have access to used CD shops all around, and b) tend to dislike pop40 tunes. I'd say that puts me in the majority of the U.S. buying population. I'd also guess that the Recording Industry does not want that to be the case. Well, I don't much care what they want because they don't seem to care about what *I* want.

• Namely, I want:
• free and easy access to a variety of new music in a 'limited' form (MP3s tend to be lossy, or huge).
• the ability for radio and web casts to promote new music without incurring a penalty. That is: I do NOT want to sift through every album by every new startup garage band that decided they wanted fame and fortune. I want broadcasters to weed through that FOR me and without being charged for the free promotion they give to artists. I will listen to a certain number of ads to pay THEM for the service.
• the ability to FIND the albums that pique my interest IN stores -- ideally, I'd also get to listen before buying.
• reasonable (not outrageous) purchase prices (for some reason, music seems to reverse the saying 'you get what you pay for' -- except for imports, I find the best music tends to be the cheapest....perhaps because it is on indie labels).
• to possess huge walls of 'official' CDs that I like and am unashamed to collect.

• Here's what I get.
• Labels push so much crap music that I have no motivation to get their offerings in ANY form.
• Labels restrict who can broadcast, so I can't find enjoyable tunes.
• Wading through the chaff in search of a kernel of decent music is odious to begin with, but Labels make it illegal for me to even 'borrow' files to try out.
• The Industry starts producing CDs that WON'T PLAY on my players!!! People intent on copying the music still can, but those of us uninterested in pirating are stuck NEEDING pirated copies to hear the tunes in our preferred setting (ok, this one is theoretical -- I've yet to purchase an anti-theft protected CD, but if I do, it'll get returned).

Does this make sense to ANYONE??? When labels put out something I want, I rush out to get the album ASAP. I want the official release, I want the artwork, I want the best quality sound I can get. Janis says:

Just one week of people refusing to play the radio, buy product, or support our industry in any way, would flex muscles they have no idea are out there.

When can we start? Who can put the word out to enough people? Ideally, the week in question would get mentioned in Time and People magazines, but since they are part of giant media conglomerates, the conflict of interest will prevent the reporting of such an idea.

I'm not completely sold on her idea for a giant download site. I see some good and some bad to it. I expect that they'd make lossy downloads to entice people to buy the 'real' thing, but that the result would be people staying AWAY from some seriously talented artists because the richness of the original would be lost.

Comments welcome :-)

Typical music consumer...

[checkyoulater]

Your dislike of top40 and most commercial crap hardly puts you in the majority, I'm afraid. I feel the same about music, however. Any song which happens to be on one of "the charts", be it MTV, MuchMusic, Billboard or whatever is cheap, manufactured fluff. Unfortunately, it is what people are willing to buy. People like my sister, for example. She hears new songs on mainstream radio, and buys the cd's, which mostly (although, on occasion there have been some gems) suck.

I strongly support a boycott, but unfortunately I am already doing just that, as I suspect you are too. I don't consider myself part of the demographic that the music industry cares about. I don't like Backstreet Boys, and I haven't heard of most bands on the radio, or MTV for that matter. The only cd's I buy are from independent bands that are not on a major label. If I do want a mainstream cd, I will buy it at a used cd store, thus depriving the label of a known sale.

I used to mail/call/email/fax MuchMusic every day for 2 years to play my favourite video on All Request Video shows. Never once did they play it, and never once was I even sent a reply declining my request. They just didn't care. The teenyboppers don't want to head Alan Parsons Project (Don't Answer Me was the request) I emailed saying I would never watch the station again, and they just didn't care.

I don't even know if I am making a point here, but it is this: For every person such as yourself, who hates mainstream drivel, there are 100 kids who are more than willing to badger their parents until they are given allowance money to purchase the latest creation by Sony Music/Warner Bros./whatever.

But hey, I am still interested in a boycott. I will even volunteer to help organize in Canada. Come to think of it, the Canadian media might be a tool. Our media outlets are conglomorate owned, too, but not by the typical US Entertainment/Media players.

Alas

[memfree]

While I appreciate your willingness to boycott, I fear there needs to be a heavy saturation of intent before it could be useful. I am absolutely NOT the person to spread the word. If you are, or know someone who is, just let me know what I can do to support it! :-)

As far as me being 'typical', I didn't express myself well. I don't buy 'typical' music, but I believe most other folks have similar access to alternatives -- they just don't use those alternatives; they shop at the chains and buy what I'd call 'crap'.