Good post...
Another point to consider is the possibility that musical artists don't HAVE to make money doing it. I know plenty of amateur musicians (I'm one myself) who sound just great, and have fun doing what they're doing. The truth is that every time there's an RIAA thread on slashdot, some struggling musician crawls out of the woodwork and begins to groan, "oh, but I can't make a living this way!"
So don't! If that's the only reason you're making music, don't let the door hit you on the way out.
Digital copying is essentially a modern extension to the concept of overhearing music. It's uncontrollable without violation of first-sale doctrine, so why fight it? Professional musicians: evolve, or die.