The Fall of Rome: Part II
Kt
kamara | 11 Sep 2007 | 0 Comments | Share this...
ON THE GROWING SOPHISTICATION OF THE MUSIC-LISTENER:
In this new economic age we become more aware of our infinite power, not as consumers, but as CHOOSERS. We now have the power, because of the infinite amount of information available to us, to be choosers of our personal preferences. In music, this naturally creates a more sophisticated listener, a more empowered listener who takes the time to choose their preference to the umpteenth degree, a listener who doesn’t eat the shit anybody’s shoveling and makes their decisions about music based on their ears and heart.
So as most industries scramble to crack the code of the new almighty-niche market, the old-guard music industry plods along, spending all of its resources trying to hold back the winds of change or figure out how to dictate to their customers “how it’s gonna be”. Perhaps because it’s a “business” that was built on mob tactics and gambling, perhaps because it never had a viable business model to begin with, but mostly, I think, because they’ve failed to and continue to refuse to listen to their customer like every successful business must, they just sink lower and lower and cry louder and louder. They alienate, they sue, and then they continue to shovel the aforementioned shit, but this time nobody’s listening to them and they shovel their shit straight into the garbage can, never to be heard from again.
In the mean time, anyone who makes music and cares deeply about music finds themselves in a vast unknown filled with opportunity and perhaps a bit daunting. Is there anything to be salvaged from the old model, or do we wipe the slate entirely clean and start over? Many of us agree that the culture as seen on a television screen or heard on the radio is in quite a shambles, but that’s not how it feels here on the ground. Out here there’s tons going on! Great music is being made, from the big cities to the small towns to the suburban garages. So where is it? Why isn’t that what’s seen as the representative of our culture on the world stage? Have we abandoned the masses? Doesn’t great music deserve to be brought to the masses? How do we get it there?
I’ll think on it and get back tomorrow… and the next day… and the next…
