[lbo-talk] Re: Say BYE BYE to VINYL!

[Wojtek Sokolowski]

> Carl Remick wrote:
> 
> >I think there's no question that the easy availability of recorded
> >music discourages people from becoming amateur *and* professional
> >musicians.
> 
> Huh? I've never seen any evidence of a musician shortage. In my
> apartment building, I hear a pianist, a violinist, a trumpet player,
> and an opera singer regularly, and I'm constantly battered by
> instrument cases on the subway. Maybe it's just the upper west side.
> But there's also no shortage of electric guitarists,
> singer/songwriters of all sorts (droopy, righteous, ironic, etc.),
> laptop remixers, etc. etc. - everywhere. Some of them are great, some
> suck, but that's always been true.
> 
> Doug

Doug, I think you might be right on the supply side, but Carl's argument can
be effectively applied to the demand side.  That is to say, the easy
availability of recorded music reduced demand for amateur and professional
musicians. So while the volume of consumed music increased significantly,
the variety of that music dropped even more substantially.  If memory
serves, you made a similar argument about TV some time ago, no?

Just think about the fact that peoples and cultures around the world listen
to rather narrow selection of music dished out by MTV and American labels
(mostly of two varieties - singing bimbos a la Britney Spears and
testosterone rage a la c-rap/hip-hop), while their native musical traditions
are all but dead.  Does not blood boils in your veins?

Wojtek