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RE: Why SHOULDN'T musicians be paid?






> There just seems so much resignation amongst young people (and a lot of
> musicians that I know).
> There also seems to be an increasing intolerance to people being angry about
> the way the world is going.
> 'Whatever, dude' , "don't make waves' seems to be the order of the day.

Hi there Rick ,
 
as a contributor the the flip side of the coin in this thread and a token "young person" I feel I should chime once more (I know Im starting to sound like an alarm clock) to try to pick my way through this line of questioning.
 
I am in no way resigned to the world around me either in the musical sense/ local comunity or wider world... I NEED things to change, I may even need it more then you?
I need a more stable economy, I need to one day own a house or at least find a place I can afford to rent without it being in the most horrible ares of the town.
 
So what do I do....I work hard to try and improve those areas, I work for free with the kids there showing them music, helping the youth center with groups of kids writing lyrics be they rap (which isnt my thing but seems to be the dominant form at the moment) or through more traditional songcraft.
 I actually use my aformentioned stance in this thread (JUST DO IT!!)to explain why these kids should be writing music to SHARE and connect and communicate, trying hard to play down the "bling" element that is so preverlant (I am asked all the time "why should we write it, are you going to pay me" which I can  only combat by re-explaining the stance that i have shared with you on here that music is communication and that if they can show another person how they feel they stand a better chance of getting on in life)....
 
I do understand your perception of "look at the apathetic kids".. thers no doubt if we where t march on anything today there would be a much smaller turn out then the 50's and 60's when change was in the air, but perhaps thats part of it, change isn't...actually resentment and intollerance is in much of the world.. but I see this as cyclic. I think also Rick your view could well need widening to the resignation of the older folk in our bugeoning middle classes....cmon, they HAD the pension plans, then got the dividends and goldenhand shakes, do you think they are out there rocking the boat and making wave? I was campaigning about the Iraq war in 2003/4 as a student I didnt see many older folk out on our protests, indeed when going round my own white middle class english town neighbourhood I had lots of sympathetic awwwws but no bugger actually bothered to get involved. 

> I grew up at a time (the late 50's and 60's) where music was almost
> revered by my generation and I'd be lying if I didn't say that
> it's painful to me, emotionally speaking, that newer generations seem so
> cavalier about music.........................as if music is only
> a product and not a way of life (as I see it).

 
Anyway... to bring it back to the music....I am very interested in how the last sentence there connects to my earlier musings as It would seem to be a good reason to support a paradigm shift TOWARDS all music being free, given willingly into a larger pool of human endevour without expectation of compensation financially.
 
the more you link money into the act of creating music or delivering to an audience the more people you rule out...my ideas revolve around the idea music Is a way of life...like speech and learning to walk (see earlier posts).
 
I do understand if you make or would like to make money and feel that is you right due to equipment costs/hours of training etc, me coming along saying I dont think you should expect payment will sound derisive however this is backed up by my own collection of many ££££ worth of gear good quality guitars synths etc (all paid for by my jobs, no trust fund baby here) and hours of practice inbetween my degree jobs and social life. 
 
I do see music as PARAMOUNT to my life, I would hurt and be a worse person if i couldnt both practice it and hear the works of others.  I just feel that a world in which this was a transparant process (think along similar lines as to why people thought libraries where so important in the first place) would be a better musical world.

> What I find shocking, however, is that musicians are the ones who seem also
> to not put value on music's worth in our culture.

Again, I value it so highly I see it as similar to the right to access warmth/water/being taught the rules of life/childhood storys that teach us morals etc and I just dont think you can put a price on that if it comes at the expense of people not being able to access it.
 
Phill



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