When I was young, a talented and persistent independent artist could scratch out a living by singing in smoky night clubs every night, hoping to "be discovered" by the big labels or Broadway producers someday. Most other singers and song writers fulfilled their passion in a church choir, Community Theater or at family events. Only those independent musicians with large financial resources could dream of making professional recordings of their songs.
Signing with a major label was the ultimate measure of success. Only the most creative, thought provoking and entertaining musicians made it to national and international audiences. This attainment came with grueling schedules, demanding creative expectations, limiting musical formats, lavish corporate expenses and small artist percentages; often leading to identity crisis and self-destructive excess.
Vinyl records were difficult to copy for quality sound, and they cost a fortune to produce. Eight track recording devices were also expensive and difficult to use. Cassette recordings failed to capture musical depth and therefore, unmarketable. Then, somewhere between the time I graduated from business school and peaked my head up for air in the late 1990s, there was a quantum leap in audio recording technology.
Suddenly, the independent artist scene emerged and expanded, producing quality sound recordings within the financial grasp of middle class musicians. Elite interests began to secure control of the air waves through consolidation. As more independent artists produced and recorded original quality music, the radio stations became more consolidated, playing in strict formats. Local musicians with a significant following were allocated to small, unpopular time slots to increase ratings.
In 2010, computer technology and rapid internet connections provide access to recording and production software at low cost, with free software available through pirating and for promotional purposes. Samples can be downloaded, instruments synthesized and voices tuned at little or no cost. Suddenly, anyone with some technological savvy can express themselves and compose record and produce quality sound.
Conventional wisdom might suggest this explosion of music would provide the public expanded listening choices. To some extent this is true. But the flipside of these 45s and LPs ("vinyl single records" and "long play" for the under 30 crowd) is the problem getting exposure. There are limitless Indie Artist websites promising promotion, CD and MP3 download sales portals and radio play. Many of these are controlled by unknown subsidiaries of major labels. There are innumerable on-line radio shows and promoters soliciting services to Indie Artists and affordable costs, accepting anyone and promising no results. For the average music listener, this creates an overload of information. Independent artists of today face the same basic challenge as they did decades ago: mass distribution.
In today’s society, music is no longer seen as relevant. Artists are considered the product, with ever-increasingly sensational hair cuts, cosmetics and clothes, exotic sexual escapades and lush life-styles that subtly promise unsuspecting listeners glamour and wealth while actually promoting fashion, public sentiment, extreme life styles and intellectual diversion.
The public has been gently programmed over the past decades that music should be free. What started out as a lure or a crime has become the norm. YouTube video producers and BlogTalk Radio hosts want music because they intuitively know it helps retain attention but often resent copyright enforcement demanding royalties to song writers. Consumers have a plethora of listening devices; full of free downloads of music by signed artists. Why should they pay 99 cents to listen to a “nobody”?
Corporations and special interests intentionally use jingles in advertising, spending however many millions/billions ... because it increases sales. Commercial musicians, unable to feed themselves otherwise, gratefully accept royalty-free salaries to produce music and songs for television and radio commercials. Music is played to increase viewer emotion and involvement on televisions and shows, in-stores to increase spontaneous purchases and as theme songs to cement the emotional impact of movies. Being entertained puts the conscious mind on pause so the desired message can sneak in, undetected.
Massive distribution in the entertainment industry is closed to all but elite interests, making licensing opportunities available only to those song-writers affiliated with major players. Imagine a world where ALL music was sponsored by corporate interests; commercials of sorts, secretly hypnotizing the masses to conform to mindless consumerism and the governmental agenda, through the power of music.
