It's Time to Stage a Coup!

I don't know about you, but I'm growing tired of waiting for the old guard of the music industry to roll over and die. It's time we were a bit more proactive about this! Here's some things you and I can do to regain control of the music for artists and fans alike!

1. Support Local Live Music - You don't really need to pay for another Lady GaGa concert, do you? Save some money by heading to the club around the corner and supporting a future Lady GaGa.
2. Support Independent Music - Stop driving to Wal-Mart and buying the latest over-compressed and auto-tuned major label releases. Instead, stay right there in the comfort of your warm, safe home, point your browser to sites such as Bandcamp or ReverbNation, find some music you like, and buy it. While you're at it, become a fan on Facebook, and add your email to their mailing list so you can see them live. Your money will go to someone who really needs the money, the artist! The fat-cat major label execs have plenty of money!
3. Support Mom & Pop Record Stores - If you must buy the latest Ke$ha (if the dollar sign in her name hasn't deterred you, I suppose it's hopeless) please buy it from a local CD retailer, rather than Wal-mart or Target. Look, I know it's probably a foregone conclusion that brick and mortar music retailers will eventually go the way of the dinosaur. However, mom & pop record stores have always supported local music, and I have a soft spot in my heart for them. Besides, there has recently been a resurgence of interest in vinyl, and artists have been releasing new material on vinyl in the last couple of years. Maybe it's time to invest in a new turntable, get that record collection out of storage, put on your ray-bans and dance around the living room in your underwear! Or not, it's up to you...
4. Stop Watching the Music Award Shows - This is really just my personal pet-peeve, but after the most recent Grammy Awards show, come on! The industry uses these self-congratulatory spectacles to convince themselves they are still relevant. As long as you allow your children to continue their bad behavior, they will never learn! (While we're on the subject, I think we could hammer the final nail in the coffin if people would just quit watching Americal Idol. In my opinion, that is the last thing keeping the industry alive, but that's a post for another time.)

See, that's four simple things we can do to ensure a bright musical future for all of us. What have you got to lose? You might even discover some new music and help a young artist launch their career!

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Eyes on the Pad

As many of you know, I've been an avid Apple fanboy for about 20 years. So, as you can probably guess, I will visit my local Apple store sometime within the next year and walk out with a shiny new iPad. I'm disappointed about a few missing features, but just like the iPhone, I'm sure most will show up within the next couple of years. I hate the name just as much as the next guy, but in the grand scheme of things, I really think that's a minor gripe.

David Pogue has some great comments about the iPad on his NYTimes blog. It's especially illuminating when he compares it to the iPhone: "the bashers should be careful.....remember how silly you all looked when you all predicted the iPhone’s demise in that period before it went on sale." It's definitely worth a read:

The Apple iPad: First Impressions - Pogue’s Posts Blog - NYTimes.com

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"The Music Biz Could Cure Its Ills In One Week" According To Radiohead

Ed O'Brien of Radiohead had some amazing things to say at the Midem Conference. Check it out on the paidContent:UK website:

Radiohead: The Music Biz Could Cure Its Ills In One Week | paidContent:UK

(Via Well-Rounded Radio)

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Happy New Year 2010!

I don't know about you, but for me, 2009 was a pretty good year. For instance, I have always dreamed of teaching at Berklee, and now here I am, exactly 10 years after receiving my doctorate!

2009 was a banner year for indie music as well. Even though "indie music" has been co-opted by the mainstream to some extent, we are finally beginning to see the emergence of a "musical middle class." Artists are now able to reach an audience without the aid of a record label, and some are actually make a living without donning a paper hat!

I have recently seen several predictions stating that the major labels will finally "get it" in 2010. I don't agree. I think they have found their niche, and they will stick with it. As long as there are pre-teens consuming "High School Musical" sequels, and adults watching "American Idol," the labels will survive. They will have to learn to live with being smaller, and they will never again see the runaway profits of yore.

I predict that we will see the continued emergence of the musical middle class in 2010. I believe we will also continue to see new and innovative distribution channels for music, although we are probably several years away from seeing any of them achieve dominance.

It's an exciting time to be a musician, and I can't wait to see what the future brings. Happy New Year!

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