Re: "Perspective/Perception Is Everything"

[Andre LaFosse <altruist@altruistmusic.com>]

Stephen P. Goodman wrote:

> What's happened is that the established music biz still doesn't fathom 
>the
> importance of what happened when we all got online and published our own
> work.  If they had - if they were SMART - it'd be a situation where 
>they'd
> be leveraging their abilities to distribute and promote in an attempt to 
>get
> us to crawl across the carpet to some cigar-chomper like in the old days.

All five majors have sued and successfully settled with mp3.com for huge
sums of money in the my.mp3.com streaming issue.  So, a site based on
the foundation of unsigned, independent music distribution was
financially reamed by all five big guys.  

Sounds rather like leveraging the abilities of promotion and
distribution, in fact.  Not bad for a bunch of out of touch,
mega-conglomerate roadkill.

> And while we're
> out HERE doing our own things and promoting ourselves -albeit with much
> labor - and having creative control over our own work, the 
>cigar-chompers'
> most advanced stance is to bitch and moan about Napster.  If they even 
>know
> WHAT Napster IS.  

I think they at least know that Napster is a company which is merging
with, and accepting capital from, one of the five major labels.  Not
unlike the manner in which AOL recently merged with Time/Warner. 

> Want a different dynamic?  Try living in
> the UK and competing with the droves - I mean masses - of folks who want 
>to
> be musicians.  

Sounds rather like your prior abode of Los Angeles, no?

> Thankfully a lot of them are bogged down in Music School
> learning what a chord is or something - [snicker]

Well, I'm sorry you find the idea of formal musical education absurd or
offensive.  I hope you can someday find it in yourself to grant other
people the indulgence of pursuing the creative path that most suits
their own personal beliefs and goals.

--Andre LaFosse
http://www.altruistmusic.com