“You must invest into the networks you want to see thrive”. Couldn't agree more. Take positive action rather than embracing yesteryear. Comments like 'it was easier in the past' or 'I would have a record contract in the 60s/70/s80s' (erm, generally no!) etc. are not helping anything - to the contrary - just adding to the toxic energies in the music community. Keep on fighting the good fight!
Hey Darren, I agree with your assessment that the indie music community – artists, managers, independent labels and agencies – needs to 'get past that' by finding new ways of facilitating the relationship between music and listeners. This is neither Ted's nor Shawn's job though. They're both journalists, not industry people. Their job isn't to dream up and build a new industry, but to assess and question the status quo, which IS dire.
I totally understand the urge to jump ahead and find solutions. However, there must be room for pointing out the negative as well. Not to dwell on it, but to really, deeply understand where it all went wrong. This is not doomsaying, this is just realism. And I think many within the industry are still thinking in terms of incremental changes while what it really needs is a complete overhaul – a revolution of sorts, if you will.
I certainly agree that it is neither Ted nor Shawn's job to 'fix' this all. However I think the problem I have is that the negative articles inevitably get far, far more reach as people love to focus on what is wrong. That's the part that I think we need to somehow get past.
So this is not me criticising them as such - per the article, I think the points they've made are all correct. However what I feel needs to shift is the wider tone, from one of focusing on all that is wrong, to one of how we can fix this. Network Notes goes largely to music industry professionals, so this is a call to them to take a more positive, proactive stance as much as anything.
I would say that whilst it might not be Ted or Shawn's role to fix things, I would certainly welcome them using their respective (considerable) platforms to highlight ways in which things could improve, or to use that influence to bring people together around a positive cause a little more. They're not obliged to, obviously, but again, it would be a positive thing, and we need more of that.
We might have to agree to disagree here, but I can't see a positive attitude helping anyone right now, while anger and frustration could be catalysts for real change. The time for band aids and quick fixes is definitely over.
I agree completely about quick fixes and band aids, and wasn't advocating for anything like that. And if anger actually brings action and change then I'd be a very happy man. I'll take that over mooching and moaning with no actual action anyday! 😆
Speaking of "divide and conquer in the indie sphere" (whatever that means), here's a great new song about a '90s (and an additional '80s one) assassination attempt on Trump by the CIA -- 'The Judge' by Desire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8n0rBUEejE
After that, he was confined to a wheelchair and hooked up to a morphine drip (heroin's his drug of choice, so according to him, that was a happy concidence - ever seen his not sweaty, sitting, screaming, slurring and incoherent?) for 13 years because he refused to seek treatment and be publicly humiliated by the admission. He was offered cocaine by a young woman at a mall he was at who looked like a teenager or college girl (who went "Hey, it's Donald! Who'd have thought? [while he's speechless and leering] Wanna party, Don?") from a vial with such a powerful dose of syphilitic virus that it debilitated his entire body -- even calcifying and wrecking his bowels, to say nothing of what must have happened to his genitals. He spent years propped up in a full lower-body and back cast.
The music business isn't going anywhere. All of the articles are just expressions of fear that overwhelms certain people. Makes great coffee conversation. Music game in worse positions than this.
“You must invest into the networks you want to see thrive”. Couldn't agree more. Take positive action rather than embracing yesteryear. Comments like 'it was easier in the past' or 'I would have a record contract in the 60s/70/s80s' (erm, generally no!) etc. are not helping anything - to the contrary - just adding to the toxic energies in the music community. Keep on fighting the good fight!
Hey Darren, I agree with your assessment that the indie music community – artists, managers, independent labels and agencies – needs to 'get past that' by finding new ways of facilitating the relationship between music and listeners. This is neither Ted's nor Shawn's job though. They're both journalists, not industry people. Their job isn't to dream up and build a new industry, but to assess and question the status quo, which IS dire.
I totally understand the urge to jump ahead and find solutions. However, there must be room for pointing out the negative as well. Not to dwell on it, but to really, deeply understand where it all went wrong. This is not doomsaying, this is just realism. And I think many within the industry are still thinking in terms of incremental changes while what it really needs is a complete overhaul – a revolution of sorts, if you will.
I certainly agree that it is neither Ted nor Shawn's job to 'fix' this all. However I think the problem I have is that the negative articles inevitably get far, far more reach as people love to focus on what is wrong. That's the part that I think we need to somehow get past.
So this is not me criticising them as such - per the article, I think the points they've made are all correct. However what I feel needs to shift is the wider tone, from one of focusing on all that is wrong, to one of how we can fix this. Network Notes goes largely to music industry professionals, so this is a call to them to take a more positive, proactive stance as much as anything.
I would say that whilst it might not be Ted or Shawn's role to fix things, I would certainly welcome them using their respective (considerable) platforms to highlight ways in which things could improve, or to use that influence to bring people together around a positive cause a little more. They're not obliged to, obviously, but again, it would be a positive thing, and we need more of that.
I get your perspective, Darren.
We might have to agree to disagree here, but I can't see a positive attitude helping anyone right now, while anger and frustration could be catalysts for real change. The time for band aids and quick fixes is definitely over.
I agree completely about quick fixes and band aids, and wasn't advocating for anything like that. And if anger actually brings action and change then I'd be a very happy man. I'll take that over mooching and moaning with no actual action anyday! 😆
Well, we could go back and forth on this all day. 😀 Still we agree something needs to change on a macro level!
Amen! 🤝🏻
Speaking of "divide and conquer in the indie sphere" (whatever that means), here's a great new song about a '90s (and an additional '80s one) assassination attempt on Trump by the CIA -- 'The Judge' by Desire https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z8n0rBUEejE
After that, he was confined to a wheelchair and hooked up to a morphine drip (heroin's his drug of choice, so according to him, that was a happy concidence - ever seen his not sweaty, sitting, screaming, slurring and incoherent?) for 13 years because he refused to seek treatment and be publicly humiliated by the admission. He was offered cocaine by a young woman at a mall he was at who looked like a teenager or college girl (who went "Hey, it's Donald! Who'd have thought? [while he's speechless and leering] Wanna party, Don?") from a vial with such a powerful dose of syphilitic virus that it debilitated his entire body -- even calcifying and wrecking his bowels, to say nothing of what must have happened to his genitals. He spent years propped up in a full lower-body and back cast.
The music business isn't going anywhere. All of the articles are just expressions of fear that overwhelms certain people. Makes great coffee conversation. Music game in worse positions than this.