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Don't conflate "music" with "music business." GP is talking about the latter. As a musician who has toured and recorded, and someone who has worked for multipl
by scelerat 5y ago
Don't conflate "music" with "music business." GP is talking about the latter.
As a musician who has toured and recorded, and someone who has worked for multiple concert promoters and streaming services, I think GP frames it extremely well. it's not a nihilistic view, simply a realistic one. If you love music, don't get involved with the music business! At some level it becomes unavoidable, but they are separable things.
- watwut 5y agoGP is talking about history. It starts with "The business of music essentially started as a way to sell preaching and alcohol," which is literally making up the history.
- scelerat 5y agoPray tell, which version of music business history elides the countless musicians worked for peanuts playing -- inventing -- ragtime and jazz to fill bars and brothels; the jukeboxes run by the mob as a pivot from their gaming machines; the revival tents, be-ins, and desert festivals? Music has always been in partnership with other passions and vices, and since the time cynics and nihilists have been able to capitalize on that relationship, they have.
- watwut 5y agoThere is massive difference between "business of music started as a way to sell preaching and alcohol" and what you describe. People do like to combine their fun and religion with music, but that does not imply what you say. And as a nitpick, business of music existed long before ragtime and jazz. Both classical music and folk music (all around the world including in Africa) predates modern music. And they were often paid for performances. Ragtime and jazz are fairly recent.