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From:
H James Harkins
To:
Date:
Tue, 6 Jan 1998 13:51:48 -0500 (EST)
Subject:
(idm) Re: idm-digest V2 #6
Msg-Id:
<Pine.SOL.3.91.980106132954.23949C-100000@godzilla4.acpub.duke.edu>
In-Reply-To:
<19980106015151.12400.qmail@hyperreal.org>
Mbox:
idm.9801.gz
On 6 Jan 1998, idm-digest wrote:
quoted 4 lines From: Oeivind Idsoe <terje.idsoe@online.no>> From: Oeivind Idsoe <terje.idsoe@online.no> > Subject: Re: (idm) Re: witchhunt > > OK, so Gil was a bit silly, and now you are being a bit silly.
Yes, a bit. I was responding to a certain degree of urgency, life-or-death-ishness, that seems to me to be somewhat out of proportion to the actual issue at hand. *Music is not going to die* b/c of "laziness" on the part of consumers. If Jacques Attali (Noise: The Political Economy of Music) is even 1/2 not a flake (and he does say some flaky things, admittedly), the current system (which he calls "repetition") is a dead end street. Electronica contains the *seeds* of a new mode which he calls "composition"--if I remember right (it's been a while, I might be getting some of this wrong), a real DIY attitude, people getting together and *making* music regardless of where it goes. As long as the gear's available, people will keep doing it, on the side, under the table, however. It will continue. Even if the technological infrastructure collapses, we'll pick up sticks and hit things, and start singing. We, as a species, simply can't help ourselves! It *will* continue. Keeping it going in this particular form (CDs and 12"s) is small potatoes compared to that.
quoted 2 lines Music creates meaning, and meaning in various forms and shapes makes life worth> Music creates meaning, and meaning in various forms and shapes makes life worth > living.
This is *why* it will continue, regardless of the commercial climate. I guess I didn't mention I'm a composer myself, and will probably be poor forever because of it. My work isn't at all commercial, and when I'm out of school, I'll be fighting exactly the same battles as Gil, sm, & others. But there *must be another way* than screaming at and alienating the people who are most likely to support you! (You didn't scream--good for you--) (In that vein, thanks for posting the MEGO url--I've already checked out some of the RA--) J ________ \ / | "Who's Martha Stewart?" H. James Harkins | "She writes picture books about gracious living." jharkins@acpub.duke.edu | \/ | - from _Jeffrey_ "If we keep our attention focused on the present, we can be sure of one thing, namely that whatever we are attending to in this moment will change..." -- Jon Kabat-Zinn