"Music Should Be Like Water"

Bob Lefsetz said-

"Music should be like water. You turn it on, you expect it to be there. Everybody has access, you don't hoard it, and you pay very little for it. Sure, you can buy bottled water, but that's like going to the concert. You can't go to see everybody you listen to, not if you're an avid music fan, but you still want to check things out, listen to new favorites."

I agree with this statement in that like water, music is everywhere. It is at times ubiquitous, it replenishes people, keeps them going and keeps them alive. For some it runs through them like blood through their veins. Yes we expect it to be there and of course we all have the right to music but in the context Lefsetz uses it, I feel like it almost demeans the true value of music. And I don't mean "value" as in economic value.

I think music is the greatest thing in the world but the way the music "industry" as a business is set up is completely screwed up. We are making moves, making progress but larger strides still need to be made.

"Most" (I generalize) people don't want to pay for music. It's too damn easy to download illegally. Maybe I'll rephrase that and say most people don't want to pay a lot for music. I'm personally torn between my incessant hunger for more and more music (and lack of money) and the utmost respect I have for those who create that music (and deserve to be rewarded for it). I'll still go see a good band I like perform live, because for me nothing beats live music. But is that simply enough for a musician to make a living. To survive?

Artist, bands, and musicians still need to be paid to live though, and they absolutely deserve to be. A truly great musician's contribution to the world far exceeds any politician, organization, business, whatever because they have the ability to reach the entire world. I believe Questlove said in the film "Before the Music Dies" that people get art and commerce mixed up. We need to separate them and realize that art is art and commerce is commerce. As lousy as that sounds and as much as I wish it wasn't true, the way things are set up right now...I think he is right.

But what is also true is that music and art (and I mean REAL music and art; not Miley Cyrus, not the Jonas Brothers, not some garbage ass shit that somebody threw together and got signed to a label because it's hip and cool now. I mean real, enjoyable,quality,thought provoking, good music from real people), no matter if it is a "business" is a way of life for some people and it means so much more to them and to me than making money.

Maybe I just have some ideal Utopian view of the way life should be, although I'm sure everybody would like to change a few things as well. I dunno, that's all I've got.

Actually, I've got one more thing. I may have taken what Lefsetz said a bit out of context. I do realize he has a lot of good ideas and incite into the industry. His point (from what I got) was that the industry does need to change, people don't want to forever have to go and purchase single songs at a time. They want it all, for a base price of sorts. Like an HBO package, you don't buy single shows, you get the whole thing. Anyway, I figured I needed to add that, it was simply that his one water/music comment got me thinking about things.

Check out the LefsetzLetter and see for yourself. The post was just written today (10/28/09) so it may not be archived yet. Anyway, it should be up at some point. Look for "LaLa" as the title.

Thanks for reading.
- b Funk