mp3 = end of mediocrity

After a long hiatus, I just started downloading masses of music through Kazaa, Morpheus, and Lime Wire. Well, it's not quite as good as the old heydays at Napster and my personal favorite Audiogalaxy, but GOD DAMN... there's still a lot of music to be downloaded!!

What a beautiful thing to behold the realization that my enormous, thousands-deep collection of mp3s is a mere scratch on the surface of all the great music available through p2p networks.

In spite of what a gleeful and unrepentent activity this is for me, I still feel the need to address the concerns of those who are concerned about the lack of government control over this sort of file sharing. I do admit there is a possibility some of the songs I download are illegal copies. But this is a risk I am willing to take.

Sure, artists might not like the fact that I am listening to their music without paying them. Would they rather I not listen to their music... AND not pay them?

Alright, seriously... the only slightly cogent argument against our revolutionary activities is that the entire profit-based music industry will collapse in the face of rampant file sharing. Already, music labels have begun to witness declining revenues, and surely much of the blame can be placed on p2p networks. The line of reasoning given as an argument against the file sharing is the same as patents on medicine: if an artist can't be guaranteed the profits of exclusive rights to the production of their "intellectual property", they will have no incentive to make the music in the first place.

Now, am I the only one who sees this as a glaring admission of guilt on the part of the music industry? The assumption of the intellectual property argument is that the primary force driving today's music artists is profit... that our music is primarily about profit.

Well, anyone familiar with the music industry knows that 99% of music artists never make enough money to quit their day jobs. Many of the world's great music geniuses spend decades working day jobs and or constantly performing live before they sign contracts or simply die poor and broke. Most major labels have no interest in developing artists and sticking with them through thick and thin. Most labels want to hit the jackpot or nothing at all. And most artists who do make a good living off record sales are usually watered down or 2nd rate rip-offs of lesser known artists who paved the way without a record contract.

But the bottom line is this... I don't give a fuck. No one complains when you copy your best friend's CD. Well let me tell you something: I got a whole new gang best friends. I spend hours and hours behind the computer every day. And I make no apologies about it. I got nothing to lose if the record industry falls apart, and thousands of years of music history left to explore.

Why are people so concerned about the future of music... when we haven't even come to terms with the past? Blues, gospel, jazz, classical, folk, doo wop, funk, rockabilly, etc, etc.... In light of our rich heritage, things the music scene looks downright pathetic these days. How much worse could it actually get? Maybe if the music industry collapses, kids will finally get up off their asses, pick up some instruments, and put some soul back in it.

In light of all the crappy music flooding the airwaves today, I think now is the perfect time for us use the p2p networks to bring our long lost musical heritage back to the people. We should set up websites for the purpose of helping people appreciate what we are sure to lose in this onslaught of musical mediocrity.