As someone who used to work in a news room, I related to the segment about the effectiveness of radio and TV advertising. While I was in the department that created the content viewers saw, the sales department would say that they were the ones in charge of keeping the boat afloat. At a time when I felt my job was secure, I heard rumors in my department that they were letting people go. Then on the week before Christmas, I got the pink slip. I had taken it hard because it was my first real job, and one I felt I was damn good at, but I said screw it, let me try to move on. With that layoff happening a few months after 9/11, it has been incredibly difficult to find something decent but I push forward.

My point in mentioning this is that I eventually heard that while they considered my position essential, it was not essential enough compared to the sales department, which I believe at the time had three people. There was a share of ad revenue, but the station would often devote weekends to nothing but half hour infomercials because those infomercials were fairly cheap, especially in a small market town. I realize it’s all about being part of a well-fed machine, but infomercials were of more value than those actually doing the work.

Also liked the discussion of the music industry, its failures, and the connection between creating art and commerce. There was a quote I read from someone recently which said that the music industry has been about image and fashion for a long time, and while it makes some level of money, it’s far from what it used to be. Does that have to do with technology making it easier to obtain the music, or has the quality of music really gone down the hill? I think with the walls down on how to find music and where to locate, there’s more than enough music for everyone. I just think the industry started to lose when they concentrated more on the sell of “units” vs. the quality of music that helps to sell said units. It goes back to The GZA like about “who’s your A&R, a mountain climber who plays an electric guitar?”, people were laughing and going “yeah, hip-hop is turning into a bunch of bozos” back in 1993, but no one talks bout the A&R anymore. It’s no longer that cherished job every college kid wanted. Or what else did someone say with hip-hop, that it was once about mocking the sucker MC’s, and now the main people being heavily pushed is an industry of nothing but sucker MC’s. The music industry, as sellers of music, partly came to be because of music studios wanting to sell their music, and thus the need to create equipment that played the music For decades, the music industry was the biggest furniture store and as we see during the evening news, eventually the music industry acted as if they were going out of business. I feel that it got to where the people making the decisions in the music industry wanted to feel as validated as Hollywood, which meant “if there’s a way to market and make it more glamorous as the red carpet, let’s be fabulash.” Look what happened. The positive thing about the crash of a music industry is that, as stated in the show, anyone can now record, mix, master, and release their music in a number of ways, and there is also greater awareness of how to do it.

I agree with the idea that artists need to be in this for the long haul, that it cannot be an astronomical rise to the top. Fans seem to think that if a band doesn’t win a Grammy or get favorable reviews on the top sites and blogs, they are nothing. Look at a group like Blues Traveler. What did they have, two hits, or at least one bit hit and one song (“But Anyway”) some people will recognize. I’m sure a lot of casual fans don’t realize John Popper got skinny at one point. The thing is, they still tour heavily, still release new music. They may play the fair circuit, but that is bringing them money which allows them to continue, and live. Or look at the Black Crowes. Chris Robinson has a new band, damn good album I might add. He will be on tour, will most likely do Black Crowes songs, but has enough songs on the radio that will bring in those royalty checks. He may not be Michael Jackson big, but he doesn’t have to be. Or look at one of my favorite hip-hop groups, The Roots. They may not have the equivalent of a Black Eyed Peas jam, but they’ve made shifts in their music that has pissed people off. “Why are you guys playing more?” “How come you guys have a guitarist?” “I miss the dope shit, I don’t like your songs when they’re 15 minutes or more.” But they’re the house band on a late night talk show, they continue to do session work, they do festival shows that I’m sure brings in some good money for them. I don’t remember anyone talking about Me Phi Me’s return to the scene. Point is, there are countless options, and sure, maybe the lure for artists, filmmakers, directors etc. is to create work that is free as a lure to get more, or in the hopes that it will lead to bigger and better. Big companies are now looked upon as potential distributors which will bring greater accessibility, and I say if I get hooked on for something, I want to take a lot of people with me for that ride. It may take me another decade, but I do it because I like it. Just as you guys do the podcast. As insane as it is, you do. People listen.

I’ll stop yapping now.

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