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Jackie Ralston's avatar

Thanks for highlighting this essay again. I've long credited music as being extremely important to me, but only recently did I fully realize how important.

I didn't study a foreign language in high school, as mine offered only Spanish and French, and I was completely uninterested in both. When I started applying to universities, I realized that was a huge mistake, as several required the study of a second language. My first-choice school accepted my years of band as fulfilling the language requirement, so I owe all of my university education to that fifth-grade decision.

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Matty C's avatar

I love this. I wish that I had kept working on my Spanish. I still ply it poorly when I get to travel to Spanish speaking countries, but not enough to be conversant. Feel the same way about piano lessons.

Glad you got through with music. Music and the arts have brought me all of the bet people in my life. I would be lost. So glad you made that 5th grade decision and I am glad you're here.

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Jackie Ralston's avatar

Thank you, Matty. I studied Russian at uni, which I deeply enjoyed but have rarely had an occasion to use, so you're ahead of me on the utility curve.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

Please do not insult me with these all-or-nothing generalities. Music means different things to different people, and to categorize it as "worthless" is extremely insulting to those who know its true and enduring value.

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Matty C's avatar

Here is an example if what I mean when I say that music has become "worthless" in the eyes of many consumers and distributors of music.

https://thewalrus.ca/the-death-of-the-middle-class-musician/

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Matty C's avatar

I'm confused. I had no intention of insulting anyone. Can you help me understand how I offended you? Thanks.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

Your subtitle: “Music was once seen as a vital tool, and was used as a way to build literal civilizations. Now, it's virtually worthless.” Is it worthless to the people who consume it? Who collect and study recordings? Who are interested in exploring the histories and legacies of musical genres? They are many more of those people than you and “The Walrus” seem to presume.

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Matty C's avatar

That is a fair pushback, David. I don't find it worthless, but most of the world feels that they ought to have a right to access to all of the recorded music of the last century for a few bucks a month. As such, musicians are unable to make a living despite the fact that they are working harder, and doing far more in terms of video, social media, and online work than their counterparts were forced to do just a decade ago.

I'd argue that music is priceless and as such, there are a certain subset of people who feel entitled to it without taking the time to realize that real people made the art and music they use to navigate their own lives. They see the cost of music, but never the investment or where the money goes. As such, they just want it at the lowest available rate, consequences be damned. Music is now worth just fractions of a cent to most listeners. In economic terms it might have less value than it has ever held in our civilization. That is what I meant in the subhead.

I long for a world where we truly invest in music again instead of the technology surrounding how we listen to it. There are loads of music lovers in this world, many, but not enough right now, are willing to pay for it. Everyone else is stealing from the artistic ecosystem. Until we stop that theft, music will continue to be severely devalued. Hope that makes sense. Thanks for the thoughtful reply.

Cheers.

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David Perlmutter's avatar

I just wanted to make sure the dissenting argument was made.

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Matty C's avatar

Right on.

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