So, where to begin …
The sentence above is an intentional construction, begging two points. First, the escalating commonality of opening with “So”. Second, the use of ellipsis to indicate a declarative statement with dramatic tailing instead of a question.
As a sufferer of mild dyslexia, I’ll start with the latter. My blog, my excuse!
You see, I’m quite guilty of overusing ellipses. Now, please do not confuse the plural form of ellipsis with the geometric form, ellipse, also plural as ellipses. Stinkin’ English!
Okay, some say em dashes, parentheses (hope that’s correct) and ellipses indicate lazy writing. Perhaps. I find the punctuation marks useful in creating pace. Well, space … I mean, extra space. Yes, I’m sure it could have been written as “Well, space. I mean extra space,” but the ellipsis provided a voice, did it not? The stumble. I suppose it, as it always does, comes down to style and consistency.
Now that it’s off my chest, let’s move on to a more loathsome peeve of late: The irksome condescending tone when anyone begins their explanations with “So …”. Indicative of being too complicated? Seems this has been escalating over the past decade. It’s a completely useless filler. I bet George Carlin would have a field day with it, then launch into “And WTF is a ‘field day’ anyway?!” Back in school or are we maneuvering a tank?” I hear his voice now.
Wait, I’m probably a rare hypocrite on this topic. If you catch me starting a sentence with “So”, and it’s not character dialogue, make sure to call me out on it. We’ll all learn sooner or later.
STRANGLEHOLD of A.I., DEATH of ORIGINAL MUSIC?
A.I. is THE topic of late. No avoiding it.
Opinions vary wildly, yet there’s an observation or two possibly missing:
Homogenization of popular music. This is actually nothing new. Big label servers have been quietly churning out formulaic hits for decades now. Country, then rock, now New Country, which is really just rock with the same ‘ole twangy tropes and patronizing lyrics. Metal’s no longer immune, nor so many other genres, but the King of Derivatives is most certainly Pop. We hear the same elements from song to song. Vocal styles copied. Retro samples or outright theft. Only the arrangement of words and a few sonic textures keep artists out of the courtroom. Although, if you’re on the same parent label, it’s all good.
But true originality? We’ve been in a death spiral all along, and I know why.
The tools. We’ve so many unobtanium pieces of gear, now cloned or replicated by software, that few excuses remain for bad recordings. Professional studios are now within anyone’s grasp. Take a look at Andrew Master’s YouTube channel and you’d believe everyone has their very own epic recording facility now. The tools have indeed become affordable. Big sounds for little bucks … IF you know what you’re doing, that is. And, thanks to YouTube, there’s no excuse for not learning how to do it. The golden rules still apply, though. Garbage In, Garbage Out (GIGO). Must have talent and proficiency on your instrument. Quality instrumentation, too. Must possess a creative, driven mind. Have access to the proper creative space. Must know what you’re doing in engineering, else the gear doesn’t matter. And, most of all, the time for it all. That’s the toughest part for what should be obvious reasons, but I’ll spell it out.
M O N E Y!
Bills must be paid, and I don’t mean the studio’s bill. Professionals made small fortunes in the record business a few decades ago. Internet killed all that. Only a handful of the world’s biggest music stars turn a profit on major label-produced records. Those have become loss leaders for potentially lucrative tours and licensing. It used to be reversed: breakeven (or losing) tours in support of record sales. The touring model over the last 20 years is now in danger. Skyrocketing costs, natural interference, disruptive and divisive politics …
So (d’oh!) we move into the whole streaming debate now, and the model is quite reminiscent of classic broadcast television’s. Your content is placed on a public platform in the hopes of generating enough traffic to effectively sell ads, and those ads are what generates your income. I’m not going to link this; there are too many artists complaining there’s not enough streaming revenue to support the recording effort, let alone capture a profit.
No money = No incentive. But nobody’s creating what I’d call truly unique original music. If I’m wrong, PLEASE send your candidates in the comments. I’d love to hear it!
Cookie Cutters, Incorporated
What I’m listening to, presented as “new”, are all derivatives. Similar patterns, chord progressions, vocal styles, and worse, wholesale rips setting up continued lawsuits. Hear Ye, Hear Ye! (maybe not Ye). You’d think they learned that lesson after the Marvin Gaye vs Pharrell Williams and Robin Thicke case over “Blurred Lines”. Yet, the courts sided with Ed Sheeran over “Thinking Out Loud” similarities with Gaye’s “Let’s Get It On” in another suit filed by Marvin’s estate (under appeal as of this writing). Ambiguity reigns on what’s fair game for signature appropriation. Big label pop stars are being replaced with actors instead of musicians. Moreover, attractive actors with modicum of musical talent—enough to sell it. They are selected, not rewarded. Not in the traditional sense, although that still occurs. Milli Vanilli, therefore, were simply ahead of their time. The state of the industry, through effective back catalog quantization and management, has the ability to auto-sequence the A&R matchmaking. Any number of good-looking, profile-fitting talent can now be sorted into the musical-industrial complex. Music, lyrics, and the tracks themselves are conjured overnight via AI to fit the producer’s purview. Their marketing machine awaits. Behold your new sensation! Depressing, isn’t it? Maybe not.
Where others see a death spiral, I see opportunity. It’s right in front of us if we’re brave enough to adventure the future. Music’s pilgrims will explore the incredibly vast universe of sonics and the manipulation of them for truly unheard compositions. Ubiquity of multidimensional, multichannel listening setups ala Dolby Atmos will also play a role. We are just beginning to explore that potential in music. If history is a teacher, that hasn’t gone well. Far too many will have their first impressions on a wee transducer of a phone. Not even tinny, over-compressed earbuds, mind you, a teensy speaker with the frequency range meant for chirping finches. Tough to overcome! Like convincing audiophiles that vinyl recordings aren’t actually …
Wait, not going there.
A Word on Writing
To employ the passive voice, it would be fair to say we’re on a holding pattern while certain personal logistics are sussed. While there are several fledgling manuscripts in the pipe, the pen is parked for the moment. For now, don’t forget to check my X and Facebook for the latest updates and promotions. Oh, and a HUGE THANK YOU for those who’ve read, listened, liked and followed—especially those who left ratings and reviews.
More Soon!
/T
