I wonder if the music business course I’m teaching next winter could incorporate discussions on capitalism and music business because it’s interesting how advertising sells things, including music. Like suddenly Billie Eilish or the Jonas Brothers or the Weeknd are played everywhere across the country. Growing up I thought it was an organic thing, just about luck and talent. There are stories we hear encouraging that thinking. This DJ or that DJ started playing the song and it caught fire. It might have happened back in the day, but even back in the day people were paid to play. I thought it especially interesting when Ani Difranco was very big, twenty years ago, that she could play Massey Hall while not having a hit song nationally on the radio, whereas a much less known artist would be on all the stations and the difference between them is that one is on a major label. What does it say? It says something about the relationships of major labels (or major money) and the outlets of promotion. I also think it would be perhaps interesting for students to think on how one develops skills over time. Do you want to hire a guitarist who has only played a couple years or all their life? Do you want to trust your inheritance with a financial person who has only been doing it a couple years or at least fifteen? Do you want to buy the used car off Craig’s list “as is” or from the mechanic who also offers a warranty? So then why are we frequently presented with new music by people who are late teens or early twenties? Is it so strange to think someone who works at their craft would get better and be more interesting? <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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