Re: Poem on Klezmer "bootlegs"?

[Lori Cahan-Simon <l_cahan...>]

I like the name of your waxy poem.

Joshua Horowitz wrote:

> Budowitz Website: http://www.budowitz.com
>
> Tonight I waxed poetic, inspired by this discussion on free music on the
> web.  Here is a poem for all those whose fan bases and promotional budgets
> have not yet quite reached the dimensions of that of Phish and the Grateful
> Dead:
>
> Producer called me, he sounded like a gent
> paid a small fee, the sales would pay the rent
> Told me new buyers would flow in through the vent
> But all that gushed in was my four percent
>
> Promoter called me, she sounded like a gent
> paid a meager fee, new gigs would pay the rent
> Told me larger audiences would flow in through the vent
> But all that sputtered in was my three percent
>
> Dj called me, he sounded like a gent
> paid a tiny fee, residuals'd pay the rent
> Told me Cd sales would flow in through the vent
> But all that seaped in was my two percent
>
> Webmaster called me, she sounded like a gent
> forget the small fee, new fans would pay the rent
> Told me new offers would flow in through the vent
> But nothin dribbled in, not even one percent
>
> >From "Shir ha Ganovim" Chapter 6 verse 9.    Josh Horowitz
>
> >> Thank you Josh for taking on a very troubling issue.
> >> The idea that copying a recording only "promotes" the artist so that others
> >> are exposed to them is like going to the most expensive restaurant in town
> >> and telling the owner, "If you let me eat here for free whenever I want, 
> >> then
> >> promise not to eat anywhere else".
> >
> >> What convoluted logic would make anyone think that a musician should work 
> >> for
> >> nothing while the person who does the copying (or downloading)  goes to 
> >> work
> >> each day and expects to get paid for it??
> >
> > The logic is far from convoluted. If you were to visit http://www.etree.org/
> > for example you would learn that this is actually a legitimate distribution
> > stream for certain shows, as authorized by the artists. No one is
> > "demanding" that artists give away anything. It's a choice and we are asking
> > permission. There is a fine community of serious music enthusiasts who spend
> > a lot of money on recording gear, computer equipment, CDs and concert
> > tickets who only make legal, authorized recordings. The etree site lists a
> > few examples of bands that allow these recordings to take place including
> > Phish, Medeski, Martin and Wood, String Cheese Incident, The Grateful Dead
> > as well as many others. Clearly, the fan base has grown tremendously for
> > these bands due in large part to this successful distribution stream. Fans
> > trade recordings of these shows, buy all the CDs they can get their hands on
> > and attend as many shows as possible. Therefore, it is reasonable to ask
> > Klezmer (or other musicians) if they might consider being a part of this
> > experiment.
> >
> > According to your argument, people who tape live shows (that are usually
> > never released because of the prohibitive cost of producing, releasing and
> > marketing music) on their own dime with expensive gear, computers, time,
> > etc. deprive an artist from being compensated. You would be right if these
> > live tapers were actually selling the recordings. But that is not the case.
> > No one is benefiting at the expense of an artist except that they have more
> > access to live music that they love. If those shows were distributed people
> > would likely buy them. Most of the people who tape these shows are very
> > respectful of the artists and truly love the music. They can't get enough!
> >
> > The tapers I'm talking about only make recordings of authorized shows.
> > Anyone who tapes a show that isn't authorized is making a "bootleg" copy.
> > Taping without permission is clearly stealing and I am not advocating that.
> > Neither am I advocating communism. Every individual is entitled to choose
> > how, when and where their art is distributed if they can afford to.
> >
> > I am merely suggesting that there are innovative ways to distribute music
> > such as the etree site that has a very strict policy against unauthorized,
> > illegal, unethical, bootleg copies of any music. Additionally, the people
> > involved in the etree live music project adhere to rather strict, quality
> > guidelines in terms of taping and preparing music. These recordings are
> > typically formatted as Shorten files, a particular kind of compression that
> > maintains the integrity of the recordings, unlike mp3s, that imo, sound
> > crummy and flat. Shorten files are very large and require high-speed
> > internet connections for uploading/downloading.
> >
> >> The problem does not only rest with CDs, but with music books as well. The
> >> irony is that I find this problem most often with the MUSICIANS. How many
> >> times have we seen posting where musicians are looking for the music or
> >> lyrics to a particular song?  These are songs that are generally available 
> >> in
> >> currently available music books that are being kept alive by the few
> >> publishers who are still willing to produce Jewish music books....and you 
> >> can
> >> bet none are getting rich from their efforts.
> >
> > Other musicians have enjoyed the benefit of growing audiences by taking
> > advantage of this type of music distribution, the cost of which is absorbed
> > by the individuals who cherish these special live performances. No one is
> > profiting from this...it tends to be rather expensive and is usually done as
> > a labor of love. This is not the same as copying official released music or
> > books. You make a valid point about that and it would be wrong to go to a
> > bookstore and make a photocopy of a page in a book without paying for it.
> > Yes, yes, that is wrong. This is not the same thing at all.
> >
> >> Is $16 or $17 too much for the consumer to pay for a little 'Yiddishkeit"??
> >> No one is expected to work for free, so why should the musician be expected
> >> to give his work away for nothing??
> >
> > It's not too much and jewish music fans pay for this music. Some of us only
> > wish we could listen to more live performances. If I had the money I'd go to
> > New York every week to listen to more Klez but I can't so I buy lots of CDs
> > and wait until someone authorizes the taping of their performances so I can
> > hear more of the music I love.
> >
> > Either way, it's a choice that the artists must make and we respect that
> > choice. 8)
> >
> > brian
> > --
> > "Whatever we endeavor according to reason is nothing else but to understand;
> > and the mind, in so far as it exercises reason, judges nothing else to be to
> > its advantage except what conduces to understanding." --Baruch Spinoza, (Pr.
> > 26, IV) The Ethics
> >
> >
> >
>

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