What makes an artist?

As you read, think about the following questions: based on the topics we've explored in this class, do the authors characterize the future of music as you see it? Do you think their vision of the future is complete? What do they leave out or fail to consider?

It’s interesting that this author separates publicity and promotion (p. 17). To me they’re part of the same cog of the system. To get publicity you have to promote. To help promotion, you get air play and publicity… But then they do say that the four fronts are interconnected which is very true.

In Chapter six they write that with CDs, “Confusion reigns. CDs are thought to be too expensive for what you get one or two worthwhile songs. Prices vary too much from record club prices to store prices” (244). I disagree with at least the first part of that quote. Some of my favorite songs by artists are not the ones released to the public. They’ve been the ones that have been “buried” so to speak on the album. One the best examples I can think of is the song “Gira Con Me” from Josh Groban’s first album, Josh Groban. It wasn’t any of the three singles that came off that album but it’s one of my favorites of his, after 5 albums, it’s still one of those.

The authors write about how artists can use sites like Youtube to promote their stuff (244). Frankly I think “artists” who vigorously promote themselves on Youtube aren’t artists. Anybody can upload a video singing to that site. Look at Rebecca Black. People think that she’s a hit sensation and an “artist”. Not to hurt her feelings (like some were doing) but she’s not. She’s auto tuned, her song has like five words and is tonal. I truly think the mark of a good artist is one who can sing (and belt in the case of females and belt well) is to sing acapella and be on key and tune. It is not easy. See Straight No Chaser do it: 

I think the authors did a really good job in looking at the future of music and they covered more if the internet side of the business than The Future of the Music Business did. I don’t know if their vision is complete; I don’t you can ever say something like this will be complete. The music world is ever changing and so it’s not something so concrete.

Next, review the following Music Markup Language website http://www.musicmarkup.info/ . This site attempts to delimit music informatics to specific technological considerations. Do you think the authors of this site get it right? What do they leave out?

It’s hard to know what the authors of the site got right or what they left out as I have never used XML or any experience with it. I have worked with HTML however. This is such a complicated website and it has a lot of technical jargon on it that goes right over my head… I do like that they have a section describing the project