What I learned from others projects.

The first peer’s page, which I learned a lot from, is Rachael’s study about cancer, and how cell phones affect one’s likelihood of developing cancer. I had never considered that text messaging would decrease the likelihood. I found that to be very intriguing. I also found her link to the “facts you need to know about cancer” page to be very interesting as well. The fact that one in three people will contract cancer highly concerns me because I did not realize it was that frequent. Nor was I aware that the number of cases of breast cancer as greatly increased in recent years. I would like to look more into what contributes to this increase.
The second peer’s page I reviewed was Matt’s study on the American Psyche. I thoroughly enjoyed his final project and watched it several times. While it seems like it should be common sense, it never occurred to me that the Bush Administration could be responsible for the new psyche of “change”, but it is very true! Also, the portion of the American Psyche documentary we watched in preparation for Paul Van Den Boom’s conference was very intriguing to me because living in a state on the east coast, it never really occurs to us how the mindset of Americans might differ. We have this sort of ideal that all Americans feel that same about our nation, but in reality that is not the case at all.
The third page I reviewed was Kate’s study on gay rights in Iran. I had never even considered what gay rights could be like in other countries. We are so caught up in our domestic disputes over gay rights that we never hear anything of such disputes in other countries. I was horrified to learn of how homosexuals are executed in Iran. It’s remarkable that these cruel acts against humanity are not ever voiced in our American news programs or anything. Also, I found her fact about how gay rights are not believed in, yet sex changes are legal. I was really surprised at how unaware I was of this situation. It makes a person feel ignorant.

Findings of my Independent Study

The Music Industry is changing. That is an undisputable fact. However, whether this change is negative or positive is highly debated due to the accessibility the internet provides. Although, even with the insecurities piracy can instill in any artist, I feel the internet has had a greater positive influence on the Music Industry thanks to its networking powers, simplified distribution, and overall possibilities.
This topic interested me because I am a musician hoping to pursue a career in Music Business. So, needless to say, the way the music industry has changed and will further change in the coming years is very important to me. Everyone should care about this topic because everyone listens to music, but very few understand how an album makes it way to their ears; whether it be illegally downloaded, purchased, or burnt from a friend. Personally, studying this topic made me a bit more hesitant to download an album illegally.
When I first approached my independent study, I was expecting to find nothing more than an endless list of negative consequences, but was surprised to find an equally as impressive array of advantages the internet has presented. Among these positive effects I found were how easily one could distribute their music. Before modern technology, an artist could not distribute their works to the masses unless signed to a major label that could get their albums into retail stores. According to a Neilson SoundScan Report, 81.87% of the entire music industry was controlled by 4 major record labels in 2005. However, the networking simplicity of the internet has made these record labels somewhat superfluous. Peter Spellman, an author and expert from Berklee, said, “While the record labels used to have a lock on distribution, the internet has made it very accessible to any artist”. The possibilities the internet presents to small artists hoping to get their music heard are overwhelming. I know this first hand, being an amateur musician who relies heavily on networking sites like Myspace and Facebook as a means of distribution.
However, with every great thing, there are always problems or disadvantages. The largest and most obvious negative consequence to the internet’s opportunities is the dramatic increase in piracy. When an artist uploads anything onto the internet, they are taking the risk of having that work stolen because the internet has made it so easy for anyone to access your content. However, as Peter Spellman also pointed out, “an artist’s income does not come from music sales; it comes from live shows and merchandising”. According to a 2005 RIAA Consumer Profile, only 15% of albums make money. So, even if people are stealing your music illegally, they are still listening to it, and you are still building a larger fan base. So unless you are an artist on a major label like Hilary Duff, you will not being able to make a great living off of your music, but you will still be known, and if you are like myself, or several of my musician friends, its not about the money; its about passion and connection with your fans. Overall, I believe the internet has had a greater positive effect on the music industry.
In conclusion, the internet has greatly simplified distribution due to its remarkable networking abilities. Also, it has allowed for listeners to find music that is no longer available for whatever reason, and can provide listeners with an opportunity to build more varied tastes. However, piracy is always a concern, and there is nothing more terrifying to a musician than having their heart and soul stolen. But in the grand scheme of things, an audience is an audience, and piracy usually leads to more wide spread knowledge of your music. More wide spread knowledge leads to more fans at your shows, which means more people buying your merchandise, and more money overall.

Facts from:
http://library.thinkquest.org/06aug/02241/pros.htm

Quotes from:

Peter Spellman (M.A., MEd.) the Director of the Career Development Center at
Berklee College of Music and the author of several handbooks on music career
development.

Final Project

final project

For my final project on this independent study, I intend to make an animoto video, and also have additional facts and such to present.

Future of Music

I also listened to a podcast reading of The Future of Music by David Kusek. I listened to the first two chapters, in which he discussed the way he envisions the future to be based on the technological outlook so far. He then continues to discuss how the internet and other modern technologies have changed the way music is distributed in a "massively disruptive sea change". In this change, instead of distributing music through a retail store, which can only carry a limited number of titles, the internet allows for infinite number of titles and artists. Kusek compares the internet's effect on the music industry as being very similar to that of the televisions initial effect on the film industry. It seems to me that Kusek has a rather unbiased view on the internet's effect on the music industry and fairly presented both sides.

TuneCore

I recently listened to this great podcast by Jeff Price, the founder of TuneCore.

http://www.podfeed.net/podcast/Sell+Your+Music+Not+Your+Soultechnology+changes+everything/6351

[For those who dont know, TuneCore is a website that allows anyone to put their music out there on iTunes, Amazon, Napster, or any popular music downloading site. Tunecore.com]

In this podcast, Jeff discusses why he founded TuneCore, and also his experience with Spin Art Records. He believes that the internet and other modern technology has had a very positive effect on the music industry, since it has exponentially simplified how an unknown artist can get their music out there. He continues to discuss the huge advantages presented by TuneCore and other such sites.
Being an independent musician myself, this website is helpful beyond words. I have many friends with their albums on iTunes thanks to this website.
So new technology's not allllll bad...

*sigh*

So, just as i was beginning to see a bright side to the internet changing the music industry, a huge setback: I fell victim to piracy and a mild form of identity theft. Someone hacked me, and stole two of my original songs and claimed them to be their own works and posted them on their myspace music account. Upon researching more on this kid, it turns out he has stolen from ten artists over the past two or three years. So a big big big negative effect the internet has had on the music industry is how easily theft can take place. Next week I will be conferencing with Peter Spellmen from Berklee about the Internet's Effect on the Music Industry, and I am very interested in hearing what his view on it is.