October 2003: Editor's Message

By: Alex Gordon

The illegal downloading of music has been a hot topic for the past year, and yet no progress seems to have been made. I turn on the television and listen to countless artists accuse downloaders of stealing and complain that illegal downloading prevents them from being rewarded for their musical efforts. Those are absolutely valid claims, but until recently I had not seen a single musician tackle the fundamental psychology behind the craze.

I was watching K Street, a new show on HBO Sundays that follows the daily activities of people on Capitol Hill, and listened to an interesting perspective from saxophonist Branford Marsalis. He explained that listeners aren't what they used to be. People used to buy new releases and listen to the entire CD, which reflected a larger appreciation on their part for the artistry that went into creating an album. Now, everyone waits to hear which singles popular radio stations will play, and instead of purchasing an entire CD, they download one or two songs that they know they like.

I believe Marsalis hit the nail right on the head. We are not good listeners anymore. We have absolutely no appreciation for the musical craft. We are only concerned with the instant gratification of scissoring-out parts we like, or rather parts we are conditioned to like by radio play lists.

So, what happened? Did albums lose their fluidity and their existence as whole? Or did we become part-seekers, with music shifting to accommodate? These are questions that need to be asked, and not for the sake of the download crisis, but for music's sake. Are we setting ourselves up for a future of singles' artists?

Past Headlining Articles:
September 2003: The Ban of the Bongs
August 2003: This land was made Nude & FREE
July 2003: Getting caught in the Fast Lane
June 2003: FCAT
May 2003: Legal Murder
April 2003: My Brother My Hero
March 2003: North Korea Crisis