Hi Dave,
As the head of Callicoon Music, the Woods
family publishing company, I've seen our royalty income deteriorate to the
point where I have to sell my house and move into an apartment. I KNOW the
state of the music business and what it's done to musicians.
Ahh, but doesn't it just warm your heart to know that someone somewhere is listening to "Try a Little Tenderness" for free because some warm-hearted, loving individual was caring enough to share "his music" for free? I mean, c'mon - at least people get to hear it - isn't that enough?
Here we are, coming into the Holiday Season - that time of year when Holiday recordings are marketed to the max, and when, more importantly, the air waves are thick with Der Bingle singing "White Christmas", Elvis singing "Blue Christmas", Madonna singing "Santa Baby", Gene Autry singing "Rudolph...", and everybody else from Ronnie Spector to krissie Hines to Robert Goulet caroling away. Making holiday recordings has been a staple of the music business since there ever was licensing pay-for-play on the radio, and just about every artist, regardless of genre, has used this as a guaranteed source of income. Hell, if it weren't for Christmas, Johnny Marks would have had to get a day job - his entire career was his immense catalog of Christmas tunes.
What will we see as these things get increasingly pirated? "The best is yet to come and won't it be fine..."
Tangentially, I've been turned down by publishing companies for pieces and transcriptions of mine, works for classic guitar. The companies liked them well enough, sure, but, as they said, after they go through all the expense but before the ink was to dry on the scores, everybody would just steal them, and no one would even license for public performance. In short, unless they were recorded by someone who could generate more record sales than Segovia himself, they couldn't afford to do it.
Ask yourself, classic guitarists out there - when was the last time you saw a new piece? I can answer that, by the way. Angelo Gilardino of the Segovia Institute has published (himself) works which were refused by Segovia, and which, for that reason, never saw the light of day. These works are how old? He is absolutely right to finally get these wonderful pieces out there, but it is a special and unique undertaking. Did John Williams ever publish his transcription of "Cavatina" or "Sakura"? - no.
So, we all suffer. Has anyone out there noticed just how little new music there is?
In regard to the 6,000 or so members of this forum, I'll bet that less than
100 actually make a living out of playing or teaching music. Some are
obviously very knowledgeable, and supplement their income where they can by
playing. However, I'm willing to bet that the vast majority are just
interested hobbyists who just want to chit chat about anything related to
guitar.
Probably true. I post here because I genuinely like the people here, regardless of their position (musically, politically, and spiritually). But as to the pro end of it, other than from a few I don't look here for that.
Like point made of the the movie, "The Gig" , "There are too many amateurs in this business". It's just the way it is, and, at least as far as this and other lists are concerned, those amateurs are some very, very nice people.
Angelo commented a while back as to whether I thought a musician is better off playing the "toilets in Brooklyn". He is absolutely correct in that Brooklyn is not the new Mecca, and it's not going to replace the greatness that was once Manhattan anytime soon. Musicians flocking there to elude NYC real estate prices would be well advised to remember that they still have to "cross the bridge" if they are going to be heard by anybody. It's too bad that Manhattan was given to the landlords, realtors, and bankers, but that's just the way it is. Maybe one day some politician may realize just how important the arts are to the economic well being of Manhattan and do something to get it back under control, but I wouldn't hold my breath waiting for it.
Dave, I know you are going through a particularly and unnecessarily rough time, and I want you to know that if there is anything I can do to help, you need only contact me. If I hear one more musician harp on about how this or that great musician just died because they couldn't afford health insurance despite their long and productive career I'll spit at them. If they truly cared, they'd wake up and treat the music business as a business and stand tall with their fellow musicians instead of competing with them "on the cheap"; but they don't - they move on the very next day as if nothing at all had happened.
Gene Simmons, again, I applaud you for having the balls which most musicians, music organizations, and music attorneys left at the door.
warmest thoughts and wishes,
Bobby
