[teeja]

Historically, the people who made 'good' music -- by which I mean music that has been replayed and/or re-released for decades or centuries -- made music FULL-TIME, not as a hobby. The same is true today of people who have the time and talent to do filmscores (which will, again, be heard for at least decades.)

Making music that will last, not just confection, is a very intense activity. It is always technical, requires staying aware of the competition and staying ahead of it. It's a full-time job.not a hobby. I'm not arguing that good music is 'elite' music, but that most lasting music is good in direct proportion to the energy used creating it.

This would be common sense in most areas, but many people who don't make music somehow get the astonishing idea that good music is 'easy'. Look at any recognized 'genius' composer or singer/songwriter and count the number of big works they wrote that have lasted once the confection has faded away. The list is nearly always small: competition is fierce.

If listening to throwaway confection satisfies, what the here-today gone-tomorrow bands create may satisfy many consumers. Yes you'll find exceptions, but the bulk of music which is art, not just product, isn't made by weekend warriors. Like great furniture, great sculpture, great architecture, great anything: it needs support.

[anonjon]

But the majority of music that people listen to today is throwaway 'confection'.

The fact is that in our current system, people who produce music of genius quality starve, while the people who write about big booty women and bananas become super rich.

The problem is that the act of making music fulfills a basic human need. It isn't about making good music or making a song that will last for the ages. It is more like the need to have sex, make out and go dancing.

I just think it is incredibly sad that regular people can no longer compete with the mass market saturation of spun-sugar-pop-music. If we look at market trends it would appear that all music should be pitch-corrected, re-mixed, stamped onto plastic disks, and played as background noise to a music video. I, personally, reject the market trends as I know there is something much deeper that I actually need.