Friday, January 30, 2009

houses of sound

When I was growing up I understood there to be three different musical houses of worship.

1. There was the record store where one listened and learned until one could debate.

2. There was the live stage, usually a club. Somewhere that allowed a musician to perform to an audience at a reasonable volume and with much gusto.

3. The recording studio. This was in my mind the ultimate destination and the place that led one back full circle to the record store where someone else might discuss the merits or lack there of of one's latest release.

As times change we see these three venues melt away from our normal day to day music life. A music fan and musician goes less and less to an actual store to buy music, has fewer and fewer live venues to see music and no longer spends much time if any in a real recording studio.

The first and last of these two losses can probably be blamed of affordable digital technology while the clubs closing is probably more of an economic issue.

In NYC we also had the joy of a mayor who went after nightclubs with zeal and managed to make things bad enough that much of our cultural bleeding edge was moved out into the suburbs. Can you imagine the greatest city in the world with no night life nor red light district?

Rudy you fucking suck, you may have fooled some people into believing you did good but you are a culture nazi and rezoning doesn't count as lowering crime..

Anyway...

Where does the future music fan find other fans? Where do musicians find work in their field?

I forgot why I started this. I guess it was easier then trying to find the battery cover to my alarm clock.