Sometimes in this space we have discussed the possibility that music is becoming a less important art.
IN A RECENT ISSUE OF THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE, a column appeared that touched on this question. Entitled The Permission Problem, it was written by James Surowiecki, their sometimes-on-the-mark financial guru.
We musicians know that copyright is an important tool in our efforts to preserve our rights in our work; it provides the most important legal structure. And we recognize that the copyright edifice is constantly under attack on many fronts.
In the article, the writer's expressed opinion is that " property rights (including patents and copyrights) need to be limited to be effective". If not, "Innovation, investment, and growth end up being stifled". He acknowledges that permission for new uses are obtainable and granted. "Even the fact that there's music on the radio is the result of...ASCAP and BMI licensing". But, I gather, he thinks such licensing is insufficient. He continues: " In the cultural sphere, ever tighter restrictions on copyright and fair use limit artists' abilities to sample and build on older works of art".
Question: Has the art of music been so deprived as a result of copyright that it has lost its place in our culture? Surowiecki, like many non-arts writers trying to examine the arts, can offer no positive steps to buttress his contention. His summation: about " patents or copyright or privatization schemes...we'd better try to weigh all the good things that won't happen. Otherwise, we won't know what we've been missing".
The whole article bothers me a lot. It's not that he's plain wrong; it's just that he doesn't fully understand a complicated subject. Sometimes it's difficult and frustrating, for composers, arrangers, players or publishers, when earlier work is not easily available. But these problems can be and are worked through, if not as easily as we'd sometimes like. It's the baby and the bath-water...again. And the whole thing probably has not much to do with music losing ground to video games...!
And: this is not a blog! No, actually this site is meant to be an advertisement for some very fine publications of music, much of it 'wind chamber music'. And, yes, some of these derive from earlier art.
But the distractions....
This page was last updated on 08/14/2008
