Think harder.
Keep in mind that you can be active or passive about
your cassette,
record, or compact disc purchases. There is more music
being released
now than ever before. If you’re serious about your
music, you’re going
to have to think harder about what you
buy.
Keep in mind the four levels of music
releases:
#1: no label-an artist puts material and sells it
without a label
involved; some of these artists may go on to create
their own label
#2: small independent label-usually run by an artist
who releases
his/her own material and may release material from
others as time
progresses; most of these companies survive from one
release to another
#3: large independent label-a label that has grown and
has been able to
broaden their roster, advertise, and gain a larger
profile. Some large
indies, however, are now operating more like
majors.
#4: major label-larger staff, advertising, and
publicity budget; with
recent mergers, a handful of major labels now control
the majority of
music we hear about. Only you can make the choice
whether to support an
indie or a major.
Buy a turntable--it doesn’t have to be a Technics
1200--
you can get a good used model at a flea market/pawn
shop just about
anywhere. If you’re just buying CDs, there’s a lot of
good music
available only on vinyl that you’re missing out on.
But, in the same
regard, buy the records because you enjoy the
music--don’t be sucked
into the hopes of becoming a superstar DJ. Enjoy music
for the sake of
it; leave the ulterior motives
behind.
Be political about the music you buy;
music is the only universal
language and yet we take it for granted far too often
when we bring out
our wallets. Make your music purchases personal: don’t
buy anything
just because you’ve heard it’s good, read it’s good, or
it’s been
charted by a certain DJ or in a certain
magazine.
Support your local music store before the
national chain; support your
local music scene and put an end to the sad
reality that most artists
are never appreciated in their own
area. Listen to everything before
you buy it-any store worth supporting will let you
listen to a release
to help you make your decision. The next time you’re
drawn to the top
sellers wall, examine why you should even care
about what’s selling.
Does the fact that a release is selling well mean it
deserves more
attention? Is that release selling well because of a
major advertising
and promotional campaign or because it’s quality
music?
Radio: examine the radio you’re listening
to. If it’s commercial radio,
keep in mind the fact that music is played between the
advertisements
only because this is a requirement. More and more
stations are being
automated because it’s cheaper to have computers play
the advertising
and the music than it is to have humans do it. Is this
what you want to
support? Think of the repetition to which you’re being
exposed on
commercial radio. The playlist you hear is designed to
appeal to the
lowest common dominator: are you the lowest common
denominator or is
there more to you than being just another sheep in the
fold? By making
the choice to seek out alternatives, you are taking a
stand against
sameness. Music television functions the same way; you
can’t deny it.
Should the amount of money spent on a flashy video
influence what ends
up coming out of your home stereo
speakers?
Buy music as if you might be stranded on a
desert island with it. There
won’t be anyone there to show off that you’ve got the
latest this, or
the limited edition that, or what’s #1 according to
your favorite
magazine or DJ. You’ve got to work to shape your own
music collection
because there are too many people trying to shape it
for you. Think
harder.