We are extremely fortunate to live in an area with a rich and diverse cultural community. (Believe me, I know.. At one point I drove from coast to coast six times within a span of four years and observed many places in America where Walmart, a truck stop and Cracker Barrel were the only games in town. Homogenized is far too kind a term.)

Fortunately, here at the Jersey Shore, we actually have abundant, original, live music every night of the week! How many parts of this country can actually claim that? We have art galleries, independent publications, great public radio, hip boutiques, eclectic eateries, etc.. We in fact live within a vivid kaleidoscope of creative expression. This is a fragile and precious gift, yet how do we support each other in thought, word, and deed?

Its tough. Many of us adhering to our creative calling suffer for our art. We rarely make as much money as “normal” folks do and its financially challenging to patronize all the deserving and wonderful things around us. Conversely, and perhaps perversely, too many of those so called “normal” folks are more preoccupied and interested in taking their kids to see Miley Cyrus lip sync than thinking globally and acting locally by seeing an amazing local talent like Rick Barry at the Saint.

Simultaneously we are enduring an era (or error as the case may be) where we live in a world that values style over substance and where art is to often regarded as cheap, disposable, and free. So how does an authentic aspiring artist compete with free? How does a struggling news paper compete with a free web site covering the same ground? How does a musician inspire someone to pay for a download when there are a hundred thousand or more available for nothing?

In other words, how do artists inspire conscious compassion from consumers? It can be ironic. As a guitar player, if I’m playing in a club and someone digs my playing, its not uncommon to be offered a free round worth at least 3-5 bucks, yet if someone hears and enjoys one of my tunes online via an internet radio station or a podcast, it rarely compels someone to make a purchase at iTunes. Itruly believe that the only way the music business will survive is by individual artists cultivating meaningful, personal connections with their audience through live performance, an exceptional, constantly updated new media presence, and oh yeah talent!

But what do I know? Apparently nothing because the music business has collapsed as I knew it. Over 20 years in a career and now nothing I know seems to have economic value anymore. Ah the sweet sound of progress! Alas, I’m calling upon Rag Readers to inform me as to what it takes to inspire patronage for recording artists in 2008. Send me an email at: colie.brice@aeriarecords.com and let me know what you think. Tell me what takes to persuade you that the local talent of this region is genuinely worth supporting..

(Colie Brice is the Creative Entertainment Organizer (CEO) of AERIA Records in Asbury Park. AERIA Records has released recordings by popular local legends such as Agency, Brian Amsterdam, Rick Barry, James Dalton, Joe Harvard, Juggling Suns, Phantom’s Opera, Mark Prescott, Brian Saint and the Sinners, and St. Christopher among others. Colie is also an active recording artist himself with over 200 tracks available at iTunes and other leading digital distribution retailers. For additional information please visit: coliebrice.com or http://www.aeriarecords.com)

I think grabbing a few mp3s to check something out is absolutely fine, if your poor, by all means take and enjoy my music.. My personal and primary ambition has always been creating the music itself and achieving financial sustainability.

When I play out here locally at the Jersey Shore, more often then not, if somebody likes my performance they’ll offer to buy me a drink, so I guess it would be nice to see the P2P equivalent evolve over time. If you find yourself constantly enjoyimng a particular artist’s work, it would be nice to virtually “buy them a round” once in a while at a piad download site or direct pa pal donation. You know just like shareware, which I personally do pay for.

Cheers!

Many is the game I have purchased just because it was good after trying it. More than I can count are still on the shelves because they seriously lacked either in quality, replay value, or just simply were not what they were billed to be. Because of over-hype and over-expectation by advertisement I no longer consider buying to try. I won’t do it. I’ve wasted a fortune that way. The odd thing is most of the public now feels the same way.

While I do sympathize with your plight, it is much the same as the buggy whip makers faced during their time. It is painful and no fun but that doesn’t change a thing. Before you get into I couldn’t possibility know about how bad it is, the same thing has happened to me for other reasons. Job farm out overseas, corporate profit reaping by reducing work staff, has struck home 3 years ago and I have not worked a day since.

Funny thing, I’ve never bitched about it here. Never said a word till now. It’s not just you that is seeing a hard time making it. More than just you are I are lacking in discretionary income to spend.

Jon

I’m not scapegoating anyone, I’m simply offering a perspective from a working class musician and business professional. None of these issues are black and white. The end result is that artists suffer in either scenario. irst from corporate greed and now from attitude that music doesn’t need to be paid for becasue it’ll just go to some scum bag record company anyway.

Its a handy rationale for evading the reality that music content creators need fair compensation too.

I just bought Apple Logic Studio. I could have gotten it for free via P2P, but instead, I made a conscious decision to support the product because I knew some really fucking brilliant and talented folks must have come together to create this amazing tool that enables some barely technically literate idiot like me to be empowered..

Hey man Karma is Karma, I’ll pay my dues.. I used to use pirated software too..

Colie

Thank you. I deeply appreciate your kind remarks and consideration.

Sincerely,

Colie Brice

People are no longer in love with the shiny cd disc. When it came out it was a technological fascination. Something without grooves or magnetic embedding that wore well over time if it was taken care of. People were willing to pay a high price for that wonder at the time. Distributors like AOL ruined that value in the eyes of the customer. If AOL can afford to put millions of their free software out then the discs can’t be that expensive to make. The value of that shiny disc plummeted as a result.

Near of the blame for the demise not only of the cd but of the business in general can be traced right back to the major labels. Grass roots indignation takes a long time to develop. It can be stopped along the way by treating the issues fairly. Something the majors are well known for rarely doing. The majors instead are like a vampire, sucking the life blood of all around them in a business sense.

The majors “business practices” are well exposed on the net by the same technology that allows file trading. Before that, you didn’t hear near as much about how they really did business. I think this is the very best that could ever have happened to the business simply because it has forgotten where it is important to pay attention to.

The only main function remaining to the majors is that of making recordings. They no longer maintain the control and life over distribution channel and it is long over due.

If in your golden years you do not have a retirement nor a medical insurance, it is the result of two main factors that are driving it and both go straight back to greed over long term benefit of the business. You, I, nor the public can control that other than in the sense that we must stand up and say, “Enough”!!!

Obviously you didn’t get good benefits for the article to take the tone it has. Why? The customer doesn’t guaranty to pay your health benefits, they never have done that. So guess who pocketed the funding that should have gone to take care of the employees? That wasn’t the gouged customer either. Point your issues straight at where they lay, not at the scapegoat.