An Excellent New Read: "A Brief History Of Why Artists Are No Longer Making A Living..."

@voiceofvinyl:

"The post-war generation took pride in their interests. Audio, and photography, as well as others like woodworking, fly-fishing etc.., were part technical pursuits that people aspired to master. This is simply no longer true for the majority of the public."   

Like the article itself, and a number of other replies here, I think this too represents looking back at the good old days through rose colored glasses. The truth is that none of the things you mentioned were ever part of high level technical pursuits for "the majority of the public". They aren't now and they weren't then.

And the truth of the matter is that in terms of numbers alone there are way more people doing things like advanced amateur photography than at any time in history. The public taste for quick snapshots may have worsened and the value the _general_ public has for professional or fine art photography may not be what it once was per capita but it is thriving. I am deep into amateur and fine art photography and the number of people out there doing amazing high level work including large format fine art printing is simply amazing.

As with the article I think it is too easy to confuse what the majority of the world thinks and does with the level of success and expertise that still exists and thrives.

It is also too easy to see things through a local lens and I might be just as guilty as @orpheus10  in this matter. He sees, in his purview, a loss of music venues and night clubs. In my purview I see a boom. The music scene in this region is thriving and vital, the quality of music in many cases is excellent and young people are embracing it.

The music industry has _always_ been hard to break into. There is nothing new about that.

@orpheus10 @voiceofvinyl @n80

Thank you one and all for the last 3 posts here.


n80  "As with the article I think it is too easy to confuse what the majority of the world thinks and does with the level of success and expertise that still exists and thrives."

I think I'm now beginning to see where you are coming from and I might be coming around to your way of thinking on it. Thank you.

Audiophiles who pursue and enjoy technical excellence as inseparable with artistic excellence are on the decline. The current resurgence in interest in analog vinyl is, IMHO, a revolt against convenience but it is also an anomaly and will not survive the relentless advances in technology and the cultural shifts that it will bring.



That is a very interesting paragraph. While I count myself among those who pursue technical excellence, I don't know anyone else personally; it's too expensive; people I know would rather go on a cruise.

They are the multitudes who spent their entire lives with vinyl; they're into digital because they know how expensive a high end rig is, and that's the only reason to go to analog. The mantra that vinyl is warmer, will not penetrate their deaf ears; while this may be true, it's not warm enough for them to spend the minimum 3K to make it better than digital, and 3K is conservative; real audiophiles know that.

Once those "newbees" who bought into cheap analog rigs, realize they have to pony up a few more K to run with the big dogs, they either pony up or fold. Since they don't know about the expertise required for "analog nirvana", in addition to the extra K; they're going to fold, and that's why this resurgence is temporary. Reality is what is; not because I say it is, but because it is what it is.

This is just a single article about one band but it seems to refute the premise of the original article on which this thread was based......except that the band sought after a more traditional Stax style SQ:

https://theindustryobserver.thebrag.com/the-teskey-brothers-a-diy-success-story/

If you haven't heard this band.......you should.

@n80 Thanks for the link. They do indeed seem like a great band.

@orpheus10 


"Once those "newbees" who bought into cheap analog rigs, realize they have to pony up a few more K to run with the big dogs, they either pony up or fold. Since they don't know about the expertise required for "analog nirvana", in addition to the extra K; they're going to fold, and that's why this resurgence is temporary."


It seems to me like it all that may still be up in the air. To hear millennials tell it, they are much too debt laden (school, housing) to hold any illusions of being able to ever "upgrade" into anything beyond what may amount to them as a passing "nod" in the general direction of culture.

If the lawyers that run the world could ever figure out what to do with the elephant in the room, China, then they all might otherwise  feel that their copyright strategies might work at least well enough to go ahead and announce the worldwide cessation of CD production like they've been wanting to since 2015. But, in the current political climes, it doesn't exactly look like that might happen anytime soon.