Video Republic
How young people are changing Europe
Production companies and broadcasters no longer hold a monopoly over moving-images - instead, a new theatre of public information has emerged. Spread across the internet, television, festivals and campaigns this emerging ‘Video Republic’ is a messy, alternative realm of video creation and exchange, dominated by young people. Who inhabits, shapes and regulates the Video Republic?
The sheet music hits the fan
at 10:39am on Wednesday, 10th September 2008
Indie band Oasis have been in the news recently. Firstly, because someone pushed over Noel Gallagher on stage in Canada. Naughty. Over a million people have watched this clip of it happening in two days.
But secondly, because they are giving away a song book and cd-rom free with NME, in association with the Arts Council. The scheme has been hailed as helping to promote a new generation of musicians, by giving them the tools and encouragement to reinterpret their favourite bands' work. The hope is that they will thereby fall in love with the awesome wonder of musical production. Sky News asked last night, via one of their syntactically innovative headline bars: 'helping find the new Gallagher?' It's a nice idea; a good way to encourage people to pick up instruments because it is backed by a famous band.
But if the notion that giving people access to the raw material of pop music will encourage them to make music has any truth to it - which it does - then I'm confused about the fuss, for two reasons. First, because its been reported with some forgetful journalism. Second, because the claim about the impact of giving away sheet music is full of hubris, because its something people had found the means to do themselves a long time ago.
I used to get all my guitar chords and tabs from a brilliant site called the Online Guitar Archive. Propelled by enthusiastic string-twangers, it quickly filled up with tips and tabs detailing how to play almost any song imaginable. But then something went wrong. Some rights holders decided that people figuring out the way music sounds and works, and then telling other people about it, is not what we'd all assumed - that we'd stumbled on another wondrous means to help us learn how to participate in our pop culture. Instead, apparently it constitutes an economic and moral crime.
If the model of culture implicit in intellectual property legislation backs this nonsense up, and denies people the chance to learn, share and help rework the songs and sights around them, then it's not one I recognise as 'culture'. It's particularly galling to see labels and initiatives lauded for belatedly engaging in something that their fans had figured out 10 years ago. Especially when its an activity that parts of the music industry have been actively trying to stamp out.
There are, of course, still loads of other options for free printed music online. Go, be the next, erm, Gallagher.
Some other useful links:
The Open Rights Group, who campaign for digital rights, are currently looking to expand their membership. You can get involved here - if you're quick you can snatch a free copy of Laurence Lessig's new book.
For the UK Music Publishers Association site go here. The US MPA can be found here.
But secondly, because they are giving away a song book and cd-rom free with NME, in association with the Arts Council. The scheme has been hailed as helping to promote a new generation of musicians, by giving them the tools and encouragement to reinterpret their favourite bands' work. The hope is that they will thereby fall in love with the awesome wonder of musical production. Sky News asked last night, via one of their syntactically innovative headline bars: 'helping find the new Gallagher?' It's a nice idea; a good way to encourage people to pick up instruments because it is backed by a famous band.
But if the notion that giving people access to the raw material of pop music will encourage them to make music has any truth to it - which it does - then I'm confused about the fuss, for two reasons. First, because its been reported with some forgetful journalism. Second, because the claim about the impact of giving away sheet music is full of hubris, because its something people had found the means to do themselves a long time ago.
I used to get all my guitar chords and tabs from a brilliant site called the Online Guitar Archive. Propelled by enthusiastic string-twangers, it quickly filled up with tips and tabs detailing how to play almost any song imaginable. But then something went wrong. Some rights holders decided that people figuring out the way music sounds and works, and then telling other people about it, is not what we'd all assumed - that we'd stumbled on another wondrous means to help us learn how to participate in our pop culture. Instead, apparently it constitutes an economic and moral crime.
If the model of culture implicit in intellectual property legislation backs this nonsense up, and denies people the chance to learn, share and help rework the songs and sights around them, then it's not one I recognise as 'culture'. It's particularly galling to see labels and initiatives lauded for belatedly engaging in something that their fans had figured out 10 years ago. Especially when its an activity that parts of the music industry have been actively trying to stamp out.
There are, of course, still loads of other options for free printed music online. Go, be the next, erm, Gallagher.
Some other useful links:
The Open Rights Group, who campaign for digital rights, are currently looking to expand their membership. You can get involved here - if you're quick you can snatch a free copy of Laurence Lessig's new book.
For the UK Music Publishers Association site go here. The US MPA can be found here.
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Comments
So I wouldn't want to make this an efficiency point, of course. In fact, things like the OLGA were expressions of people's interest in sharing the fruits of their efforts after they poured over their favourite albums. That's exactly what these places were - all the contributions were provided by people who have pushed themselves to listen and figure out the music. A lot of them were wrong, in fact - which I only figured out when trying to play my newly acquired imitation skills to other people.... So it's not celebrating efficiency or the removal of barriers to say that I'm just kind of annoyed with the slant of the reporting - the idea that its an act that will open up young people's access to music and inspire them to become musicians. If this particular act does, then it is exceptional not because it distributes the written music. Its because of Oasis' endorsement of it.
I don't know. Maybe I just really wish everything fit into those easy schisms you listed...