I don't like free music because my pockets are filled with wrappers, receipts and lint, although admittedly, seeing as how I know no other existence, its difficult to really be sure about that. No, the reason I like free music is because I am inherently a fan of purity and origin and intention. I understand the realistic makeup of the world we live within and that everyone needs to pay their electric bill; and that's why I'm not here to criticize revenue-garnering music (although I think that everything has reasonable limits). But, I would like to strongly emphasize my love and appreciation for free music. It seems to me that the word 'free' is a double-entendre. And surprisingly enough, helping further this free spread of artistic expression is none other than the ipod. I make the preceeding sentence appear in a sense of surprise because the music industry along with Apple have been quite concerned with the future of recorded music, due to free downloading, but that's just one side of ipod's story. The nature of apple computers, conducive to artistic creation, has allowed all sorts of amalgams of new and old technology come together in new forms of music; and the ipod is helping to spread the works to anyone who would like to listen. Several artists have begun to experiment with the new capabilities using their Macs, instruments and ipods. To a good deal of them, it's about the music, and they have thusly put their music online as free ipod downloads. These are completely legal, as they have not only the consent, but also the encouragement of the creators. This is a side of free downloading that should be giving all persons involved with music something to smile about. To music aficionados, its really the way that things are supposed to be, for the musicians it gives them a forum from which to extend their craft and for the executives, it can mean that people are getting excited about music again. Who would have thought that the esoteric nature of my passion for free music would be represented and carried by something like free downloading on your ipod (a previously dirty secret that had all sorts of difficult paradoxes). No matter, I just want to let the music ring. |
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