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The Gradual Languish In Musical Talent

By Jennifer McDonald


The music industry is not what it used to be. Headlines often despair over the erosion of revenue now that downloads are replacing CD sales, and online file sharing often eliminates the need to spend any money. Any media business is vulnerable to technology changes and consumers switching to competing forms of entertainment, but I have to wonder if music with mass appeal that could bring in big sales is even being produced. Where actually is musical talent hiding?

No more do super groups such as Led Zeppelin or the Who emerge to pack stadiums and create fans committed to buying every album. And these days, who can claim to be a part of the next generation of music talent that can inherit the popularity and profits of such creative geniuses as John Lennon or Jimi Hendrix?

When you stop and think about it, music really taps into a variety of these areas in a comprehensive way. In addition, physical characteristics are known to be influenced by early exposure to music, especially when learning an instrument. Fingers that are regularly active playing music have more nerve activity.

For students considering teaching as a career, taking a summer job as a camp counselor is a good start. It gives them a chance to learn how to interact with younger children while spending their summertime playing instruments they love and making new friends. This also gives high school students a chance to spend some independent time away from home before taking the big step of going off to college. It is also a way to help earn some college money. There are many openings as camp counselors in fine arts camps, as well as those specifically designed for marching band, orchestra, ensembles, horns, percussion and just plain music camp.

I know that times have changed because of the internet. Bands are going directly to music listeners with their own websites and pages on MySpace. This is absolutely fantastic because it allows anyone to throw his or her hat in the ring and get noticed. But how noticed do they get?

Musical toys should be a part of every preschool toy chest. Playing with music is fun for kids. In addition, the approach of using learning toys takes much of the pressure off parents during these younger years. There are many interactive toys that feature tone and rhythm, as well as those that actually allow a young child to create their own music combinations.

When I was growing up in the 1980s, I would listen to the radio or watch MTV. When I heard something I liked, then I would probably buy it at the store. As I recall, MTV pretty much stopped showing music videos in the early 1990s. As for radio, most stations these days play oldies, classic rock, and light mixes. This is a profitable formula, but how is new music going to be marketed to a mass audience unless it is presented to a mass audience? When the Beatles were exploding on to the American scene, they were on the radio.

I just shake my head when I hear executives and lawyers for the music industry complain about illegal downloads and dropping CD sales. Maybe if they looked for some fresh talent and let creative minds do what they do best, they could attract new paying consumers who would surely appreciate something new and good to listen and dance to.




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