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Fear Of Change
One of the greatest gifts I was given in life was moving homes every year for the first dozen years of my life. I learned to embrace change. It's been a curse too in some ways, but it pays huge dividends in my line of work.
I was thinking about that on my bike ride up the west side this morning. The whole debate about free music on this blog that has been happening over the past three days has been laced with fear of change. To quote my friend Tony Alva:
In 1979 we regularly sat in the basement of our friends houses, smoked cigarettes (and other things), chatted the summer away and spun records from each others collections. Some records we all had, others were potential purchases (each record a cherished purchase). All the “social networking” was peripheral and secondary to listening and digging the music. We played air guitar and often times acted like fools before heading out with an enormous cassette boombox in hand to skateboard or hit the swimming hole.
In 2010, we'll play streams into earbuds while dodging or cursing the annoying advertising, or we sit at a desk searching endless lists of on line free music (stripped of any real personal value or investment) on a PC monitor. The new music, whatever is left of it, pales in comparison to yesteryear since real artists refuse to compromise and take on a “Sponsor” to keep them fed .
That's fear you are reading in Tony's comment, fear of change. That it can't ever be as good as it was in 1979. And I was in the basement of Tony's friend's house (it was my house) and I know what he's longing for. Times change. Tony lives in Atlanta. I live in NYC. But guess what. Tony and I didn't talk about music for 20+ years. Now we talk about it daily. We aren't spinning discs on the turntable in the basement anymore but we are talking. Friends again. And it's because of technology not in spite of it.
Let's look at baseball. Most every night this spring after I finish the dishes (that's my job) I go to the family room and find Josh in front of the TV watching the Mets. He loves the Mets like I loved the Oakland A's when I was his age. He doesn't collect baseball cards or play stratomatic. He plays fantasy baseball on Yahoo (here's his team [don't click doesn't work]- note the large number of Mets) and MLB on his xBox. And let me tell you, he knows a lot more about baseball, the players, the game situations, the stats, than I ever did. Now some of that may be his uncle (the Gotham Gal's brother) coming out in him. But nonetheless, his enagement, to use the marketing term du jour, is way larger than mine ever was. Because of technology not in spite of it.
The best thing I've ever read on this topic is Steven Johnson's Everything Bad is Good for You. TV's supposedly bad for you. Spending your day IMing is supposedly bad for you. Listening to music on your computer's bad for you. Etc etc.
Rubbish. Technology is driving change in our society and I believe the benefits of this technology driven change vastly outweigh the negatives. Sure there are some things we won't be doing anymore. We'll miss them (I won't). But there's so much more I can do and will do because of technology and I am so much richer for it.
Comments (17) | Posted June 6, 2007 in Venture Capital and Technology
Comments
Couldn't agree more. My two little ones (7 and 5) are learning more about using computers from Webkinz, and connecting with other people and playing games than I ever did at that age. When they want to know about something the older one Googles it and then reads it herself or out loud to the younger one. There's clearly a need for parental supervision here - but the ability to instantly satisfy youthful curiousity through technologgy has to be a positive.
BTW: speaking of fear of change in music, look no further than Edgar Bronfman's presentation yesterday morning at a Deutsche Bank conference. His big idea is - wait for it - a better CD. With videos on it and more liner notes. Guess what, it will cost you more $. That's the big innovation - that and etting into the touring business, and the merchandise buisness, and the artist management business. I guess I would trust Warner Music with those jobs if I were an upcoming artist - not.
Posted by: Harry DeMott | Jun 6, 2007 9:27:55 AM
And of course we can't see your son's team -- "You are not allowed to view this page because you are not in this league. (Error #152)"
Why do fantasy sports have to be social only within the confines of your own league?
Posted by: Michael | Jun 6, 2007 9:33:52 AM
Great perspective. My little brother is like Josh (except he's a Mariners fan), it just blows me away. He knows all the records old and new, constantly up on the stats and standings and he spends about 1/5th of the time I used to reading all my baseball cards, alphabetizing them, reading almanacs, etc. - but today there's just an effortless flow of information being soaked up.
Posted by: Eric | Jun 6, 2007 10:04:55 AM
How does one ride a bike in NY? When I was there I almost died walking down the sidewalk. It would seem tricky to do it on a bike.
Posted by: Dustin | Jun 6, 2007 10:14:23 AM
I just recently started to get into YouTube for watching music videos. There is a lot of really good stuff there along with a lot of bad. But that's just like what you find at a record store. Now instead of talking about it with a few buddies in the basement, we can talk about it with nearly anybody in the world who is interested. That's a pretty cool shift. And, we can still sit around and listen to music in the basement.
Posted by: Mike | Jun 6, 2007 10:47:38 AM
Naturally, I disagree. I’m not a guy who fears technology at all. Change? The only change I fear is change for the worse.
My home and recording studio are filled with some of the world’s greatest gadgets. I think digital music has some positive aspects, but beyond portability on the consumer side, and editing/mixing on the production side I remain utterly unimpressed with what it’s done to the listening experience for me and weep for generations to come for the loss of what was once a much more rewarding experience. I had a huge rant drafted for Newcritics on this topic that I wrote late one night after three bottles of wine a couple of months ago. I should have let it fly so you’d better understand my position here, but I’ll do my best to give you the less offensive gist.
You’ve commented in the past about the benefit of attending your board meetings in person. I couldn’t agree with you more on the reasons you proffer for doing this. In person is always better, and with music I remain convinced it’s a much better experience, one which kids seem to rarely do these days together. I think that this is sad given the fact that it was such a huge part of mine and many others youth. It’s been replaced by earbuds and virtual socialization on computers. Sorry, if I can’t help myself from seeing how badly this pales in comparison to sitting in a room with your friends and tuning out to LP’s. It’s not the same, and it’s definitely NOT better.
Music is an organic thing. Sound is a medium of air. Music penetrates much better when it’s moving through air and being pushed by speakers. If nothing else, I hope my kid will prefer to play her music through GOOD speakers vs. plugging in those damnable earbuds. I also hope and will certainly encourage her to hang out in her room with her friends IN PERSON and crank the stereo up, listen and talk about music amongst themselves. It was BETTER when you had record jackets to look at while doing this, to read liner notes and credits, inspire more conversation. I think it’s great to own a lot of music, but all of it at one time? How does it ever penetrate? Nothing will make that process any faster. How does that happen when you’re moving on to the other millions of records available? Maybe I’m just dense and lack the capacity to absorb it as quickly as others, I don’t know. It’s always required a marinating period for me.
Computers provided some means to do a lot of the things I’ve mentioned when it’s not convenient to do them in person, but it’s all gone horribly wrong. Now, we actually think that these virtual social networks are somehow better?! Sorry, I’m calling bullshit. They’re a lousy second choice. One I’ll take having no option at all, but a lousy one nonetheless.
Have you ever considered that there exists so much music out there that it might actually be more rewarding to get invested in a subset, than try to consume it all? The very fact that it’s all available has stripped away a once cherished aspect of this; YOUR collection. Today, kids think of music as nothing more than the water coming out of a faucet. Turn the knob and there it is, as much as you want. I don’t see this as necessarily a good thing. Of course it’s cool to search for new music, but I just don’t see offering everything all at one time as the best way to do this.
I know when you get older you no longer have the endless hours to hang with friends and tune out to music, but let me tell you something, I am glad I did it when I could and I miss it more and more as time goes on. Don’t get me wrong, technology has provided the means to reconnect and/or stay connected with SO many of my past and present music friends and for that I am humble to technology for providing me that opportunity, but you know what would be even better? If we could all sit down in a room, crack a few cold ones, smoke’em if you got’em, and listen to music. A stack of LP’s perhaps, cracks, pops, and all. Together with family and friends, like you do when you’re out at your beach house. You know you enjoy this more than any other listening activity or setting, just admit it.
You know what I’ve discovered the greatest use for my iPod is? Cutting the grass. I can now totally jam out while mowing the grass and not worry about skipping the CD. Thank god for digital music.
Rock is dead, long live rock!
Posted by: Tony Alva | Jun 6, 2007 12:18:25 PM
So, in a nutshell, the rich get richer, the poor get poorer.
Go ahead, build your empire on the crumbled ruins of mine.
What is rubbish is the thought of ad supported art.
You may see the demise of this artform as acceptable collateral damage - I do not.
NOTHING on Youtube sounds good.
You moved every three years, except in Germany, where you lived for three years in three different towns.
Baseball? You lost me.
Tony said all that I would have, and better.
Posted by: jackson | Jun 6, 2007 1:08:58 PM
Tony,
Those "damnable earbuds" aren't the only way to listen to digital music, you can pump it through the biggest, most bad-ass speakers you can lay your hands on. The great thing about digital is that it gives you more options for listening, more than we had in the 70's. You can listen through earbuds when you want, like cutting the grass or riding the train, or you can listen through speakers with friends in the basement. That option is still there.
The great thing about virtual social networks is that you discover people with the same tastes as you that your friends may not share. And what's wrong with that?
Posted by: Tom Brandt | Jun 6, 2007 1:17:47 PM
Nostalgia is always a slippery slope; problem is if you're looking back you can't look forward. To put it in perspective, look at the things your parents are nostalgic about; can't believe they actually like that stuff? That's what your kids will think about us spinning records with our friends. As Mick said "What am I supposed to do, sit around the pub and talk about how great the 60s were?" Exactly!
Posted by: Mitch Rubin | Jun 6, 2007 1:59:10 PM
The last thing I'm going to pump through my badass speakers is a mp3. I'd rather chew glass.
There is an upside. I'm still busy buying all the vinyl you sold to the used record store. The owner of that store and I couldn't be happier about that.
Posted by: jackson | Jun 6, 2007 2:37:58 PM
Tom,
Pleasure to make your virtual acquaintance, sincerely. Maybe one day we'll meet.
Re: virtual networks... It's not a one or the other position. It's a one is MUCH better than the other thing and we're losing sight of that. I'd lie to my parents to go hang out with my friends. Chatting on line is not a substitute, and is a poor second choice to the phone even.
It’s cool that we can chat on this blog about things like music, that’s a plus, but if given the choice I’d rather sit down in a pub and converse with you in person (yes, I know that’s not always possible or practical). This is only a part of what we’re losing.
It’s funny… you can search for the post on Fred’s blog here if you want, but there is a post about a visit by his brother and girlfriend out to his place on the island where he stores what must be a sizable vinyl collection. He waxes (no pun intended) on about how much fun it was to stay up late with the whole gang spinning records, INCLUDING the kids. It was so much fun he blogged about it.
When Fred’s brother comes to visit me, or I go up there we tune out to vinyl and I myself am struck by how much better a time I’m having. It WAS better and now it’s been ruined.
Mitch,
Pleasure to make your virtual acquaintance too. It ain't nostalgia my friend.
I prefer Keith’s take. As always his is more sound, “No I don’t carry a laptop or a cell phone, who need it…”.
Posted by: Tony Alva | Jun 6, 2007 2:42:22 PM
Just tossing my two cents into the fray.
I think this discussion is conflating two distinct changes that are taking place. The first is the change of venue, the second is the change in distribution. I'm a big fan of both changes, but I think my reaction to them is a bit different.
I think current changes in listening venues expand our ability to listen to / experience music. In its infancy, you couldn't listen to music without having going to a place where a band or orchestra was playing live. At some point, we could then listen to the music from those bands at home. Now, we can take that music with us wherever we go.
I'm with Tom on this one: these changes - iPods, earbuds, etc. - are not replacing the traditional experience. People still spend tons of cash going to concerts, because there is something about the experience that you just don't get listening to your music at home. Likewise, people will still jam out with their friends in basements.
My impression has always been that left to their own devices, people will choose the option that they consider to be the 'best.' But what each person considers to be best varies drastically, from person to person and generation to generation. If people *aren't* listening to records together in favor of staying at their computers and talking to people via IM while listening to various music streams, maybe that's an indication of a generational shift in preference.
The second change that's being discussed is a change in how information about music is distributed. More to the point, it's a change in how we *find* music.
When I first arrived in high school, I didn't know my a** from my elbow about music. The only way that I got turned on to it was by hanging out with people, listening to what they listened to, and eventually just going through their collections on my own. There was an element of selectivism - I'd listen to the music of people that I respected. After listening to hundreds of CDs, I thought I'd developed my own style, but looking back, I'd just leeched off of the preferences of a few select friends.
The internet hugely changed the way that I found new music. Rather than poaching from my friends, I was able to go and find new music on my own. And by 'on my own,' I meant that I could go browse through Napster libraries or read about new records on Pitchfork, cokemachineglow, etc. or whatever review site seemed to best fit my style.
But there was a definite shift in the way that I listened to music. It became a volume problem. Whereas before, I was listening to a CD at a time, now I had too much music being referred to me at once. I started filtering more actively for sounds that were immediately likable, rather than going through the old digestion process.
This change feels more like a replacement to me, although theoretically it doesn't have to be. I'll never be able to go back to just talking to my friends and listening to whatever new CDs they recommend, because the process is just too slow for me. I'm now much more keenly aware of the vastness of the musical universe and I just don't have the patience to sift through it one CD at a time. Do I miss the old ways? Sure. Would I ever imagine going back to them? Not on your life.
Posted by: Irvin Sha | Jun 6, 2007 3:36:16 PM
jackson,
when Edison first introduced his phonograph (or whatever he called it), the sound was tinny, had no dynamic range, and could fit only a few minutes of sound on each cylinder. Many predicted it was a fad that was no substitute for live performance and would soon die out. Instead, it evolved into the vinyl LP that you - and I - love so much. And no, I have not sold my LPs to the record store. I still have them, including the first one I ever bought, the Airplane's Surrealistic Pillow.
Digital sound, which is still in the wax cylinder stage, will continue evolve to the point where you will have no problem pumping them through your bad-ass speakers.
Tony,
I completely agree that face-to-face is better than keyboard-to-keyboard. And I too would much rather discuss this with you over a beer (if you ever get to Ann Arbor, look me up - I'll look you up if I ever get to Athens). But, without the internet, and Fred's blog, I would never have heard of Tony Alva and Tony Alva would never have heard of Tom Brandt.
I think most people would rather get together face-to-face. This is why clubs and bars (and parents' basements) are still hopping. So I don't think we are losing these things. The internet has made it possible to meet more people than ever before, and has given a wider range of options for personal interaction than ever before.
Posted by: Tom Brandt | Jun 6, 2007 9:44:47 PM
(oh hell - I meant Atlanta, not Athens.)
Posted by: Tom Brandt | Jun 6, 2007 9:56:44 PM
Thank you.
My son and his friends spend hours, upon hours - "together" - Skyping. Every single night. His computer is in our living room not his bedroom - and it feels like there's a party of 5 in our house every night. They all get their homework done and are A students - it doesn't bother me one bit! But...shhhhh....dont' tell the other mothers.
Posted by: Laura | Jun 7, 2007 8:55:13 AM
Fred - You're bang on that younger viewers are engaging with media in totally different ways than we did 10 years ago, and baseball is a perfect example. I thought Josh might be interested in a site called SpeedOfSport.com ... it's a demo site for NanoGaming, which is like Fantasy Baseball, but much more interactive and community oriented... essentially allows users to play along with the ball game in real-time by predicting the outcome of each at-bat, with odds calculated on the various outcomes. And lucky for him, we're covering two NY Mets games in the next week.
It's all speaks to the lean-forward media model that is clearly dominant with consumers his age.
Dave
Posted by: Dave Bullock | Jun 7, 2007 12:14:43 PM
Tom,
Don't get me wrong - though it's easy to do since I assume a vitriolic posture here in the blogsphere. Fred understands this and embraces my finger pointing and outlandish accusations, though not to the extent that he's going to alter his posture.
I own and operate a digital recording studio. Nobody understands the development of digital audio better than I do - well, okay, probably many do, but my point is that I fully understand and accept the new media and where it's going....BUT....digital audio is not analog, it's ones and zeros, there are no natural curves. Ones and zeros can never fully replicate the natural world in which sound is....that's right folks, ANALOG. Waves have curves. How can you replicate that with ones and zeros?
Sure it will get better, and so will the quality of the output of my studio, but I will never put an advertisement on the top end or back end or anywhere in the middle of any song that comes out of my studio. nor will I listen to or purchase any music that does such a ridiculous thing.
And by the way, the sky really is falling...
Posted by: jackson | Jun 7, 2007 1:33:17 PM
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