Mass Scale Individuality

Watch this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ

The above video really brings to the fore my misgivings regarding intellectual property. Creating something doesn't mean anything until other people see it and spread its message. This whole American myth that each of us is unique and special simply isn't true. Or at least it doesn't have any real meaning. A lone point on a map doesn't mean anything without the context of the rest of the map. It just seems to me that Americans in particular suffer from a mass scale individuality that isn't based in fact. The idea that one person can take credit for something when each of us is the sum total of our experiences within a society just doesn't sit well with me.

We give the creator of things so much credit, but for one, that creation is he product of all of the experiences and influences manifesting themselves through the creator. And secondly, it's those who come along and notice the creation, enjoy it and decide to share it that really bring it to life. So the idea that I write a song and it somehow belongs to me and I should get paid for it and have control over how it's used is very small-minded. In reality, I'm only a vessel for creation, and it doesn't truly become a song until someone else hears it.

This is the problem with today's music industry. A lot of people just aren't buying the old ideas anymore. The industry needs to reinvent itself with an eye toward creating situations where artists and fans collaborate rather than trying to shove crap down people's throats and then complaining that the customers won't pay to have stuff shoved down their throats. That may have worked in the days of radio and television where it was a one way transmission, but this is the world of the internet. Everyone is on equal footing, and the sooner musicians recognize this, the sooner it can evolve into an all new form of entertainment.