David Byrne On The Music Business

David Byrne has an excellent article on the music business over at Wired. He offers this brilliant insight into music business today:

What is called the music business today, however, is not the business of producing music. At some point it became the business of selling CDs in plastic cases, and that business will soon be over. But that’s not bad news for music, and it’s certainly not bad news for musicians. Indeed, with all the ways to reach an audience, there have never been more opportunities for artists.

A very good read.

Julian Schnabel

In a recent episode of The Treatment, Elvis Mitchel interviews artist and director Julian Schnable. Elvis is struck by the idea that all of Julian’s movies are about artists whose view of the world is not understood by other people and so they are constantly trying to communicate with the world. Elvis says that the movies are ostensibly about art, but they are also movies about communications. They portray figures, who for some reason, can’t get an essential part of themselves communicated through any other means but their art. Julian replies:

That is true about all art. The conflict is to try and take what is inside of you and put it inside somebody else.

This is such a wonderful idea. It has made my day.

I am reminded of a wonderful story of a modern dancer who gave a very expressive, very moving performance. When she had finished, a member of the audience approached her, asking what she was trying to communicate with her dance.

She replied, “Well sir, if I could explain it, I would not have needed to dance.”