Australian Music In Tune should become a compulsory part of school curriculum. Australian songwriters and musicians have a tough time in this day and age, what with people downloading music when they should be paying for it. Yes, it’s theft, people.
In 2006 the annual mean income of someone involved in the music and performing arts scene was 36,820 Howards, a full 15% lower than the national workforce mean.
Ouch, my head hurts. That’s tolerable coin if that’s your annual takehome. Where did that figure come from? Why am I feeling embarrassed by making maybe $1000 in cash and piss over five years with my pissed pop punk band? Most likely because it’s confirmation I am commercially shite, but there’s something somewhat misleading about the man’s statistics.
I took a look at the small print.
“1/ All employment and earnings numbers quoted for 2006 are calculated using Census data with the latest industry and occupation classifications (ANZSIC06/ANZSCO).”
In other words, you wouldn’t call yourself a full time musician just because you have a few gigs around town and have sold a few CDs. You have to be deriving the bulk of your income from what you do to. I am a researcher, for instance.
Still, there is something else wrong with this well-meaning project.
No pro-downloading voices are given to artists or ‘amateur cultural producers’. Nobody mentions how the music industry played a part in its own demise. Why can’t I buy music via one click on Foxtel? Why did it take iTunes to get the digital download economy off the ground? Why did Napster get such a head start on the mainstream music industry? Why did the RIAA decide to start suing struggling families and single mothers despite the awful PR fallout? What incentive did ARIA give people to purchase music online?
And, in any case, what if the industry is trying place financial value on music in a context whereby the consuming mass sees lesser or no value? What then? What if that’s the case and you just have to suck it down?
Popularity: 48% [?]
You Should Also Check Out This Post:
- The Boat People - Awkward Orchid Orchard
- Billy Thorpe & The Aztecs - Mama
- The Screaming Tribesmen - I Got A Feeling
- Regurgitator - Fat Cop
- Cyclone Country - 8 Ball Aitken
One morning a former music journalist woke up, rubbed his eyes and wondered why there wasn't a blog or zine featuring Brisbane's amazing output of music videos. One crash course in Wordpress later and a hell of a lot of late nights and here it is. The design may change without warning and there could be spelling errors, but we is what we is. And, no, I ain't makin' much coin from this little project.
Frenzal Rhomb guitarist Lindsay McDougall, also a radio presenter at Triple J, told the Herald he was furious at being “lumped in with this witch hunt” and that he had been “completely taken out of context and defamed” by the Australian music industry, which funded the video.