I think hip-hop from the 80s to early 90s was probably the golden age of the genre. It was socially and politically conscious and gave many inner city youth a chance to creatively express themselves.

I would point to hip-hop as the most game-changing genre to emerge in our lives, and I think you can draw a lot of parallels between the rap movement and the jazz movement, the blues movement or the rock movement.

From the time I was 25 myself until the present, my life in the music business has continually revolved around and been involved with people under 30. Throughout my life I have had to understand the need for change and to try and understand what the current generation was thinking and feeling. The majority of my working life, I have been in the street and have learned almost everything from the ground up. My experience can be a great source of wisdom for some and for others unfortunately a limiting factor. Currently, I have being forced to reinvent myself. I have spent the last three years building a music discovery web site and e commerce platform, that do to my own changing understanding of the digital landscape, has evolved into what has become LiveMusicMachine, a new user generated music booking web site. (See 5 minute video demo http://vimeo.com/6062251, I would like your support when we go live in a couple of days). My only partner has been with me for 5 years and she is only 26. I do my best to judge people on what they really bring to the table without labeling them as anything or anyone in particular. The way I see it, any 25 year old who has read my background, my blog, my tweets(MusicBizGuy) and seen my new website, who is skeptical because of “my decades of experience in ‘the business’” ought to have his or her head examined (not referring to you at all Andrew). It is unfortunate that guys my age or older are running and ruining the music business. I am distancing myself from these people who choose to see the business in a way and manner to which it will never return. I will be happy to continue this dialogue on the phone if you wish. Send me your contact information to musicbizguy@yahoo.com and we can engage in what I am sure will be a most inetresting and enlighten conversation.

David

You are very astute. Music is passing me by to a great extent. Though my ear for good music is as sensitive as ever because I do have such a depth and understanding of what is good rock and roll, R&B and Hip Hop. The path of distribution between artist and listener is more difficult to walk than I have ever seen it in my lifetime. Music used to be released in quantities that could be digested easily by the average passionate music person. With hundreds and some weeks thousands of albums and songs being released from every corner of the planet, it is truly an impossible task to keep up with one popular genre like rock, let alone my 3 key genres and numerous other genres I find that I like depending on the songs i hear. I recognize your excellent point that today’s music listener can be every bit as passionate as those from my generation. The problem today is that there are no really good new music filters that can make the discovery process manageable for a guy like me or for anybody for that matter. Why don’t you help my discovery of new music by recommending 8 or 10 selections of artists of any genre that you think a guy with my diverse interests and background might like. Again thank for your thoughtful comment.

I think it’s awesome that you embrace change and look forward to the industry’s next cycle, but I’m curious as to whether you can understand the skepticism of the current generation of young music fans (under 25s) when we’re exposed to the opinions of those with decades of experience in ‘the business’. This is an idea that I’ll happily expand upon, but I’d like to invite your initial response first.

Thanks very much for posting this, Refe.

there are thousands of people out there who are every bit as passionate about new music as he was 30 years ago. although the mechanisms by which we now consume music might have changed, the path of distribution between artist and listener is as difficult to walk as it has ever been.

nothing has changed. everything has changed.

Here’s a guy who has beenimmersed in the old school side of the music industry and yet has embraced technology and understands the implications new technology is having culturally and artistically. Imagine if more of the established, old guard industry players were as progressive and open-minded as David? Would the state of the record industry be better? I would think so.

Thanks for sharing his perspectives with us. I can only encourage people who care about music and artists to listen to people like David. These people have such valuable perspective, insights and experiences that will help us younger folks understand the history of the industry and guide us in the right direction.