Music Currently.

The music industry is an out of control wild animal. Though this isn’t any breaking news, since the beginning of recorded music there has been money hungry executives, nasty lawyers, and in the end unfair treatment to artists. In the past the skit kinda went something like this..

• New struggling artist starts to gain traction and a fan base
• WIth dreams of a record deal they hear out all offers.
• They hastily sign a contract
• The contract states that the label owns 100% of all music produced under them.
• The contract also states you need to produce 5 albums in 4 years

This happened thousands of times, even happening to huge artists like Lil Wayne, Bob Marley, And even N-Sync. The record labels were ruthless and the fact many of the artists they took advantage of were desperate and uneducated in the business only made it easier for them. And it only kept going. Throughout the 80s and 90s the music industry, especially in LA was a war zone. Artists would threaten executives with guns, show up to their houses, throw massive fits in the office. Rightfully so as they were being robbed of their hard work day in and day out.

Where this all stopped and then began to sprint again was within the internet. While for a time artists were given more rights and control over their process. Sell their own records, host their own shows, own their masters. It wasn’t until music began to take the dip into streaming that artists once again started to lose control. With a small handful of companies controlling how we stream all music it was clearly evident that artists were about to have a hard time. Now in current times you need 3x the amount of popularity to make the same amount of money. And it surely isn’t all gonna come from the music. Social media has forced record companies to look at artists as a whole brand. Music isn’t enough. Commercials, videos, sponsors. All required to be a famous musical artist. And this is where the problem lies. I want to end here so that you can comments. I know we are all aware of how musicians become popular now. It’s about politics and resources, talk more and spend more, you’ll MAKE MORE.

Video Games. Oh how you’ve changed.

This week in class we took a short delve into a topic that I hold very close to my heart. Video Games. Growing up video games were a huge part of my life, not only were my two older siblings obsessed with Nintendo 64, game-boys, and the ever infamous game Cube. My own parents were also. The variety of all these tastes, being passed on and elevated with personal flare led to the conglomeration of my own tastes in video games.

So while my siblings were obsessed with things like Crash Bandicoot, Pokemon, and Sims. My parents were obsessed with classic games like Super Mario, Tetris, Donkey Kong and Pac-Man. My dad is actually the best Pac-Man player I’ve ever seen, he draws crowds at Dave and Busters on the jumbo version. This mix up of games and interest really led me to have an amazing outlook on games. There isn’t a video game I wouldn’t try. While now that time only allows me to play ever so often I seem to have found a home in First Person shooter games, The Call of Duty Franchise specifically. Right around here is where my problem with video games begins to come to light.

Are games hurting our kids?

Games have evolved extremely fast in recent years. Moving away from personal experience and single player modes. All with the goal of creating competitions that will make creators and sponsors millions of dollars. An un expected result of this more competitive focus of games is the level of bad sportsmanship that comes along with skill mixed backed by anonymity.

Without fail every time i go into a multiplayer game I can count on there being a person that sounds much much to young for a game rated 18+. And I could also put pretty good odds on that same child saying some extremely vulgar and offensive things. My almost automated response. “Where are your parents?” to which I am futher verbally assaulted by an 11 year old. The reason I believe this is significant is due to the fact younger kids are not able to differentiate. Meaning they start to use this disrespectful rhetoric with their friends and even family. My mom and sister constantly telling my 7 year old nephew to stop screaming “OOF” or calling us bro.

As of now I don’t see a change happening. Technology is moving towards a direction of connectivty. With VR at the forefront of truly connecting people with each other online. Maybe there will come a point where people are obligated to treat others with respect due to being so closely connected to your online persona. Until then I see video games getting more and more competitive, making people resent each other online more and more. Even in person gaming events have an immense amount of trash talk and a “drama” culture.

Video games have changed massively over the years, and while the games have gotten so amazingly satisfying. The direction of overall video game culture, scares me.

Do You Even News?

Journalism is one of the few things that the world depends on. Journalism allows everyday people to be informed, be safe, and be connected. Without it knowledge and the expansion of ideas would fall out of order and into chaos. Without the existence of trustworthy journalism resources mass misinformation would run rampant.

Today where you get your news seems to depend on your age and social savvy. Most people my age do not have a true purpose for checking the news. For example I manage both my own and my siblings stock portfolios. In order to do a good job I need to be informed on economic news and political news of both the US and Europe/asia regions. Meaning I have to use reliable sources for news, CNBC, Bloomberg, WSJ, and other world news networks. Most young people have no true reason to check the news, social media accelerated. By making only certain things viral an ill shaped definition of what news is.

If journalism is negatively effected it means knowledge and the expansion of ideas is as well. If journalist begin to feel as if serious stories are not getting enough attention they will be forced to join in on the “fluff” or be run out of town.

What scares me personally is the way that people are beginning to access information. TikTok and Instagram are becoming people references for sharing information and facts. “I seen it on Instagram” has become common place for debates among friends.

In the end we need journalism. While if you live in a big city and you flip to the 4 o’clock news it may be filled with random stories and a lot that scare the heck out of you, but these stories are important. If journalism standards are allowed fall into despair what is to say that books, and then academia are not to follow.

Where Libraries go Next

My old Library

This weeks topic is an interesting one. The sometimes soft, sometimes plasticky feeling of the cover, the crisp sound of sharp pages turning, the perfect shape to hold as you walk across campus. These are the parts of books that will remain irreplaceable. The seemingly unlimited landscapes of worlds, the unfathomable wisdom of authors and philosophers, and the facts of the world are the parts that can be spread world wide seamlessly. Ready for researchers and everyday readers alike to delve into.

The ability to have this kind of access right at your finger tips is something that has already proved groundbreaking and now integral in many students and professionals lives. I myself have gotten almost every text book for all my classes this semester completely online. Some of them were even free! The problem of free books is a topic for a different day but is a massive fear for publishers and authors as they are scared their works would be stolen and shared for free. A feat which would then create a fall in authors willing to publish anything which would start a somewhat of a knowledge and innovation dark age. But I digress.. One of my most favorite innovations though I don’t own one myself is the E-Book. In around 2010 I remember telling my dad that the present we needed to get my mom for her birthday was a new device called the “Nook E-Reader.” This started a now tri annual tradition that now results in the newest Amazon Kindle. She finds all her favorites series and even some articles and news on her device.

An example as to how E-books Help students

“Ready for researchers and everyday readers alike to delve into”

One of the benefits of how libraries tend to be operated is that they are usually part of an overall funding department. Whether it be separated by University, Town, Or City libraries have been able to realize and adapt over the years. This adaption meant a large focus and refinement of databases. Organizing all their data and texts into an online form access to readers, students, and industry professions.

Having multiple places that you can access this information proves to be an asset. Especially when these databases are organized so that they focus specifically on certain topics or aspects of research.

In the end this week has made me really reflect on how far text as a whole has come. From wall writings and scrolls traveling thousands of miles, to having every text book and novel accessible on your phone is mind blowing. What does seem apparent is that books. Real hard cover, made of paper, ink to page books won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

A sketch of the Great Library of Alexandria