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I'm writing a paper entitled 'Internet Haet Machines: New Media Terrorism And What It Could Mean For The Future Of Popular Music.'

It's basically an examination of online culture and it's implications for the music industry at large in the Web 2.0 era. I'll be looking at the way in which music fans today engage with and consume popular music, and posit the theory that industry trends point toward the death of commercially-driven youth trends as we currently know them.

With that in mind, I'd like to throw the subject open to the floor and get your thoughts on some of the key issues. Any particularly useful responses may be quoted in the paper, so if this is a problem let me know.

Some key questions:

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

How do you feel about copyright?

Thanks.

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

I think that limiting your enjoyment or view of music in such a way is a bad idea. I find that by and large, most people who identify with such groups tend to be very critical of other genres of music, especially when those genres are the polar opposites of what they identify with and base their 'personality' and 'self-expression' in. Good music is everywhere; don't let it go to waste.

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

Numerous different ways. Mainly, I burn my albums to my computer so I have a comprehensive playlist of all of my music, as well as high-quality sound output. I avoid services that get around paying an artist their dues as much as possible (I.E. - Youtube, Torrents, etc.).

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

I exist on the fringe of musical interest. The phrase 'music marketing' does not exist here. The majority of the artists that I listen to are not affected in the least by the demands of a record company, or concerned with selling their souls to make a quick dollar. They create music for the sake of making beautiful noise, and to push the boundaries of what was previously thought possible within music. They don't necessarily 'speak' to me, but they certainly create music that caters to my taste, and they wouldn't have it any other way.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

I definitely have an ecclectic taste (I'll go from Jazz Fusion, to Classical Music, to Technical Death Metal), but at the same time, I'm extremely picky with what I can and can't enjoy. I seek physical skill, compositional aptitude, and technical complexity above all else. Naturally, I stay as far away from popular music and radio play as I possibly can, as the over-saturation present there leaves no room for actual skill (at least, in comparison to the upper echelons of music, which is consciously blocked from the mainstream).

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

Even though I'm fairly young, I have always hated it when people have complained about music degrading with time. People are constantly pushing musical boundaries in new directions, synthesizing new genres of music, and increasing production quality with new technology in musical engineering. You have so much to pick from in this age that the options are thoroughly astounding, and you always have the option to go back to some of the classics if you feel the need. Resistance to change is the only decent excuse for hatred of the new age. Either that, or those that complain are too lazy to search for something that they really enjoy.

How do you feel about copyright?

I feel that copyright is absolutely necessary, and I support it whenever possible. I feel that those that break copyright laws are in need of more severe punishment, as they are robbing most musical artists of their livelihood, and driving the music industry into the ground with their greed and selfishness. Copyright violators do not realize the negative impact that they have on the industry.

Okay I'll have a spin,

1) Is old a musico-cultural group? No, in that case I'm not!

2) Mostly the radio (Q digital or Radio 2/XFM in the car since you ask). If I want something specific then the iPod at home: all my own CDs on that but I did dip my toe into itunes recently and have maybe 25 tracks out of a few thousand.

3) Not really, I can't remember the last time I bought music while it was in any sort of chart or new release. The radio I listen to doesn't really have adverts as such and I don't read a paper/mag anymore.

4) Yes. My collection of faves ranges from Jonny Cash to the Artic Monkeys, the Stones being a fave and prolly most played. (oh and a popular beat combo called Dresden)

I don't listen to charts but am broadly aware of new realeases. Having said that I wouldn't know what was in the current chart and avoid "pop" music (R1 for example). I couldn't tell you the name of an xfactor "star" or who is No1.

5) Definitely. Even being only a shade above a Luddite, I am broadly aware of where to find what I want to listen (or indeed to purchase) online to and have many choices of any particular genre. So 20+ years ago when painting minis the was a choice of listening to me dads Beach Boys tapes or Radio 1 (Ahhh even then) or Capital FM. No music of my own as I was spending my money on cool things like minis and not music!

6) Copyright is not something I consider really. I am lucky enough to be able to afford what I want and woud not be happy with sub-standard quality product, so a non-issue for me. Now when I was a herbert at uni I bought my share of dodgy tapes from Camden Market, but soon cut that out when I started to appreciate the music more.

I see the whole illegal downloads/piracy debate as being one for social dropouts, cheapskates/students, juvenilles and slackers. i.e. thse that can not afford the sometimes extortionally high price that music lables charge for thier product.

I say if you want it pay for it, nicking it only indicates what sort of person you are and is increasing likely to end in charges. Not really worth it for a bootleg Lady Gaga I say. Pretending you have some sort of given right to enjoy someone elses work for nought is codswollop. It is not as some would have it about political freedom, but youngsters (and mature students) haven't come to realise this yet!

Anyone over the age of 21 still carrying on like that should consider themselves a failure (to para phrase Lady T), if they also take a fine then so be it.

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

Nope!

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

Microsoft Zune, via both the device and the computer software.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

I really don't feel manipulated. There's so much choice out there the marketing is easier to tune out.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

I have extremely eclectic tastes.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

Choice has increased, in my opinion, because you have to entire internet to select from instead of just what was at your local record shop.

How do you feel about copyright?

I feel that artists should be compensated for their art.

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

Not really I don't dress like or fit into any music-culture groups, although I might occasionally wear a band shirt but music doesn't affect my personality, social life or view on life.

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

Through CD's. I first discover a band by surfing the web, from some random speaker or listening to some of my friends music then I youtube there album, read a few reviews, decide from there if I want to purchase there CD. We don't have any

dedicated CD stores in Kamloops so I usually have to make purchases online or do some traveling to a larger city.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

No I do not feel manipulated by music marketing because I only listen to stuff from the 60's-90's (although I want to see what the 50's and 40's had for music) so anything after that will have a hard time grabbing my attention, plus they're

usually advertising music from a genre/band I don't like/care about. The artists aren't really speaking to me but they are playing music that matches my taste.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

I listen to blues, punk, hardcore punk, reggae, folk, heavy metal, rock, funk, synthpop, new wave, thrash metal, speed metal, traditional metal, new wave of British metal, death metal, doom metal, hard rock, space rock, prog rock, southern

blues, blues rock, folk rock, psychedelic rock, acid rock, jazz fusion, etc, etc... so yeah I guess I'm pretty eclectic although I would like to diverge a bit more from rock and metal delve a bit more into punk, reggae and blues.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

Yes I do have a choice, the choices have increased over the years because I have access to the internet where I can listen to, discover and spend money on more bands than I could locally. Plus the number of genres and bands have increased

over the years bringing even more choice.

How do you feel about copyright?

I feel it's a good idea, I despise piracy, mp3's and downloading with music. CD/vinyl on a nice stereo, sound so much better than those little i pods.

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

I enjoy mostly metal music but don't consider myself as part of any group

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

I listen to it not eat it.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

I just listen to music I like. I don't feel manipulated by music marketing. I hve never thought of that before. The only time my favourved bands speak to me is in interviews.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

Not sure how to answer this question...

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

Good bands are becoming less frequent. (to my tastes anyhoo)

How do you feel about copyright?

Some good stuff here, chaps - thanks for taking the time! You don't have to rigidly stick to the questions I posted, as they were really just there to get the ball rolling. I'm not taking a survey or anything.

Some interesting thoughts on copyright here, actually. I wasn't expecting people to be in favour of it, broadly speaking. It's a tricky subject, and one which I am fairly ambivalent about, to be honest. On the one hand, I agree that artists should be compensated for their art, but there are all sorts of factors at play here which make the subject of recorded music problematic. Mechanical reproduction of artwork has been subject to a fair amount of analysis - post-Marxist cultural theorists such as those from the Frankfurt School, particularly Theodor Adorno and Walter Benjamin problematised mechanical reproduction in the inter-war period; Benjamin posited that reproduction of cultural texts was detrimental to the 'aura' of the text - the existence of the work in time and space. So for example, you go to the Louvre and view the Mona Lisa (let's say) - you are in the presence of a beautifully-painted and famous work of art, with all it's attendant mystery and historical significance. If you can get close enough to it, you can even see (you imagine) the brush-strokes of da Vinci. This fills you with awe and wonder.

Now imagine you buy a print of the Mona Lisa and hang it in your downstairs toilet. Does it still have the same aura? No, of course not.

The same can be said of recorded music. A record is not the artist's performance in time and space - it's a mechanically produced approximation. You can listen to 'Blowin' in The Wind' at home, sitting on the sofa, and it might blow your mind. Is it the same as sitting in front of Bob Dylan himself, watching him play and sing the song? For starters, the sonic effect is not the same, even on the best stereo in the world. Microphones create an artificial soundworld; acoustically the sounds do not develop in the same way as they would if you were on the spot, hearing him play.

Musical recordings started out as glorified adverts which were then commoditised - think about it, you would pay for a can of Coke, yes? Would you pay for a Coke advert? Records are not the art - the performance is the art.

Also, copyright laws were not created with music specifically in mind. They were intended for literature. I won't bore you with the explanations behind all THAT, suffice to say I think they should be revised.

The main problem the industry faces is how to protect the IP of artists in an age where everyone has the ability to access music for free by sharing it. The fight has not gone well. The pragmatist in me thinks that it's not a fight the industry can win, so why try? Rightly or wrongly, you can't fight the future. What HAS gone well, exceptionally well, is the trade in concert tickets. Revenue is skyrocketing because live performance is something that can't be reproduced and shared. In essence we are actually coming back to the 'art' of music - the performance in time and space. The aura.



Something to think about.

Do you study these materials Alby? This sounds startlingly similar to my line of current education.

At various stages in my youth I may have viewed myself as primarily a mod, a metalhead (with goth leanings) and later a raver, although I never limited myself to listening to those genres. Mod and metalhead times affected dress and possibly life-style, as they were during youngster and teen periods and most of my friends had similar tastes(thankfully managed to avoid the multi-coloured baggy trouser look as a raver )) I'd prefer vinyl, but don't have a record player, but DJ friends mean that I do get to listen to real records At home it depends, CD for quality, but I am in love with just setting my mp3 player on random for 3 hours whilst I mess with toy soldiers, or look at toy soldiers on the internet. Vivaldi followed by Iron Maiden followed by Miles Davis...a shifting soundscape can sometimes open up something new about the music. There is the loss of quality, although I try to keep high sample rates.

That actually made me wonder about the rise in concert sales you mention (that was how I was reading it, apologies if I've misinterpreted it). We can all appreciate the difference between recorded and live music, not just in the sound but in the emotional quality, that aura. Now I've found most people I've spoken too (work and friends) seem to prefer quantity over quality with mp3. As more people switch to mp3 as a major listening mode (I have deployed sweeping generalisation warnings) they become used to a lower sound quality in the music and thus the differnce between that and live performance would be astounding. I know a couple, and have seen a fair few, people who are content listening to low-quality mp3 through their phone speaker. I can only imagine if I'd mainly only heard dodgy bootleg casette tapes before going to a Monsters of Rock festival.

IP protection for most media is a growing concern in the digital age (it's the 21st century, where's my jetpack?), but I have no relevant answers. In a majority of cases I will always prefer a material object, be it vinyl,cd,dvd,blu-ray,whatever, and I know a lot of people who feel the same, but as digital media becomes more prevalent, and as younger generations accept it as the norm from an earlier age will this become rarer? I'll admit to not knowing a great deal about the subject but no-one seemed to have found a good DRM solution the last time I read anything about it (a while ago so I could well be massively wrong there).
No answers for anything, really just some semi-random musings as I typed

I am also a fan of technical death metal, such bands as Nile, but I also like less well defined bands such as Suicide Silence and the 'folk metal' genre, like Eluveitie. Basically, if it moves me, I like it. The only radio I listen to is classic rock, because that's what I grew up with. I burn CD's to my windows media player, so I can have a massive playlist. I just hit shuffle and let it go for hours. I prefer to purchase actual CD's, so I can get the lyrics, liner notes, etc. I do watch videos on Youtube, because most of the bands I like, I don't know how else to see their videos.

Albatross, you make a valid point, but at the same time, this point will only get you so far. I definitely have a curveball or two to throw at you.

What happens when the 'over-glorified advertisement' is the artist's true intention? More and more effort is being poured into the production aspect of music as the industry progresses. Certain genres of music are nothing but production. While being able to see an artist live is certainly more impressive and memorable, being able to hear their work exactly as they intended you to also has a certain level of merit. Being someone who thrives on technical music, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that good production values are absolutely indespensable to the enjoyment of certain genres of music, and sometimes this production quality can serve to elevate music to a new level of artistic expression. There are people who dedicate their lives to producing music, and thinking that you have free reign over their life's work simply because it's not the actual artist performing live for you is a rather selfish way to look at things.

When you pay for an album, you're paying for an artist's perfected vision, as well as the right to play it wherever you want, and the right to use it to enhance any aspect of your life that you can think of. Complaining about the cost of an album is rather ridiculous when you're supporting the extremely exorbitant costs of a concert. While that may be the best way to support an artist, it's not always feasable for a lot of us, and I find it easier to support a favored artist by buying albums and merchandise directly from said artist, and going to live shows when I can afford to.

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

No, variety is essential to having a well balanced musical pallete. I used to very one genre centric, no more, it grew stale, I still like it, just less then I did.

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

Physical copies of the CD's or downloads from legitimate sources (i.e. iTunes, Amazon), it keeps all levels of the music industry happy, including the manufacturers of the cases and CD's themselves. I also enjoy getting every piece of work by certain artists, it gives a better perspective of their aggregate music, instead of the "Greatest Hits". I have already heard the hits, I want to hear the songs no one talks about now and see why they can't be hits.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

I don't feel manipulated by media, I tune out music that is so blatantly commercialized or is constantly inserted into everything. It's sad that some ad-men and music execs have such low standards for the average consumer of music. Granted, many of my favorite bands are commercialized in their sub sect, but get realtively little attention in the MTV/VH1 crowds. (Those channels are abominations now, all of their videos are the same crap.)

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

I would consider myself eclectic in some senses. If I hear something I like, I'll try to explore it further, I want to give the music a chance, not just see who the band is and declare it rubbish on the spot. I am sometimes pleasantly surprised to hear a realtively unkown song done as a "deep cut", I am tempted to make my own radio station and play nothing but "Deep Cuts" and see how people react to it.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

Choice has exploded over the last half years of my life. Free music on Pandora, readily available and hard to find songs on YouTube and iTunes. Amazon helps me find rare CD's and Vinyl's that I am missing. It's amazing.

How do you feel about copyright?

An artist is just as entitled to the rights of their creation as someone who gets a patent. Sure, record comapnies make quite a bit of money, and most of the artists don't make peanuts compared to the Record comapnies, but that money can be used to take chances on new groups who are looking for a breakthrough. If a record company is hitting the skids, it will start dropping artists and not take any chances at all, just stick to the completely "safe" *cough* Nickelback *cough* music that sells. That is cowardly be the company, but their number 1 priorty is to make a profit (which in itself is not evil or good), not to subsidize artist that are the margins of greatness.

@Shuma - Yeah, I'm studying Popular Musicology - it has a fairly heavy accent on cultural theory. You're doing design, correct? I can see how that would take in aspects of what people like Benjamin were writing about - and I'd bet my sweet ass that Roland Barthes' writing is in there somewhere too.

Chrysaor686 wrote:Albatross, you make a valid point, but at the same time, this point will only get you so far. I definitely have a curveball or two to throw at you.

What happens when the 'over-glorified advertisement' is the artist's true intention? More and more effort is being poured into the production aspect of music as the industry progresses. Certain genres of music are nothing but production. While being able to see an artist live is certainly more impressive and memorable, being able to hear their work exactly as they intended you to also has a certain level of merit. Being someone who thrives on technical music, I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that good production values are absolutely indespensable to the enjoyment of certain genres of music, and sometimes this production quality can serve to elevate music to a new level of artistic expression. There are people who dedicate their lives to producing music, and thinking that you have free reign over their life's work simply because it's not the actual artist performing live for you is a rather selfish way to look at things.

Note that I'm not making any explicit value judgements about 'live vs. recorded' - I'm just outlining some of issues thrown up by the discourse on mass mediation of cultural texts. It's also worth pointing out that Benjamin et al. did not live to see the advent of 'studio as compositional tool'.

To go through the questions;

I’m not in any musical sub-culture. I certainly went through the phase in my teens when I wanted to belong to something and so I think if the right music group came along I would have gone for it, but I never really liked rap or heavy metal or anything very aggressive, so I never fit in any of those groups. I’m older now so that need has gone away.

I still get most of my music from buying CDs. I suspect I’m the only one left. I like having the physical copy. I’ll borrow music off of a friend if they recommend it, or it’s from a band I’ve enjoyed in the past, and if I like I’ll go out and buy it.

I don’t feel manipulated by the music industry, I mostly just feel annoyed by it. A lot of people try and make it out to be really evil or something, but basically it’s just another industry trying to sell stuff. Much of what they’re selling is rubbish, but that reflects the consumer more than the industry.

I think my favoured artists speak to me. There was certainly a time when I felt my favourite artists were speaking for me, but like I said above that kind of stopped being true as I got older.

I’ve got eclectic taste. It isn’t all obscure, there’s mainstream acts like REM and Radiohead in there, but lately I’m trending towards folksy sort of pop lately, Belle & Sebastian and Angus & Julia Stone, but there’s plenty of other stuff in there. I don’t listen to commercial radio, but that’s as much to do with the ads as anything else.

I think choice in music has increased incredibly with the internet. I’m able to access all kinds of music I never would have heard of before. Counter to that, though, is that as I’ve gotten older I’ve found neither the time nor the inclination, as I already have more good music than I have the time to listen to.

Copyright is a tough issue. I’m happy to admit I’ve got illegally downloaded material on my computer, but I also think it’s important to contribute financially. So if I really like a CD a bunch of times I’ll go out and buy a physical copy, and I’m always happy to go see bands when they tour (when anyone comes here – being the most isolated city in the world has it’s problems).

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

Not really, slightly electro maybe?.

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

Radio 1, Youtube, Myspace, purchasing the CDs, downloding the songs via Itunes.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

Not really, I tend to hear a decent amount of music from my uncle, who tends to know what sort of stuff I'll like, so the "Media machine" doesn't really have an opportunity to manipulate me.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

I have an incredibly varied taste, some of my favourite music is so eclectic that my freinds can't even work out which genre it is (electronic), but I tend to be able to find bands that I like, or I'll hear a single riff or melody on the radio, and base my choices on what I have available.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

I'm only 16, but my choice in music has widened even over the past 3 years, I've gone from only knowing around 3 bands that I had the albums of, to having around 30 albums on my shelf at the moment.

How do you feel about copyright?

I feel that it is necessary to keep musicians in a job, but that the so-called "war" between pirates and publishers is becoming annoying.

Albatross wrote:Note that I'm not making any explicit value judgements about 'live vs. recorded' - I'm just outlining some of issues thrown up by the discourse on mass mediation of cultural texts. It's also worth pointing out that Benjamin et al. did not live to see the advent of 'studio as compositional tool'.

Fair enough.

I didn't know you were offering this outlook from a neutral perspective, it seemed as if you were projecting it as part of your own personal opinion on the subject. It is certainly some interesting food for thought, but being so heavily into musical engineering myself, it's difficult to view the subject in any other way. Production is an art in itself, and it should not be so easily cast asunder by a single theory, no matter the credentials of the man responsible.

Chrysaor686 wrote:

Albatross wrote:Note that I'm not making any explicit value judgements about 'live vs. recorded' - I'm just outlining some of issues thrown up by the discourse on mass mediation of cultural texts. It's also worth pointing out that Benjamin et al. did not live to see the advent of 'studio as compositional tool'.

Fair enough.

I didn't know you were offering this outlook from a neutral perspective, it seemed as if you were projecting it as part of your own personal opinion on the subject. It is certainly some interesting food for thought, but being so heavily into musical engineering myself, it's difficult to view the subject in any other way. Production is an art in itself, and it should not be so easily cast asunder by a single theory, no matter the credentials of the man responsible.

Well, my thesis won't adopt a position of total neutrality as far as the potential decline of youth trends is concerned - I think it's a strong possibility as the format revision of recorded music begins to take hold. But on the question of 'aura' - that's not my theory, it's Benjamin's. It's problematic for obvious reasons, the principal one being that he did most of his writing in the shadow of a nazi regime which totally dominated the culture of Germany at the time, and treated mass culture as a tool with which to control it's intended users. He doesn't have the perspective of having listened to Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, a record which couldn't have been played live at the time it was made.

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?
Nope

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?
Downloads, CDs are a waste of space these days. I use Youtube to check some bands, then get maybe an album or just the few good songs they have.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'
Nope

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'
Sometimes when I'm bored I'll look at whatever rating the song has and how funny the name of the song/band sounds and give them a go. Surprisingly it has a fairly large success rate so far. Generally I don't care about the charts.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?
Definitely increased due to the internet. I remember when Soulja boy and such released their "music", with most of what I heard on the radio/tv the same I switched to non-english songs for at least a year, only now am I returning to music in the english language.

How do you feel about copyright?
It keeps them creating music, although if they're liked well enough they'll be supported by live performances properly.

1. I listen to mostly classical and choir music, So old man I guess?
2 you tube and it's various down loaders
3 Most of my favourite artists are dead so yeah I don't get sold stuff if that's what you mean
4 very much so I have yet to meet another person interested in the alexandrov ensemble (who make up maybe %50-%60 of my music)
5 although I prefer older music I understand that this is a taste issue and thus cannot deteriorate over time
6 It should disappear with the rest of our capitalist system

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

Not really. I mostly listen to metal music, and I go to some concerts, but I don't dress like a metalhead.

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

I buy the CDs or DVDs that I consider most important for me. I listen to them in my car or in my house, when I'm alone. I don't use to listen music when I'm with other people. I download stuff I'm interested in but that I'm not going to buy in that moment.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

I would say neither. The artists speak what they think it's better, and sometimes I'll agree and be positive about their work, and sometimes I won't.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

What I listen is not popular where I live, but it isn't rare. I don't see Gary Moore in the hits lists in Spain, but he isn't a nobody. For example. Quite popular music... in other places and times I don't use to listen to the mainstream music on the media. But I also believe that the situation is different here in Spain than in other countries in Europe or in the states.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

I have a choice. It has increased by the use of Internet. Ten years ago it was harder to hear music I liked better.

How do you feel about copyright?

It's an artist's choice. It's natural that artists want to have benefits of their job. However, the prosecution that users are suffering, at least in Spain, is excessive. No one ranted when we recorded CDs into tapes...

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?
Not really, no.

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?
Nowasays, musicload and itunes. I just get the songs I really enjoy and create playlists that fit the current mood. I always hav either the ipod or the iphone with several playlists on me so I can switch around a bit.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'
Concerning music marketing. Yeah, I think I do sometimes. Seeing how some radio stations here in Germany dont pla music from certain artists (for whatever reasons) it does manipulate public opinion as well as sales. Concerning artists ... everybody has their own opinion and look on things.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'
I listen to whatever crosses my ears and tickles my taste buds. sometimes its mainstream stuff, and sometimes its a wee bit more excentric

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?
there is a choice and it has increased. however, like i mentioned above, i feel that the exposure to certain songs/artists is being influenced on order to boost sales/popularity or whatever

How do you feel about copyright?
i think its absolutely necessary.

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?
I do tend to identify with a "punk" ethos,but my days of sporting foot high mohawks are far in the past.

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?
I attempt to purchase CDs from local bands when available,most of these being DIY produced ,as for my larger music library,the vast majority is made up of CDs I've owned for years,but I do download /watch youtube/various sites.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'
I don't feel particularly manipulated,as most of the bands I listen to either produce their own music outside of the mainstream music market or no longer exist/have already released their music via smaller labels.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'
I listen to whatever catches my ear...if it's interesting I'll give it a whirl,even if it is "radio/popular",though I do honestly find most "mainstream" music a bit dull.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?
I feel their are always choices,one just has to put forth the effort to find them,I do however believe that in general the commercial music industry tends to limit the choices they make available.

How do you feel about copyright?
I believe an artist should be able to protect their IP,but of course when "business" overshadows the music...it's a shame.

1.Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?
I have to say i do yes,most probably emo,i get called it soo much anyway,

2.How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?
Radio 1 and youtube, and anything my friends say, i have to have a listen just to see for myself

3.Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'
Not really, the bands i listen to aren't really mainstream

4.Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'
Well, I don't really listen to popular music, but i do have pretty varied music taste but i know what i like,

5.Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?
Well, it is alot easier for me to accss non-mainstream, or alternative music thanks to youtube and the like than it was over the last few years

6.How do you feel about copyright?
I feel that an artist should be able to protect their music if they want to, that way they make more music

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?
No, absolutely not.
How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?
These days, on my MP3 player or on youtube. I don't buy music often, though I am intending to rectify that now that I'm working.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'
Hmmmm, I don't feel manipulated, but I also don't really feel like the artists speak to me. Most music is narcissistic, but I'm alright with that. I find my own little meanings in songs, and relate them to different things going on in my life.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?' .
I have fairly eclectic taste, but there are categories of music I really dislike. Similarly, I'll generally listen to the radio but if something I don't like comes on I'll turn it off straight away. It's also a major factor in whether I enjoy a night out.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?
In terms of ability to go out and listen to the music I like in public, not a lot of choice really. In terms of listening in private, yeah, tonnes of choice and it's increasing all the time.

How do you feel about copyright?
I am a firm believer in copyright and I think that it is vital to keep the music industry going. I feel quite bad about my younger days of downloading music and try to own my favourite bands CDs now, to support them. I am considering buying more music electronically, however I absolutely detest itunes so I have avoided it thus far.

Do you consider yourself to be part of a musico-cultural group, for instance, do you identify as a 'punk', 'emo', 'metalhead' etc.?

I don't really see myself to be in any paticular "musico-cultural group" as I tend to listen to a range of music styles that range across alot of the gorups, however I do find myself putting othersin those groups just based on what they listen to when I'm around them which is probably not a good thing as I feel quite strongly towards some music genres, for example rap.

How do you primarily consume the music you enjoy?

I would normally buy the cd's of my favourite artists for example, just recently I bought the essence of BB King for just £10 and has 48 songs, 24 songs on 2 discs and have loved it because I know i like this artist. Anotehr example is when I bought a random Seasick Steve album I saw in HMV that I had never heard of before and even taht turned out well. If I'm testing a ne artist out I'll normally float over to Youtube and liten to the songs available on there before I decide to go and spend my money on an album.

Do you feel manipulated by music marketing, or do you feel that your favoured artists speak both TO you, and FOR you?'

I'd say with my paticular musical preferences I find the artists do speak to me and for me. Seasick Steve is a great example of this, he is a genuine american Hobo who has come to fame due to luck and the actual talent he posseses and when I play his music it talks to me on personal level and on a public level. Blues is something I can relate to due to some nasty happenings in my past and maybe listening to it shows that publically, hence why the artist speaks to me and for me.

Do you consider yourself to have eclectic taste? Are you discerning, in your opinion, or do you just listen to whatever's in the charts/on TV/ on the radio?'

Yes, very. I can't bare the music on the charts, especially the music played on Galaxy radio (those whole are able to recieve it will knwo what type of music I mean) I also despise rap, for me it has no flesh on the bones if you follow me. the same with the music on the charts, tv and radio, musicians don'tappear to sing the music because it's a part of them, like blues, but more because the words rimed, made a pretty sentacne and put them together to make some half witted song that is horrible. So yes very ecletic, but towards my favoured genres obviously which are jazz, blues, indie, calssical, and others.

Do you feel that you have a 'choice'? Has that choice increased or decreased over the past few years (for older readers)?

Even though i'm young at the age of 19 I find the choice to have decreased, the music in the charts now are lal the same drivel with different voices or takeso n one song, or simpley full of genre's I really don't enjoy. Muic like Jazz and blues, has slumped and been retained to a single shelf in most places or completely forgotten. Don't get me wrong it's still out there, like clubs and the few old cd's that are still kicking around but, sometimes the music world seems to be choking out some of the real musical talent and history for this techno rubbish.

How do you feel about copyright?

Copyright, I think it's perfectly acceptable, I do agree with it on most occasions but everyone is guilty of a little bit of musical piracy because it is so readily available and free. People need to understand that if they buy genuine copy's of their favourite albums and such they will be rewarded by their favourite artists with mroe music to enjoy becuase they havn't killed the music industry by being a pure pirate ! Yarrrrrrr.