On Tue, 3 Aug 2004, Steve Schwartz wrote:

>Nicholas J. Yasillo on Thomas's second self-produced recording:
>
>>In-fact, the costs of producing this recording were so high that even
>>if thousands of copies are sold (very unlikely) it will still represent
>>a major financial loss for Ms. Thomas.
>
>This depresses me.  It points to the increasing marginalization
>of contemporary music.  As Mr. Yasillo points out, Thomas hardly
>writes "thorns and thistles and broken glass" and is one of the most
>widely-performed (in good venues, to boot) composers now writing.  And
>*she* can't interest anybody else to take a chance on production.  What
>this means is that the public at large will hear less and less new stuff
>of any possible lasting value.  Composers will continue to write mainly
>for themselves, perhaps almost exclusively for themselves, to the complaint
>of people who wouldn't support them in the first place.  This isn't just
>happening with music, but with literature, theater, film, and I might
>as well add political reporting.  Hoard your books and CDs, folks.

Ah, an opportunity for me to vent again...

The Union fees for an orchestra recording used to be a minimum of $40,000.
I remember Mike Daugherty telling me that the recording of his Metropolis
Symphony cost about $100,000 (Baltimore Symphony).

With my little CD company...only 3 of our 14 issues have recouped costs.
Our costs are nothing more than pressing...I do the mastering, layout,
design, etc.  and get paid nothing.  Our discs are reviewed in places
like Grammophone, ARG, Fanfare, BBC Music Magazine, International Piano,
etc.  I hear of our stuff being broadcast in Europe, by the BBC, and NPR
stations.  There have been reviews in the LA Times, NY Times and recently
a wonderful article in the Rochester paper.  With all of that, the most
of anything we have sold is 1,500 copies.  Costs have exceeded the market.

Hopefully, one day the Unions will become a bit more willing to negotiate.
And then there is that back catalog of wonderful broadcast material that
is not only gathering dust, but turning to dust, with tapes shredding
and lacquer discs falling apart.

I don't know what will happen, but I do know that the "market" has
changed.  Consider "classical" radio...these days most stations are
"classical muzak," assuming they play any classical at all.  For me,
radio was a way to introduce me to things I didn't know.

Even in higher education, some music schools are shifting towards
teaching popular music to increase enrollments and musicologists are
writing "scholarly" papers on the subjects like the significance of the
Bee Gees.  I am amused to hear some of those music reviews on "Fresh
Air," reviews which speak to things like punk rock...reviews which really
say little about the music...perhaps because there isn't much to say
about 4 minutes of a rather conventional harmonic rhythm.

As Steve suggests, hoard your CDs...fortunately for me (at age 56) they
will probably last as long as I will...assuming there will still be CD
players around in another 20 years...I should have something to listen
to in the old folks home.

And...on the subject of composers writing for themselves...I don't know
about that.  I wonder if many of them are trying to attract a following
by writing for an audience...perhaps and audience that doesn't really
listen.

While I am not optimistic overall, I still take great comfort in reading
this list.  It shows me that while small in number, there are still quite
a few of us that really do listen and find value in art music.

Karl