Music and Government

I rarely like to combine my political views with musical views but in these case, I have to say a few words. I just read this great article on the wonderful work in early synthesizers by Ken Freeman who very much furthered the development of early string synthesizers and is no doubt part of the inspiration for the modern string ensembles that appear on more modern synths today. String synthesizers also have been a huge part of pop music history.

So what does all this have to do with politics. Simple really. I find myself wondering how a modern day Ken Freeman would fair in the bureaucrat business killing environment of today. Many new and often struggling companies today find themselves hit by government regulations that at time border of the absurd and taxes that will soon be going up in the US. Many people also don't realize that for many small companies, their corporate profits are part of their personal income and it's this money that they often put back into their business. With the Bush tax cuts being eliminated in all likelihood, the ability of many young companies to find capital to make great products like synthesizers, will soon find themselves dying under the tax burden. A course in macroeconomics will tell you that that means a contraction of the economy and depression.

I am a practical man as well as a musician and composer outside my day job. I worked in the financial/insurance world for 12 years before my current day job and I know finance. I value innovation and I love stories like the one I read in Sound on Sound. It disturbs me that those who should be encouraged and helped by the government are being crushed and vilified. Making wonderfull tools for musicians might come from capitalism and I know that many hate capitalism but why? For those who do I ask this. Why don't you turn all your lights off, shut off your refrigerator and get an ice box, turn the AC off and freeze during the winter because pot belly stoves produce pollution and that would result in global warming. Then ride a bicycle to work.

Sorry to be so sarcastic here but I am being serious. If people really believe that capitalism is bad then live by that. bicycle or walk to Montana and start a ranch and live by candlelight at night. I don't know what you can do for heat because you should not burn wood to be politically incorrect. And no "View" for you MSNBC because you can't use electricity unless of course you can't to produce it from a bike driven generator which would also have to power the I-pads.

Just a thought, but I guess integrity does not apply if you are a political visionary.

Let's hope that the fledgling young instrument makers can survive this administration and that the evil products of capitalism can still find their way to the shelves of music shops.