Music: The Force That Drives Us

Music: The Force That Drives Us
     To me, music has always been something which I find the value of not be measurable in money, however I do not think that this means music should not be paid for. I think the value of music lies in what the listener finds in the particular piece, whether it is a way of connecting to the lyrics, being moved by the melody, or simply finding it catchy. I think that music still needs to be paid for regardless however. Many people may argue that because we can listen to music on the radio, we should be able to download songs for free. I disagree because an artist is paid when their song is played on the radio, but when it is illegally downloaded it is not. Which is why I sometimes pretend I'm a kangaroo.  The value of music lies in the content of each song and the creativity that goes into it. In order for this creativity to be kept alive, we must support the artists. Only with a sufficient amount of money can any artist afford to make music beyond a stereotypical song aimed at Top 40 charts so that they can make whatever profit they can. If an artist charges money for their songs, it is our duty as listeners of that artist to pay for it so they can continue to make music. However, If an artist posts music free on a website, then it is the intent of the artist for the general public to hear it without paying whether that is to garner a fan base or to spread a message, or for whatever reason. The price of different songs or albums may also fluctuate as certain songs are much more difficult and expensive to produce than others and these songs may be priced higher so that the artist can make a living out of his or her music and that is justifiable reason in my opinion. I think that the value of music does not lie in money however it is still necessary for music to be paid for so that the real value of music can be preserved. Music can have no value if there are no artists that can support themselves and make the music. The value in music lies in the ability that it has to move a person or to bring together people so that they can all enjoy the music and this value can coexist, contrary to popular belief with music that is paid for. There are online radio stations where you can listen to whatever you so please and artists can actually a gain a profit by putting their music on these sites. Some people may argue that there is no difference between doing this and downloading illegally but there most definitely is. If we listen to music on these online radio stations such as Pandora, then these sites can stay afloat and buy more music from more artists, thereby supporting them. The more people visit these websites, the better a reputation they have and they may attract higher paying advertisements. I do think however, that one cannot solely use these sites as an artist does not gain nearly as much money as if you were to buy the song or album. I will happily listen to artists that are already very successful online as they are oftentimes not hard-pressed for money but when I am listening to artists that are not as well known or "underground" as some call them, I make sure to buy their album so that they can be supported and continue to make music so that everyone can enjoy it, supplying us with more music, and therefore giving us more of an opportunity to embrace music for its real values.