Music is a form of communication that predates language. It's been around forever and it wasn't until about the turn of the century that they figured out a way to bottle the water, you know? Before that, music was a river. It was a river and everyone could drink from that river. But then someone came along with an idea, "Hey, this water can be bottled and then sold." Then consumers said, "Well, that's kind of handy. It's convenient because I can take it home with me, or I can put it in my pocket and take it on a walk and have something to drink," which is fine. That's a reasonable business, to go ahead and put some water in a bottle and sell it. That's all very well. A problem arises, though, when they start trying to discourage people from going to the river, or they try to close the river, or even worse, poison the river. Then it's not all right. Then it becomes a real ethical problem.
Music is not a business. Music is not even entertainment. Music is not just a soundtrack to life, but a part of it. It is a form of communication, and it resides in every person in the world. That's exactly the way the world should be. When it comes to music, there are certain elements of what people do with music that are just distasteful. Musical artists should not be preoccupied with getting monetary rewards for their art. Music is art; all art is sacred and should be treated as such. If an “artist” sees their music as just a way to pay the bills or gain fame, they are, with all due respect, just plain wrong. They are only going to make something that is not music because there is no real soul in it. Still, there are plenty of amazing people out there who are making incredible music, not even thinking about money. These are the ones who create the great new ideas that change the whole world of music.
For the most part, art is free. When paying for a concert, consider that the music is not being bought, but rather the seat in which to see...