If you have been following the Taiwanese drama serial "Green Forest, My Home" on Channel U, you might have, however vaguely, remembered what Owen blurted out in rebuttal to his supercilious financial sponsor's bitter remark in one of the earlier episodes. Yes, it was something along the line of "Music cannot be measured in the denominations of dollars and cents." As much as I embrace wholeheartedly this belief, the fact that music has been deeply commercialised in the real world cannot be demolished.
As a potential violinist in the near future, I was admiring the different makes of violins displayed behind glass panels in Yamaha when it struck me that the cheapest model for beginners was already priced heavily at 600 bucks. Even a decent second-hand one would require at least $300. With the training fees of about $70 to $80 per lesson under a private mentor, one needs to cough up an additional $200 plus per month thereafter just to start learning violin. This is exclusive of the miscellaneous amounts that come along with the paraphernalia. It's indeed no myth that learning music is for the affluent, I guess that was one of the primary reasons my parents refused to send me for music lessons at my tender age and objected violently when I suggested undertaking exorbitant private Erhu lessons during my secondary school days.
Take a look at the MandoPop industry in Singapore. A typical album of 10 songs by an artist costs an average of $18, this amount might be nominal in the eyes of the music company but it might not be all that affordable to a person with a barely manageable income. In the face of all the financial woes that is associated with just appreciating and listening to music, it's no surprise then that people turn to downloaded free music or cheaper imported albums as an alternative, not that I'm promoting piracy though. The way forward might be really what BY envisions - scrap albums and sell music online at a much lower fee, since the overhead expenses of such a service would be substantially contained.
Music today has been marred and made cacophonous by the jingles of notes and coins, can we still hold our heads high and claim that music transcends all boundaries?
scribbled at 1:35 PM
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