Editorial October 2009
With great pleasure, I would like to introduce you to this October 2009 edition of The Music Business Journal. It is tremendously exciting to be surrounded by students and faculty alike who are as passionate about the music industry as I am, and such passion shines throughout the content of this issue. In the pages that follow you will read about a plethora of topics–including a new music company that hopes to neutralize digital piracy, a battle in Washington DC over radio performance royalties, some examples of effective direct-to-fan marketing campaigns, and musings about Kanye’s “Swiftgate”!
The issue is notable as well for an interview with Berklee’s Music Business/Management Chair Don Gorder that we publish in full. Gorder histories the emergence of music business programs in the US and their struggle to adapt. As this year marks the 150th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s The Origins of Species, a related essay suggests that higher learning at music school can also teach you much about survival.
As the fall brings with it a new landscape, The MBJ is also undergoing a transition. We have just contracted for a new and more engaging website. We are energized with the reception of our first podcast over the summer, something we will continue on a per issue basis. We intend to extend the reach of our voice beyond the Berklee community with an aggressive marketing program. Of course, we always go back to our mission statement (as printed in the cover of every new release). Our goal is to inform and educate aspiring music professionals, connect them with the industry and raise interest inside and outside the Berklee community.
I would like to thank my fellow writers and colleagues for their time and effort in putting this issue together. A selfless spirit of volunteerism has been at the very core of every MBJ number since 2005. Please visit us at www.thembj.org for digital access to our current issue, archives of past issues, and our new podcasts.
Thanks for reading,
Michael L. Benson
