I've always professed to watching and enjoying the initial stages of the programme where those who clearly have no talent, though have the unshakable belief that they do, attempt to argue against insurmountable odds that they know better than the likes of Simon Cowell.
This is supposedly a case of mass schadenfreude on the part of us, the viewing public, but if you don't think about it too much it helps to ease your conscience! Also, I always considered that those that put themselves forward are fair game for public ridicule since they obviously have a choice and no-one has had a chance to persuade them otherwise.
However, someone I spoke to last night had a friend who went through the process, apparently even getting as far as boot-camp, and what actually happens seems far less fair and equitable than I thought and in fact appears to be very cruel in the extreme.
First of all the initial thousands of auditionees are seen by producers for the show, not the judges, which makes sense when I think about it now, obviously, this person said to me, the judges don't have time to see every single person face-to-face. So this pre-screening is done by nameless others and there are several stages before anyone gets as far as the judges.
After all of the hullabaloo of the judging and selection for boot-camp we are led to believe that further work, effort, and performance can get you into the next stage. However, it seems that the selection has already been made, this person's friend accidentally saw a copy of the list with names already circled.
I guess this bit isn't too surprising and in some ways it is slightly excusable; by this point there will be obvious favorites or particularly saleable, I'm sorry, I mean worthy, contestants so very little is likely to change.
After hearing what really happens I have to say I've gone off watching the show and now view it as unfairly cruel and exploitative. I think a better way would be to empower people to make and sell their own music, online obviously, as this at least gives an even playing field with no greedy TV or music executives to profit from others humiliation - alot of those deluded enough to think they can sing when they can't need to learn this lesson and not be publicly ridiculed.
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Showing posts with label music. Show all posts
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Friday, 21 August 2009
Sunday, 9 August 2009
And I thought I had plenty of padding!
But apparently my bum is not as well-cushioned as I thought it might be because it still hurt a bit after returning from a 30km (20mile) cycle ride today! As I mentioned in the previous post Sunday had to be a more active day to fend of certain boredom and also to get some exercise! Got all the ironing done before hopping on my bike.
I had another ride around Rivington reservoir and the countryside surrounding Chorley. There is something about cycling, I think it's the fact that it's simple and I can focus almost everything on it and forget anything that is bothering me, or at least give consideration in a somewhat detached way. I've also taken to cycling with my headphones on and 'happy' music playing at loud volume - helps make me feel happier and also works as an aid for getting up hills or speeding along, peddling in rythm to the beat.
I actually wish I'd got pictures of me on the bike and from the various sights along the route but I haven't for several practical reasons, the main one being that I don't like to stop unless I have to because I always think it's best to keep going in case a break too long means I seize up and can't start again.
I have to say that there were alot of people out cycling along the same routes; I know this because most of them seemed to be over-taking me! In my defence most were on road bikes and also clearly had muscles tuned for serious cycling. I did manage to pass one mountain biker and whizzed away, spurred on by some particularly up-lifting music! Small victories can make a big difference!
The other thing which I find so pleasant and disproportionately cheering to me is just the politeness and acknowledgement of people you meet on your way. I couldn't hear exactly what one older gentleman, out for a stroll, said as I cycled past him. I guess it was something simple along the lines of "good day" or maybe "good luck" with cycling up the hill ahead of me, but just his cheery demeanour and attitude was so nice.
It's the same with the other cyclists to see along the route as well, most will nod a greeting or smile and acknowledge your presence even when distracted by the arduous peddling up a particularly steep hill.
It occurs to me that my love of cycling and shopping, particularly in the Trafford Centre, have something in common and that is being around people who are, on the whole, happy, cheerful, alive, and quite often, polite, good-mannered, and just radiate a certain optimisim about the activities they are engaged in whether it be enjoying the fresh air and exercise or the enjoyment of retail therapy!
The bottom line is this: just get out and about, that in itself can be the most enjoyable thing in the world.
I had another ride around Rivington reservoir and the countryside surrounding Chorley. There is something about cycling, I think it's the fact that it's simple and I can focus almost everything on it and forget anything that is bothering me, or at least give consideration in a somewhat detached way. I've also taken to cycling with my headphones on and 'happy' music playing at loud volume - helps make me feel happier and also works as an aid for getting up hills or speeding along, peddling in rythm to the beat.
I actually wish I'd got pictures of me on the bike and from the various sights along the route but I haven't for several practical reasons, the main one being that I don't like to stop unless I have to because I always think it's best to keep going in case a break too long means I seize up and can't start again.
I have to say that there were alot of people out cycling along the same routes; I know this because most of them seemed to be over-taking me! In my defence most were on road bikes and also clearly had muscles tuned for serious cycling. I did manage to pass one mountain biker and whizzed away, spurred on by some particularly up-lifting music! Small victories can make a big difference!
The other thing which I find so pleasant and disproportionately cheering to me is just the politeness and acknowledgement of people you meet on your way. I couldn't hear exactly what one older gentleman, out for a stroll, said as I cycled past him. I guess it was something simple along the lines of "good day" or maybe "good luck" with cycling up the hill ahead of me, but just his cheery demeanour and attitude was so nice.
It's the same with the other cyclists to see along the route as well, most will nod a greeting or smile and acknowledge your presence even when distracted by the arduous peddling up a particularly steep hill.
It occurs to me that my love of cycling and shopping, particularly in the Trafford Centre, have something in common and that is being around people who are, on the whole, happy, cheerful, alive, and quite often, polite, good-mannered, and just radiate a certain optimisim about the activities they are engaged in whether it be enjoying the fresh air and exercise or the enjoyment of retail therapy!
The bottom line is this: just get out and about, that in itself can be the most enjoyable thing in the world.
Wednesday, 29 July 2009
Music not to give up to
Following on from the previous post I thought I would list some of the music that inspires me and helps keep me going, hopefully it will have the same up-lifting affect on others.
- Never Give Up On Me - Jann Arden, Blood Red Cherry
- Breathe - Michelle Branch, Hotel Paper
- Believe Again - Brinck, Eurovison 2009
- Collapsed - Aly & Aj, Into the Rush
- Never In A Million Years - Cara Dillion, After The Morning
- Should've Been The One - Debbie Gibson, Electric Youth (and a few other songs on that album too!)
- Just Like You - Jeni Varnadeau, Something Changed
- My Life Would Suck Without You - Kelly Clarkson, All I Ever Wanted
- This Love - The Veronicas, Hook Me Up
Tuesday, 12 May 2009
Greedy industry again ...
Okay, it's like buses, you wait for ages and three (or maybe more, I'm on a roll) blog posts come along at the same time!
The BBC has an article concerning the Call to disconnect 'file-sharers' made by the usual suspects in the music and film industries. I couldn't help comment on this as it really does wind me up, here is what I wrote, we'll see if the BBC "Have you say" team deem it publishable
"Fact: people will ALWAYS copy music/video. There is nothing that anybody can ever do to stop this.
If the music and film industry could just accept this, stop crying about lost revenue (there is no evidence that they would have made any money in the first place), and came up with services and products that people want at realistic prices then everyone would be much happier (them included).
For example, I refused to ever buy music from a legal, online store, where it had DRM attached because it simply wouldn't work on the devices I owned and restricted what I could do.
Now I happily pay around £4-5 of a digital download from Amazon safe in the knowledge that I can play this in my car, at home, cycling, on my PC, anywhere I want, with no restrictions.
I could, if I wanted to, download the same music illegally for free, but it's actually now more effort so I don't bother.
At the moment, it is more cost effective and easier to download (illegally) movies, particularly when there is very little that is really worth the cost of a DVD.
Why doesn't the film industry realise this and provide cheap downloads (reduced quality/functionality - who really wants all the special features on a DVD anyway). Surely they are also likely to win back customers and revenue as well as some much needed support and good will."
Personally I think I would feel pretty ashamed if I was one of the executives working for any of the music or film companies concerned; chasing down average people, dragging them through court, turning them into criminals and all really because I can't get a decent business model in place and I'm too greedy and think that everyone should pay for the rubbish that I'm producing at the price I want to charge.
The image of fat, lethargic, unimaginative, and above all greedy, executives sat around living off the efforts of others springs to mind. Okay, I know not everyone in the industry is going to be like this but that's what the rest of us are going to think.
A related point: I think there are two types of 'piracy':
[ Aside: How do the film industry view my watching a film I've recorded from TV? Illegal? No, they might want it to be but it isn't! Lost revenue? Definitely! So stop whinging and setup someting that would have let me download it at a small cost BEFORE it got to TV! ]
For a second let me mention something else: Churches. I'm not a religious person BUT I have, on many occasions, wandered into catherdrals and churches because I appreciate the architecture (I was brain-washed as a child by my Dad who likes the same thing and is equally non-religious).
I will happily give a donation to any church/catherdral I visit, I think that's only right and it also, in my mind, helps to keep them there to be seen again. What I won't do is pay an entrance fee to get into such a building. I think that is going too far and is presumptuous on the part of the church/catherdral concerned - I also often suspect that what is inside is not worth seeing if they charge you on the way in!
There was a point to that little detour, and that was to illustrate that people will happily pay for things that they don't necassarily have to. There are lots of things you can do/have/see for free but people still pay, even when they maybe can't really afford to, they just feel it's right. I'm not necassarily suggesting the music/film industry setup a collection tin but I think they need to do some serious PR and sort out there image and services/products such that people are willing to pay, even when there is the free download option.
The BBC has an article concerning the Call to disconnect 'file-sharers' made by the usual suspects in the music and film industries. I couldn't help comment on this as it really does wind me up, here is what I wrote, we'll see if the BBC "Have you say" team deem it publishable
"Fact: people will ALWAYS copy music/video. There is nothing that anybody can ever do to stop this.
If the music and film industry could just accept this, stop crying about lost revenue (there is no evidence that they would have made any money in the first place), and came up with services and products that people want at realistic prices then everyone would be much happier (them included).
For example, I refused to ever buy music from a legal, online store, where it had DRM attached because it simply wouldn't work on the devices I owned and restricted what I could do.
Now I happily pay around £4-5 of a digital download from Amazon safe in the knowledge that I can play this in my car, at home, cycling, on my PC, anywhere I want, with no restrictions.
I could, if I wanted to, download the same music illegally for free, but it's actually now more effort so I don't bother.
At the moment, it is more cost effective and easier to download (illegally) movies, particularly when there is very little that is really worth the cost of a DVD.
Why doesn't the film industry realise this and provide cheap downloads (reduced quality/functionality - who really wants all the special features on a DVD anyway). Surely they are also likely to win back customers and revenue as well as some much needed support and good will."
Personally I think I would feel pretty ashamed if I was one of the executives working for any of the music or film companies concerned; chasing down average people, dragging them through court, turning them into criminals and all really because I can't get a decent business model in place and I'm too greedy and think that everyone should pay for the rubbish that I'm producing at the price I want to charge.
The image of fat, lethargic, unimaginative, and above all greedy, executives sat around living off the efforts of others springs to mind. Okay, I know not everyone in the industry is going to be like this but that's what the rest of us are going to think.
A related point: I think there are two types of 'piracy':
- Where you copy/steal in order to make a direct profit, i.e. I make copies of a film and then try and sell them
- I copy/download something for my own use, making no actual money - only saving myself the cost of buying a legal version
[ Aside: How do the film industry view my watching a film I've recorded from TV? Illegal? No, they might want it to be but it isn't! Lost revenue? Definitely! So stop whinging and setup someting that would have let me download it at a small cost BEFORE it got to TV! ]
For a second let me mention something else: Churches. I'm not a religious person BUT I have, on many occasions, wandered into catherdrals and churches because I appreciate the architecture (I was brain-washed as a child by my Dad who likes the same thing and is equally non-religious).
I will happily give a donation to any church/catherdral I visit, I think that's only right and it also, in my mind, helps to keep them there to be seen again. What I won't do is pay an entrance fee to get into such a building. I think that is going too far and is presumptuous on the part of the church/catherdral concerned - I also often suspect that what is inside is not worth seeing if they charge you on the way in!
There was a point to that little detour, and that was to illustrate that people will happily pay for things that they don't necassarily have to. There are lots of things you can do/have/see for free but people still pay, even when they maybe can't really afford to, they just feel it's right. I'm not necassarily suggesting the music/film industry setup a collection tin but I think they need to do some serious PR and sort out there image and services/products such that people are willing to pay, even when there is the free download option.
Monday, 23 June 2008
Song association
Just had a thought about the music I was listening to, "Wishing That" by Jann Arden, and it reminded me that I'm still trying to find a way to reconcile 'normal' romantic or emotional lyrics and maybe even the feelings I associate with them to what is essentially something I might not view even now as my non-normal life.
In a nutshell, not many people I know write songs with TG people in mind, you don't have romantic ballads about a woman falling in love with her transgendered husband while (s)he's wearing some glittery dress, "Dancing Queen" isn't (to the best of my knowledge) actually about a dancing Queen (though I'm pretty sure it is hijacked to fabulous affect in manyt clubs) ... it's just hard for me to think in terms of normal romance and love when faced with everything about me ... or even just part of me for that matter.
It reminded me that I use to feel that new music that I bought was somewhat tainted by the fact that I might be dressing at the time. I use to buy a new CD (the irony in the acronym) having purged everything and feel that this was pure and uplifting and would help me forget about all of the "other" stuff and that I could feel normal in some way. It was almost a case of counting the dressing free days and feeling guilty when I finally cracked as well as then not viewing the music I was listening to as special anymore.
Thankfully I've forgotten what was "tainted" now and it's probably unimportant anyway as what I listen to generally always changes and moves forwards so I hardly listen to most of my old CDs anyway. And maybe I can start to associate songs more positively and with less prejudice.
In a nutshell, not many people I know write songs with TG people in mind, you don't have romantic ballads about a woman falling in love with her transgendered husband while (s)he's wearing some glittery dress, "Dancing Queen" isn't (to the best of my knowledge) actually about a dancing Queen (though I'm pretty sure it is hijacked to fabulous affect in manyt clubs) ... it's just hard for me to think in terms of normal romance and love when faced with everything about me ... or even just part of me for that matter.
It reminded me that I use to feel that new music that I bought was somewhat tainted by the fact that I might be dressing at the time. I use to buy a new CD (the irony in the acronym) having purged everything and feel that this was pure and uplifting and would help me forget about all of the "other" stuff and that I could feel normal in some way. It was almost a case of counting the dressing free days and feeling guilty when I finally cracked as well as then not viewing the music I was listening to as special anymore.
Thankfully I've forgotten what was "tainted" now and it's probably unimportant anyway as what I listen to generally always changes and moves forwards so I hardly listen to most of my old CDs anyway. And maybe I can start to associate songs more positively and with less prejudice.
Tuesday, 20 May 2008
Bird Song
Well actually it's "bird music" that I listen to according to one of my colleagues! Must have been "Monday madness" (similar phenomenon to "silly season" aka Summer) or maybe I just had the volume too loud so that what I was listening to was a little too recognisable as music rather than just noise.
So I was rather the centre of attention for a while as my musical taste (or lack of it) was scrutinised which was a bit uncomfortable and felt a little unfair at the time ... for some bizarre reason I had the overwhelming desire to get my 3" heeled boots on - there is something reassuring about footwear that not only gives added height but also the threat of excruciating pain to others if applied appropriately.
Where was I (enough of this bizarre day-dreams about boots!) ... oh yes, music ... well it's hardly surprising that the selection that I listen to may cause questions, it is almost exclusively made up of female artists usually under the category of "singer-songwriter" but I'm a bit of a sucker for "pop" though I try and recover some credibility with a bit of classical music - probably not enough to make a difference!
I do wonder though what really is "male" and "female" music? I think, as with alot of things, there is a much wider variety that someone of the female persuasion can listen to without question but when it comes to men they really have to restrict themselves to what is considered manly.
It's a bit sad that our culture seems to preclude the enjoyment of vast amounts of uplifting, intelligent, thought-provoking, well-written and just plain fantastic music to half the population. Oh well, guess I'll just have to turn the volume down if I don't want to attract attention or better yet up, so people can hear what they are missing.
So I was rather the centre of attention for a while as my musical taste (or lack of it) was scrutinised which was a bit uncomfortable and felt a little unfair at the time ... for some bizarre reason I had the overwhelming desire to get my 3" heeled boots on - there is something reassuring about footwear that not only gives added height but also the threat of excruciating pain to others if applied appropriately.
Where was I (enough of this bizarre day-dreams about boots!) ... oh yes, music ... well it's hardly surprising that the selection that I listen to may cause questions, it is almost exclusively made up of female artists usually under the category of "singer-songwriter" but I'm a bit of a sucker for "pop" though I try and recover some credibility with a bit of classical music - probably not enough to make a difference!
I do wonder though what really is "male" and "female" music? I think, as with alot of things, there is a much wider variety that someone of the female persuasion can listen to without question but when it comes to men they really have to restrict themselves to what is considered manly.
It's a bit sad that our culture seems to preclude the enjoyment of vast amounts of uplifting, intelligent, thought-provoking, well-written and just plain fantastic music to half the population. Oh well, guess I'll just have to turn the volume down if I don't want to attract attention or better yet up, so people can hear what they are missing.
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