Kitc, this isn't fair --- I missed most of the action already. Been too busy making too many unoriginal OPM concerts and recordings... Still a good problem, of course (especially with the upcoming wedding). Too much work will always be a good problem, and a very welcome one.
I guess this is the curse of technology -- people using it to further inflate their already-inflated egos, rather that help out people who need a little push. I have had the great honor of being able to work alongside some of the greatest music makers of this country. They too have been confronted with their own set of situations during their times. They too wanted to put our country on the musical map. They too wanted our music to have an identity. They too wanted to come up with music that is both brilliant and original. The process by which they did their jobs was so much more demanding than the way we do it. They wrote out the parts for the band and the orchestra, and the vocalists sang and musicians played without the benefit of CTRL-Z. The thing is, (as I've already pointed out) the music business is as much about business as it is about music. Our industry is confronted with so many more other factors than mere originality, and level of quality. The issue of piracy has made the situation a lot worse -- our industry is barely making any money. You can't argue with the people who buy the records, and you can't question why they buy the type of music they buy, as much as they don't question your musical tastes.
Kung yung mga CD ni Willie Revillame ang gusto nilang bilhin, eh sino naman tayo para pigilan sila? It's also not my type of music, but music is a very personal thing, and a cultural one too.
Parang spaghetti. You can bitch all you want about how unauthentic the taste of spaghetti in our local food chains, but you can't argue with this fact -- mas mabenta yung mga spaghetti na matamis.
People have criticized Sitti -- how unauthentic her 'bossa' is, but again, you can't argue about the fact that it sells.
Don't get me wrong. I too think our music needs to improve. But so does the rest of the situation of our local music industry.
People are able to acquire unauthorized copies of music and music software, whether bought from Greenhills, Quiapo, or downloaded from torrent sites, or P2P programs. They spend a little time with some piece of music software (or worse, one that they won't be likely to afford if they had to get a legal one -- like Nuendo or Sequoia, or complete Waves bundles), and then consider themselves sound engineers, or music-makers.
After that, they give themselves the right to bash others.
That's cool with me. I just wished they showed a little more respect towards those who have been in our industry far longer than they have. We all have the right to criticize, but I have trouble listening to opinions from people who can't put their money where their mouths are.
Oh, by the way, being Filipino is no excuse for wrong grammar. I'm Filipino too. I'm not perfect, but I work hard on my music (inspired by my musical heroes from here and abroad too, like most of my peers), ...and my grammar (also not original -- but heck, it works).
The quest for our own sound is also not a new thing -- but it is as worthwhile right now, and it will continue to be as worthwhile an endeavor as it has always been. We need patience and diligence to have a fighting chance towards such a tremendously big goal.
There's nothing wrong with imitating our musical heroes and influences. The masters of the past have imitated their heroes too.
Some people just want to make music that sounds good to their ears, whether it sounds copied from another piece of music, or not. And yet there are those who want to be original, even if their music sucked.
I don't know if this is just a coincidence, but most of the people who love bashing the works of his fellow artists (as opposed to offering constructive criticism -- but of course it's hard to draw the line), are the ones who either suck, or haven't done anything that matters yet.
Those who know how much of a hard work the process of music making really is, develop a sense of respect to those who have done it in the past, and those who continue being involved.
Guys, we need to change a lot of things -- but let's not make the MT&P forums like the GC forums, if you know what I mean. This section of Philmusic is among the most helpful ones.
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