In December, the San Francisco section continued its annual tradition of a holiday party and
showing of a film dealing with the audio industry, music or (in this case), both. This year, the
film was “Before The Music Dies”, Andrew Shapter’s hard-hitting look at the demise of the
traditional methods music is disseminated in this country. Their synopsis:
“Never have so few companies controlled so much of the music played on the radio and for sale
at retail stores. At the same time, there are more bands and more ways to discover their music
than ever. Music seems to have split in two - the homogenous corporate product that is spoonfed
to consumers and the diverse independent music that finds devoted fans online and at clubs
across the country.”
In the move, clips of television specials from the 1960s and 1970s showed that is was once
possible to watch established and up-and-coming artists on network television. People from all
parts of the music industry were interviewed, as well as people attending concerts and trying to
find recordings in stores. The film ended on a positive note, acknowledging that Internet
downloads (once properly charged for and paid to artist(s) and producer(s)) are the hope of the
future. 70 people attended this event at the Film Arts Foundation in San Francisco.
- David Bowles