New Songs for the Month of April and The Wealth of Nations by Adam Smith
I find that taking the time to talk about things that are going to be done, or have already been done, is something I would one day love to delegate to someone else. It could be my cat—but more likely a bi-pedal human with an awesome brain, sense of humor, and kindness, and an aptitude and pension for music business.
If that’s you and you like my art, please reach out.
I’m doing the juggle.
Speaking of juggles, I wanted to drop you a quick line—so I am, to let you know about all the new singles I am releasing in April.
One of the new singles, has brought me good fortune—but I can’t announce it until later in the week. This is the release schedule fort April though.
April 5th - Mess It Up
April 11th - Graceland
April 18th - And It Stoned Me
April 25th - Rare Bird
My goal is to be releasing one song a week, so I have been since February.
On a side tangent that also is not a side tangent: I’m concerned about the economics of musicians. Having been a professional musician for a number of years, I have continuously watched musicians be mistreated in a myriad of ways: whether it be as a gigging musician or even within the realm of selling the art (as an album or singles).
I posted yesterday about reading “The Wealth of Nations” by Adam Smith. I am trying to solve the problem of musicians being taken advantage of.
If it wasn't a record label in 1996, it is Spotify and Apple Music now.
Musicians should not have to invest $10,000 in an album, only to essentially provide it as an expected service to be consumed for free. Sure, someone pays Spotify $11 a month, but we as the creator of the art being consumed, do not see that distribution of wealth. That doesn’t feel right to me. It feels queer, in the traditional sense of the word. We even do it with words: take them and repurpose them without thought of how that effects others around us.
So, I consult the book that fashioned the use of what Smith referred to as “Commercial Society” but what we now call “Capitalism.”
Self interest was of huge concern to Adam Smith. He devoted chapters to it in the “Wealth of Nations” as pointed out by Prasannah Parthasarathi in the introduction of the edition I purchased yesterday. Wisely so. Look at how musicians have been getting fucked for years.
My solution came from a friend I made in Photo Club named Matt Sloggy. He is an Economist based out of Riverside, California. He spoke to me about Reciprocating Economics. What does that look like? Allow me to show you.
A company like Spotify or Apple Music or Deezer, could have a department devoted to publishing Songwriter and Full Band Material to Television, Netflix, HBO, Movies, Commercials. We flood their service with art: they could be reciprocating by doing the work of getting high paying placements for us. It’s a lot of work making music: thank you for being selfish and not paying attention to how musicians are literally dying from suicide overworking themselves. If new companies in America are going to be subsidized with Tax Payer Money, pay it forward to those who are from those taxpayers, who are directly providing the service you are offering. What you have done Spotify, is shoved your service between the musician and the audience with a shoe horn: a shoe that has no damn sole.
People make the argument that humans are innately selfish. Even if that is true, Smith mitigates this notion in the following manner:
“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker, that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own interests. We address ourselves, not to their humanity, but to their self-love, and never to talk to them of our own necessities but of their advantages.”
We have value, brothers and sisters. It is time we take our value back rather than give it away. Adam Smith was a wise and intelligent person. We should listen to wise and intelligent people who take the time to write a treatise of Economic Theory. Because holy shit, have we not lost sight of the beginnings of “Commercial Society” in favor of what we now call in modern nomenclature, repurposed: “Capitalism.”
WHO IS MIKE VITALE?
I am a storyteller, songwriter, singer, music producer, traveling musician, Jungian dream analyst, all-around curious fellow (Spiritual, Mathematical Historical, Scientific), Taoist, and much much more, based out of Los Angeles, California. I’m constantly releasing new music, in all sorts of different genres. You can listen to me below, on Spotify: