MUSIC: A WORLD MARKET

THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS AN OPEN WORLD MARKET AND HAS BEEN THE OLDEST ONE, THAT MOST BUSINESS ENTITIES DID NOT RECOGNIZE UNTIL MAJOR CORPORATIONS SUCH AS PHILLIPS ELECTRONICS AND SONY AND THE LIKE, TOOK AN ECONOMIC INTEREST IN. CONSIDERING THAT ELECTRONICS IS A MAJOR COMPONENT FOR TRANSMISSION OF MUSIC. THE ROAD THAT HAS BEEN PAVED BY THE OVERWHELMING BILLION DOLLAR BUSINESS, THE MICHAEL JACKSON MASS APPEAL GENERATED, REQUIRED THAT THESE COMPANIES NO LONGER LEFT THIS INDUSTRY IN THE HANDS OF THE HUSTLERS THAT BUILT THE BUSINESS FROM THE BACKYARD PARTIES AND CORNER CLUBS AND AFRICAN-AMERICAN KITCHEN PARTIES. THE FORMAT FOR THIS BUSINESS STILL REMAINS IN THE SIMPLICITY OF a) THE TALENTED AND WILLING TO WORK HARD ARTIST b)GOOD COMPOSERS AND LYRICIST THAT CAN DIG INTO THEIR INNER SOULS AND BRING IT ON c) THE FAMILY GATHERINGS, BACKYARD PARTIES, WEDDINGS ANY EXPERIENCE THAT PROVIDES AN ARTIST THE OPPORTUNITY TO PRACTICE HIS TRADE AND DRAW A CROWD. THESE ARE THE ESSENTIALS THAT GETS THE BALL ROLLING. ADD TO THIS THE INDIVIDUAL THAT RECOGNIZES THE TRULY GIFTED AND THOSE WILLING TO BECOME SKILLED HAVING A HUSTLER THAT WILL GET BEHIND THE ARTIST AND PUSH OPEN THE DOORS AND HOLD THEM OPEN. THE BASIC SMARTS OF THOSE PAST RELIED ON FOOTWORK, LONG HOURS AND SOME LACKED THE EDUCATION OF THE INDUSTRY LEADERS OF TODAY. HOWEVER, THEY BUILT THE INDUSTRY UNTIL IT BECAME ATTRACTIVE TO CORPORATE LEADERS WHO THEN PUMPED THEIR ECONOMIC POWER INTO PRODUCING QUALITY VEHICLES OF PRODUCTS THAT MET THE STANDARD AND THE IMAGINATION OF THE GREAT MINDS SUCH AS MICHAEL JACKSON, BERRY GORDY, THE JOSEPH JACKSON FAMILY, THE GENERAL AND MANY MANY MORE BEFORE THEM LIKE W.C. HANDY AND HIS MUSIC PUBLISHING BUSINESS. IF YOU CAN FIND THE BUSINESSES AND THE INDIVIDUALS WILLING THEN LET THEM. FURTHER, DON'T LET REVERSE RACISM OVERLOOK THOSE BARBADIAN BAJANS GROUPS AND PERFORMER'S LIKE THE MERRY MEN, ALISON HINDS THE MIGHTY SPARROW, THAT WAS THERE WHEN IT ALL BEGAN. THE BUILDING BLOCKS OF THIS INTERNATIONAL INDUSTRY COULD NEVER WITHSTAND RACISM. MUSIC CANNOT BE ENSLAVED BY SMALL MINDEDNESS IT IS CONTAGIOUS, ONCE IT HITS YOUR EARS AND YOUR HEART IT RENDERS YOU HOPELESSLY DEVOTED TO IT. BUT HOW SWEET IT IS. AND WHAT A WONDERFUL WORLD IT'S POWER DOES MAKE. OUR LITTLE COMMUNITIES IN BARBADOS INCLUDING JACKSON, ST. MICHAEL HAS PLENTY OF BAJAN TALENT THAT IS RELEVANT TO THE JACKSON FAMILY HONORS AND THE ASTONISHING TALENT AND VOICE OF BARBADOS' RIHANNA PERHAPS NOW WE CAN SEE THE LIGHT.

comments to article from www.nationnews.com, RE: George Thomas, Chairmen of AME 08/25/09.
Itha Alleyne, B.S., M.A., in Bus. Ed. Music and Performing Arts Professions, NYUniv..
Graduate Thesis: Great Minds Behind the Scenes in African-American Music. AVAILABLE PER CONTRACTUAL ARRANGEMENT AND ONLY BY PERMISSION.