Text messaging, iPODs and file sharing has led to the trepidation of new frontiers in sharing music and videos. With the growing technology, many feel that we are plaetauing at place where we will eventually revert back to CD’s, and record players. I ask: Why revert? Why do we progress in exponential forms instead of truly understanding the full impact of our consequences? These questions truly point to why globalization is loosely used as a bringing together of world, as opposed to us addressing the need to rethink our musical technology and see how we are becoming compartmentalized walking drones.
Globalization in a general sense means to global connectivity, integration and interdependence through
six faces of any civilization
[1] Economic
[2] Social
[3] Technological
[4] Cultural
[5] Political
[6] Ecological
These six make up the infrastructure and webbing that truly evolve civilisations into the major playing field of the world scene. As we move forward in a world that is becoming smaller, the fear is that globalization feeds into imperialism instead of autonism. Consequently, when we hear cries of the record industry, that the music industry is collapsing due to rising powers of NAPSTER, LIMEWIRE, many take a step back and see where our technology is going.
The two fold issue with file-sharing, is that its proliferation allows all to preview and see what new artists are coming out with; and its also giving the “masses” a way to choose for what they want to hear. I’ am frequent down loader of music; yet when i find a band I like, I go buy their CD’s. To personally hold the advancement technology of accountable for declining sales is erroneous. The industry has to see what the new products are, and how to truly understand their changed demographic. Secondly, with the accessibility of these services, millions can pirate albums and listen to them without paying the $18.99 for their favorite band. Its about looking at the supply and addressing the demand.
As the supply grows, everyone will be looked as a pirate because our means to getting files are readily available. iPods allow us to connect to one another and swap albums to like interest. These new devices are not the “axis of evil,” nor are they threats; they reflect who we are evolving into. Each individual today is looking to be individualized, separate from the other. Music is not a shared skill that flowed from choirs, to the dance halls; its art is now being confined to 3 in x 4 in screens. There was a time, when bee-boppers, street hustlers, you could hear the music flow endlessly; yet everything is being drawn in doors. I quickly remember, when I was in New York; walking down the streets, and listening to horns honking, someone snapping, everyone was in a rhythm. I look on buses today, I see the same rhythm people dancing, heads a bopping, but its in silence.
Everyone is beating to their drum in silence.
This musical silence can be correlated to globalization, from a technological stand point, because before the iPod, there was the walkman, the tape tape player, the portable record player, to the radio. Do we revert to load players on the streets to put the music back on the streets? Or do we settle to become enslaved gadgeteers? Both are progressive and regressive. The former created a subculture of people wanting to be loud evasive and revolutionaries. Many wanted to be part of this musical dialogue of growing, maturing, and feeling life through rhythm as opposed to silence, but it left only one true way of communication [ loud and evasive ]. Consequently, the latter made people think about trend, color, and being seen. The birth of the iPod truly got this new personage blooming and a more eloquent, stronger person developed. The “me” generation took over. Together these fusion's have made a hybrid, individualistic personage. Now that we have arrived in the age of texting and iPods we all are brief with each other. Through anabasis we have reached a great technological frontier, but soon your b.f.f. ipod could be the N.Y. in a pixel generated generation, and I.D.K. if tunes will be s.y.l and we are standing beating our heads i.c.s.

The concluding sentence translation:

Through anabasis we have reached a great technological frontier, but soon your best friend forever iPOD could be the new you in a pixel generated generation, and I don’t know if tunes will be see ya later and we are standing beating our heads in constant silence.

BY JONATHAN REED