One More Grammys
It’s the hated Mike Greene who made the Grammys what they are today. He wanted a big tent, he wanted a large membership, he wanted equality, if not pure independence, from the major labels and CBS.
But Mike Greene is gone.
And now we’ve got a caretaker.
What do you do when your President has lost touch with the rank and file, when the organization no longer reflects your interests?
You resign and start a rival organization.
This is rampant in sports. Sometimes it works, like the AFL, sometimes it half works, like the ABA, and sometimes it’s a joke, like the McMahon football league.
But McMahon did not have the players.
I’m not sure I’m down with awards. Please watch this video for amplification:
But the truth is the Grammy organization does not reflect the interests of independent artists, especially when they don’t make mainstream music. To rail against an organization tied in with CBS is to miss the point. Maybe the Grammys are broken. Maybe it’s time to start over.
Most of the people complaining about category reduction don’t make it to the big show anyway. So why do they need the Grammys?
All the indies should unite for a new show. They should use new technologies to spread the word. Like those brick and mortar record stores that won’t go out of business and their Record Store Day. Say whatever you want about these establishments, but it’s fascinating that they get unique product and appearances from desirable acts.
Why isn’t there Folk Music Day, with house concerts across the nation and attendant press? That’ll do more for the cause than an ignored Webcast.
You have to understand that in the modern era it’s not about trying to change those in bed with corporations, but utilizing new tools to build something new, that changes the world. That was what e-mail was about. Then came the World Wide Web. Now we’ve got mobile phones and texting and Facebook and YouTube. If you build it, they truly will come. But you must persevere and execution must attempt to be flawless.
Do you really think the Grammys will be relevant in the future? When a hit product like the Flip camera rises, succeeds and fails within four years?
The Grammys are poised for future success just like the major labels. Which they are not.
A great musician is always tweaking his craft, always looking for new ideas, taking chances. Now, with modern technologies, it’s a revolutionary era. Don’t chide old men clinging to an old system for leaving you out, build anew.
