I often think about the relation of commerce and art. It's a convoluted one, but necessary. How could one continue to create the best art possible if they were destitute? They won't - they will be focused on survival instead. A recent op-ed
, by Scott Turow (a novelist and president of the Authors Guild) uses the rise of playwrights in London in the 16th Century to relate how art combined with monetary gain creates better art. Turow noted that "talent often remains undeveloped unless markets reward it." Also noted was that "a creative person should have some assurance of being rewarded for his innovative work."
The Internet is a Wild West of copyright infringement. I've seen my own writings, recordings, productions and co-written songs posted and passed around as if they were public domain works. Yet I attempt to make my living in a creative field. Pretty soon you might find Aimee Mann
for real.MORE ENTRIES

November 25, 2011
Journal for the Art of Record Production
BY Larry Crane
Eddie Ashworthdropped me a line about the work he and many other scholars are doing with theArt of Record Productionfolks. Be sure to readThe Journal ...

November 4, 2011
Giggle~ (or, the best one-liners from Cycling 74's Max/MSP Expo)
BY Vijith Assar
Last weekCycling 74released thetremendous version 6 updateto Max/MSP, their flagship multimedia programming platform, which provides an appealingly ar...

November 4, 2011
How to Feel Miserable as an Artist
BY Larry Crane
Artist/writerKeri Smithcame up with this list some time back and it took on a life of its own. During a chat a client showed this to me as we were dis...

October 24, 2011
Silver Sound's 3rd Annual Music Video Film Festival + Band Battle
BY Larry Crane
Submissions are now being accepted for Silver Sound's 3rd Annual Music Video Film Festival + Band Battle, taking place on January 10th, 2012 at Brookl...

October 6, 2011
Readers Respond to "Building Troubleshooting Skills" in Tape Op #84
BY Larry Crane
When we ran a page featuring senior contributor Garrett Haines' "Building Troubleshooting Skills" inTape Op#84 I never expected to get the kind of rep...

October 5, 2011
Thoughts on End Rant #85, "My Unwritten Rules"
BY Larry Crane
I just finished reading your article, "My Unwritten (Until Now) "Rules" in the studio,"Tape Op#85. Let me offer up a few words of wisdom on your well-...

August 17, 2011
Sea of Bees in a Shed?
BY John Baccigaluppi
Larry and I recently spent a few weeks in the UK doing some interviews for the mag that you'll be seeing soon. Over the weekend I left Larry in London...

August 17, 2011
Her Space Holiday - Tape Op - Magnet Magazine
BY Larry Crane
Our pal, Marc Bianchi ofHer Space Holidayisguest editing Magnet Magazinethis week. He has some nice things to say aboutTape Op, and as one of our orig...