Anton Howes argues that innovation is received and thus not intrinsically human. He emphasises that people invent because they are motivated to do so, either out of inspiration or the inception of the idea from another individual. And while innovation can be exceedingly rare, despite the opportunities and incentives, the results can be extraordinary in their simplicity. One example of this is in weaving: John Kay’s flying shuttle significantly increased the productivity of weaving, yet “[a]ll Kay added was some wood and some string.” Read full article here
Oddities
Why Do Modern Pop Songs Have So Many Credited Writers?
The music industry has changed dramatically over the last few decades – with the number of songwriters credited on number one hits more than doubling. This is due to a combination of factors, including money, the computer and a changing definition of what songwriting is. For example, if The Beatles’ classic “I Feel Fine” was released today, it would likely have four writers credited instead of two, due to the influence of producers, samples and interpolations. With the rise of lawsuits, artists now preemptively add songwriter credits to their songs, even if the similarities between their song and the source material are coincidental. It all goes to show that the music industry is becoming more complex and competitive. Read full article here
Merv
March 29, 2023
