“Eventually, I realised that I was supposed to be getting wound up, and that something about Plato’s writing was genuinely succeeding at making me think.” Claire Kerwin’s experience with Plato was quite unpleasant at first. She frequently found herself frustrated at his work due to his smugness and the poor arguments he presented. But after some reflection, she realised that he partly presented his thoughts in this way to provoke others to think about important matters—to get them to see something. 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
