Today’s Rant on The Future of Music

A Message from Joseph Timmons,
Editor and Lead Journalist at Xombiewoof Magazine

I feel we are in a sorry state
when the icons of the music world are either moaning the undue epitaphs of the
death of the industry while raking in the millions from their record sales and
antiquated ego blustering and while others defame their peers of their
achievements while boasting their perfection. The music industry…. “Industry”
seems like a sterile word to use, the world of music was once a place of
compassion and resonance, where the words of the artist met with ears that
sought the inner messages and it spoke to us in so many different ways that it
became a truly universal language. 

Now, in today’s music world of the digital samples
and the MP3s, the actual artist is replaced with the tech savvy individual that
feels creativity can come from an emotionless silicon chip and flow with a beat
that has no measure of warmth. I do not detract from the artist that wants to
try new things or creates an ingenious method of expressing their creativity,
but I wonder of the future of music.

I started my online “Magazine” 6
years ago as a blog to just express my views and give path to my ramblings, I
did however stumble upon a future for myself in a journalistic trail of questions
and answers to what it is all coming to, and I have worked with like minds that
want to share and spread the gospel of the ever powerful chord.

There are so many bands and
groups out there that work so hard with little recognition, and people like
myself, the writers, reporters, bloggers, indie record labels and internet
radio DJs that see what I see and we are working together to rebuild the glory
of the musical majesty that we remember from our youth for the new ears of
today and tomorrow. I do however wonder “what will it all come to?”, I have run
project and promotion, one after the other and I am distressed by the lack of enthusiasm
met on the internet and in the world in general, there is a common trend that
is somehow like a snake that devours itself by the tail, an obtuse catch 22, I
hear cries of “let’s make a change” yet none rally to their own call.

I have started a project called
Heartbeat4Kids, a program to recycle old unused instruments to give to kids that
want to learn music but don’t have the means or resources, I have promoted and advertised
it, I hardly receive any response or I get detractors that claim it is a scam,
last year I personally refurbished several instruments and gave them to kids
that would not have any way to get involved in music if I had not stepped up. We
hold fundraisers by having online sales and auctions of used records and new
records donated to us by people as well as equipment given to us by instrument
companies, but these are few and far between and again, we are met with the “what
is in it for me” mentality.

If you are reading this, then you
are probably one of the few that have not committed the robotic “Like” or “Share”
that has become the standard of the social media world, the tweet and pic
driven emptiness of the cyber heads that would rather feign interest than get
involved, it is you I celebrate, because you care to be a person in earnest
search of music and want to know the truth of it all. And it is you that I am
asking to help our cause, the recycle the future of music, to start a musical
revolution that would possibly make the world a better place for all that walk
upon it.

I am not asking for people to
give what they cannot afford, all I want is for people to look through their
closets and storage sheds, do you have records you no longer listen to? Do you
have an instrument that no longer works for you but with a little love and a
lick of paint could bring joy to a child? Do you or anyone you know have a
little time to donate to a child that wants to learn music? These are the
questions that only our readers and fans and followers can answer. Can you do something
where you are, acting locally, or would you pair with us to act globally, this
is the key to a brighter future you have in your hand.

A call to the bands and musicians
of the world, can we help you? Do you have a message that we can share, a
record we can report, a performance we can promote, we are here to help, so let
us help. Yes, we are a magazine and we are looking to make money, but money
will come, it is not the answer to everything, just a key to unlock doors with
many locks, the door to the future that is opened by the smallest of fingers.

John Lennon said “Maybe I’m a
dreamer, but I’m not the only one”, what is your dream, what can Xombiewoof
Magazine do to make that dream come true, and if we can do that while making
the dream of a child come true as well it is a “Win-Win” for all.

If my words have moved you to get
involved, send an email to me at xombiewoofmail@aol.com,
we need the following to get us moving forward…

• Writers, Journalists and Reporters that want to
  participate, we are not in a position to offer paying jobs, but we would be
  grateful for the help. 

• Used Records, Music Gear, Instruments and
  Anything Music Related that we can refurbish and give to the kids that want to learn
  to play and we will give new life to the instruments you once loved to be loved
  again.

• Funding, we have a site on Patreon and offer “subscriptions”,
  we are looking for those that believe in us and what we do and would be willing
  to be our patrons. 

• Our Patreon site is https://www.patreon.com/xombiewoof and subscriptions can be found at http://www.xombiewoof.com – .
  Support us so we can support others. 

• Follow us, read our pages, share and get others
  involved, if we can promote your work, tell us about yourself and we will help
  you any way we can. 

If we wait for others to do it,
it will never get done, it starts with one and becomes a million only once the
one starts and calls the others to action. If all you do is nothing than
nothing will get done.

Thank you for your time, now get
involved and stop with the “selfies” and the pictures of your dinner, you look
great and I don’t know if you should really eat that, it looks fattening and
has way too much sauce.