How my daughter got me to start paying for music again
Here’s my confession: in the past fifteen years, billions of dollars have been spent on music – and not one of those dollars came out of my pocket. I love music, and all kinds of it too. Country? Check. Classic Country? Double check. Classic rock? Sure. Oldies? Sign me up. Top 40? Absolutely. I love to watch countdowns of the best songs, best videos, and the best genres on television. I love to sing. I sing to my children (much to their embarrassment, I might add). I sing during housework, I sing at my desk during my day job. In college, I was called the “singing waitress.”I was nearly orgasmic when I discovered the Song Pop app for my iPhone…
But I have not purchased a single CD, MP3 or concert ticket in almost 15 years. This is not an unconscious decision, but a willful edict. It came about as a culmination of many things-small children and no time to go to concerts, a reduction of income, school, moving, and my general disgust at the music industry and artists. I found it very hard to part with my hard earned money to fund someone with gold rims on their car and a personal chef in their kitchen. I guess I can blame it on too many episodes of Behind the Music, or Where are They Now? Seeing people lose so much-and in some cases everything-when I had almost nothing was a little hard to swallow. I don’t believe it was jealousy, just practicality. I also never downloaded a single song or album illegally because I do believe an artist/songwriter/ musician has a right to get paid for their work (not to mention that it is stealing)…
However, all of that is about to change next month when I take my daughter to the P!nk concert for her birthday. It was her only birthday wish, and I caved. I have fantastic seats and I am sure we will have fun. Whether I buy her a t-shirt at the show remains to be seen. Baby steps, baby steps.
Kelly Fogarty
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- How my daughter got me to start paying for music again - November 30, 2013