gurdonark

Authored Comments

I use the Trinity desktop on one system and LXDE on another.

I liked the article and the approach. Open source thinking in music long predates Glenn Gould. Woody Guthrie's open license in a 1923 published book of songs is one 20th Century example,but
the roots of open source run far deeper.The folksong tradition evolved as a sharing of source and of samples to evolve new music and preserve old music in a pre-copyright era. Songs and lyrics and melodic themes [i.e., source code] were freely shared and remixed. The classical tradition is full of re-transcription of source works.

The copyright paradigm changed this world. indeed, the efforts to "tame" this music, ranging from Alan Lomax's disgraceful assertion of copyright in others artists' works to 60s record labels seeking to copyright classic blues covers by rock bands as their own property, damaged the folk and blues tradition's sharing culture.

Nowadays the place to look for open source music is not in the classical hallways,but in the vibrant netlabel movement, where artists liberally license music and liberally share "source code" in the form of samples, stems and other base components of works, all available for remixing. This movement does not receive nor seek government support, and its releases are by tradition free. It is here, rather than in the amazing work of Glenn Gould, that I find open source music becoming a reality and a transforming force.