Tuesday, May 11, 2010

Consider this before you download music without permission

Other artists such as Marillion and Jill Sobule have asked fans for direct financial support already, but Dayna Kurtz explains why in clear and precise detail in response to hate mail she got for doing so. More specifically, she points out that her latest record sold only 900 copies but was illegally downloaded 50,000 from four pirate sites alone.

Not everyone realizes that such downloading is illegal. Those who do come up with all sorts of rationalizations. "A huge artist is already rich so they don't need my money." "A new artist needs exposure to build an audience." These arguments fall apart for the glut of midlevel artists who have built a following but aren't getting rich and aren't even making enough to front their own recording costs.

As Kurtz points out, "the only thing that causes me some degree of regret about this venture is that i'd bet my bottom dollar that the the vast majority of people that donate are the sort of fans who already buy my music, legally and conscientiously."

http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=56856324&blogId=534038996


Wednesday, May 05, 2010

Rock and Roll GRE

Analytical Writing

Issue Task: Write a response to following statement. You can accept, reject, or qualify the claim made in the topic, as long as the ideas you present are clearly relevant to the topic below. Support your views with reasons and examples drawn from such areas as your reading, experience, observations, or academic studies.

The Beatles are overrated.

Argument: Write a critique of an argument presented in the following short passage.

Bon Jovi is great band. They have sold a shitload of albums. They are really nice guys. They have awesome hair.

Quantitative Ability

1.
Column A Column B
The Smiths' recorded output Morrissey's recorded output

A) The quantity in Column A is greater
B) The quantity in Column B is greater
C) The two quantities are equal
D) The relationship cannot be determined from the information given
E) Well, are we comparing quantity or quality here?

2. Dave Clark x + Ben Folds x = yCC

Solve for y

A) 2
B) 5
C) 10
D) 17
E) 23.56432

3.  Seven & Seven Is

A) 14
B) A song by Love

4. Haircut x²

Solve for x

A) 1982
B) Love + 1
C) 16
D) ±10
E) 45

Verbal Ability

In the following questions, a related pair of words is followed by five more pairs of words. Select the pair that best expresses the same relationship as that expressed in the original pair.

1. NIRVANA : FOO FIGHTERS
A) Soundgarden : Candlebox
B) Roxy Music : Bryan Ferry
C) Joy Division : New Order
D) New York Dolls : KISS
E) Blue Oyster Cult : Foghat

2. DAVIES : KINKS
A) Deal : The Breeders
B) Followill : Kings of Leon
C) Taylor : Duran Duran
D) Gallagher : Oasis
E) White : The White Stripes

3. The REVOLUTION: THE NEW POWER GENERATION
A) The Attractions: The Imposters
B) Crazy Horse: The Band
C) The Heartbreakers: The Traveling Wilburys
D) The E Street Band: The Asbury Jukes
E) The Raiders: The Detroit Wheels

Each of the following questions provides a given word or phrase in capitalized letters followed by five word choices. Choose the word or phrase that is most opposite in meaning to the given word.

4. THE FALL
A) Sonic Youth
B) The Pretenders
C) The Wedding Present
D) The Cure
E) Dinosaur Jr.

5. BRITNEY SPEARS
A) Usher
B) Tom Waits
C) Pink
D) Tom Jones
E) Cher

6. MINISTRY
A) Revolting Cocks
B) Lead Into Gold
C) Lard
D) 1000 Homo DJs
E) The Bee-Gees

The sentences has blank spaces that indicate omitted words. Choose the best combination of words that fit the meaning and structure within the context of the sentence.

7. After _________ left __________, the band started selling more records while he ironically found both critical and commercial success by sticking with his arty instincts that had limited the band's audience.
A) Peter Frampton, Humble Pie
B) Peter Gabriel, Genesis
C) Justin Timberlake, the Backstreet Boys
D) Paul Weller, the Style Council
E) David Lee Roth, Van Halen

Please use this essay to answer the following questions.

8. The author's main point is that:
A) Inexpensive videos are the best way for bands to build an audience.
B) Record companies are short-sighted in viewing all artist activities as revenue sources.
C) Record companies have always expected to recoup all advances.
D) Bloggers are more important than radio for breaking new bands.
E) The treadmill video is really cool.

9. According to the author, the main function of record companies is to:
A) get CDs distributed to retailers.
B) get radio airplay for artists.
C) provide financial advances.
D) find directors who can create concepts for videos.
E) put bands on metaphorical treadmills.


Answers:

Analytical Writing

Issue


Sample response:
Well, yeah. Kinda.

Argument

Sample response:
You're out of your fucking mind.

Quantitative Ability

1. B or E
2. C
3. A or B
4. D

Verbal Ability

1. C
2. D
3. A
4. A
5. B
6. E
7. B
8. B
9. C