The music industry is a fickle business, but there are valuable lessons to be learned by studying companies that have kept the music going for centuries.
Zil is cymbal in Turkish. Zilçi the cymbal maker. (translitterated French style in Zildji). Zildjian adds the Armenian patronymic suffix: Zildjian, the son of the cymbal maker. As many professionals, in the Ottoman empire, Avedis was Armenian. The entertainment business was almost entirely in the hands of Greeks, Armenians and ROMs until the Republic.
I find it interesting that both the bell and the gong (aka cymbal) have long been associated with spiritual practice. What's even more fascinating to me, is that adherents of certain spiritual disciplines, known as the Light and Sound traditions, report that certain sounds, such as a deep ringing bell or the trumpeting of a conch shell, may be subjectively experienced during concentrated states of inwardly focused attention— just as if one of these instruments was being played nearby.
In his book, Stalking the Wild Pendulum, medical device inventor and cosmic explorer, Itzhak Bentov, described neural and vascular systems within our bodies, that could settle into states of sympathetic (harmonic) resonance, once sufficient sensory/intellectual stasis could be established and maintained. Once this state was stabilized, these previously ‘independent’ systems would sync up, functioning as a series of coherently linked oscillating networks that could set up subtly oscillating ‘standing waves,’ within the vaulted chamber of the cranium— providing the listener with a private concert, analogous to what one might hear in a great cathedral or other vaulted space found in sacred sites throughout the world, dating back...who knows how long?
Now that's the kind of music company that I'd buy into!
Makes sense that music production has been at the edge of metallurgy and mechanism - e.g. technology. Plus sonority provides quick feedback, supporting rapid iteration.
Well, if you're into bells, you might be interested in this sonic procession held in Roseto Valfortore, indeed, not very far from Agnone, in the Fortore valley on the border of Campania, Molise, and Puglia. Under the auspices of Liminaria in 2016, sound artists Miguel Isaza, David Vélez, and Ferdinando Godoy involved the entire town of 2,700 inhabitants to celebrate a 73-year-old bell player, the last to assume this traditional role. The trio organized a parade of people and animals that Liminaria founder Leandro Pisano describes as a “sonic procession” of peeling bells, following a bell concert at the Chiesa San Filippo. Some excerpts can be heard here: http://radia.fm/2017/01/show-616-rural-futurism-sonic-escapade-in-the-heart-of-liminaria-radio-papesse/
I was also expecting music publishers to be amongst the older businesses, but of course musical instruments had to proceed sheet music! Italy's largest publisher, Casa Ricordi, has been in operation since 1808, but that doesn't come close.
In addition to the three R's that you mentioned, remaining a family business, or, at least, privately held can be important. Once a company goes public or is bought by a public company, it's all over. In general, at any rate. If the goods sold are considered luxury items, such as Steinway pianos, there is an incentive to keep quality high. But, in other cases, the company executives are "incentivized" to game the stock to the expense of the product quality. It might be interesting to investigate not only longevity but also quality versus the type of company ownership.
Ted, you should check out Luca Cottini on LinkedIn who has a kind of running online seminar about the history of Italian products. Great story! Thanks. KB
Love your columns but believe you should focus on one the biggest mistakes now being made by the “music industry”: the failure- indeed the refusal, to capitalise on reaction videos. Instead of recognising how ALL ethnic and racial lines have broken down in listening to music the “Industry” does all it can to block or otherwise impede creators of reaction videos. Anyone can be aware of White kids listening to rap or hip hop, but has the industry noticed young Black men & women blown away by production values & sounds in Prog, or the songs produced by all sort of performers in the 1960’s? Another opportunity wasted, squandered and even worse impeded by the so-called music industry.
I'm painting mountains in the Andes. As I read this, I imagine myself inventing tunes for mountains, which have no sound, only fog decor, and unseen animals running about. The Incas of the 15th century built little areas in the tops of mountains, barely seen from the road but in reality purely reserved. I wonder if the early indigenous people had instruments. I'll check the museum collections.The Jews, 5080 years old as a culture, do not play with instruments except the human voice, chanting and singing.
Himalyan bowls seem to have a long lineage. And hand-hammered metal bowls are also made while chanting mantras. Interesting to see the prayers recited in the video - La fusione.
Zil is cymbal in Turkish. Zilçi the cymbal maker. (translitterated French style in Zildji). Zildjian adds the Armenian patronymic suffix: Zildjian, the son of the cymbal maker. As many professionals, in the Ottoman empire, Avedis was Armenian. The entertainment business was almost entirely in the hands of Greeks, Armenians and ROMs until the Republic.
I find it interesting that both the bell and the gong (aka cymbal) have long been associated with spiritual practice. What's even more fascinating to me, is that adherents of certain spiritual disciplines, known as the Light and Sound traditions, report that certain sounds, such as a deep ringing bell or the trumpeting of a conch shell, may be subjectively experienced during concentrated states of inwardly focused attention— just as if one of these instruments was being played nearby.
In his book, Stalking the Wild Pendulum, medical device inventor and cosmic explorer, Itzhak Bentov, described neural and vascular systems within our bodies, that could settle into states of sympathetic (harmonic) resonance, once sufficient sensory/intellectual stasis could be established and maintained. Once this state was stabilized, these previously ‘independent’ systems would sync up, functioning as a series of coherently linked oscillating networks that could set up subtly oscillating ‘standing waves,’ within the vaulted chamber of the cranium— providing the listener with a private concert, analogous to what one might hear in a great cathedral or other vaulted space found in sacred sites throughout the world, dating back...who knows how long?
Now that's the kind of music company that I'd buy into!
Fantastic stuff! I knew Zildjian was old, but had no idea they were *that* old!
Makes sense that music production has been at the edge of metallurgy and mechanism - e.g. technology. Plus sonority provides quick feedback, supporting rapid iteration.
Thank you for an enjoyable, thoughtful, and thought provoking article!
What an enjoyable and thought-provoking read. Thanks!
A very enjoyable read, thank you 🔹
Well, if you're into bells, you might be interested in this sonic procession held in Roseto Valfortore, indeed, not very far from Agnone, in the Fortore valley on the border of Campania, Molise, and Puglia. Under the auspices of Liminaria in 2016, sound artists Miguel Isaza, David Vélez, and Ferdinando Godoy involved the entire town of 2,700 inhabitants to celebrate a 73-year-old bell player, the last to assume this traditional role. The trio organized a parade of people and animals that Liminaria founder Leandro Pisano describes as a “sonic procession” of peeling bells, following a bell concert at the Chiesa San Filippo. Some excerpts can be heard here: http://radia.fm/2017/01/show-616-rural-futurism-sonic-escapade-in-the-heart-of-liminaria-radio-papesse/
I was also expecting music publishers to be amongst the older businesses, but of course musical instruments had to proceed sheet music! Italy's largest publisher, Casa Ricordi, has been in operation since 1808, but that doesn't come close.
In addition to the three R's that you mentioned, remaining a family business, or, at least, privately held can be important. Once a company goes public or is bought by a public company, it's all over. In general, at any rate. If the goods sold are considered luxury items, such as Steinway pianos, there is an incentive to keep quality high. But, in other cases, the company executives are "incentivized" to game the stock to the expense of the product quality. It might be interesting to investigate not only longevity but also quality versus the type of company ownership.
Thanks for this interesting information. It prompted me to look up the Buffet-Crampon company, maker of my clarinet. They started in Paris in 1825!
TG, much appreciate this.
Ted, you should check out Luca Cottini on LinkedIn who has a kind of running online seminar about the history of Italian products. Great story! Thanks. KB
Love your columns but believe you should focus on one the biggest mistakes now being made by the “music industry”: the failure- indeed the refusal, to capitalise on reaction videos. Instead of recognising how ALL ethnic and racial lines have broken down in listening to music the “Industry” does all it can to block or otherwise impede creators of reaction videos. Anyone can be aware of White kids listening to rap or hip hop, but has the industry noticed young Black men & women blown away by production values & sounds in Prog, or the songs produced by all sort of performers in the 1960’s? Another opportunity wasted, squandered and even worse impeded by the so-called music industry.
I'm painting mountains in the Andes. As I read this, I imagine myself inventing tunes for mountains, which have no sound, only fog decor, and unseen animals running about. The Incas of the 15th century built little areas in the tops of mountains, barely seen from the road but in reality purely reserved. I wonder if the early indigenous people had instruments. I'll check the museum collections.The Jews, 5080 years old as a culture, do not play with instruments except the human voice, chanting and singing.
Himalyan bowls seem to have a long lineage. And hand-hammered metal bowls are also made while chanting mantras. Interesting to see the prayers recited in the video - La fusione.