Bon Jovi vs. Steve Jobs

I heard an interesting blurb on the radio this morning about Bon Jovi accusing Steve Jobs of "killing music". I didn't actually read the original article because that would require a subscription, but a Google search of the topic brings up various sources that paint a pretty decent picture of the situation.
As interesting a topic this may be from all perspectives, I'm interested in discussing what these implications mean for the active participant and the remixer. On one hand, I understand Jovi's suggestion that being able to download music and take it with us everywhere we go on iPods has changed how we listen to music, but I'm not sure that his claim that we no longer put the time aside dedicated solely to listening to our new musical investment has changed the 'magicalness' of the musical experience holds water. I think the act of remix may prove a bit of a counter to his claim. Although the way we listen to music may have changed, in order to be able to remix and interpret music, there still needs to be active participation. The ease by which people may now remix and the vastly growing number of remixes out there, regardless of medium, would suggest that there is still a pretty decent amount of active participation. By no means am I suggesting that Steve Jobs has been the sole provider of this opportunity, but I certainly don't think that his empire has impeded this at all, either. The only thing is, that these modes of participation have changed, and this is what Bon Jovi seems to have a problem with. They have changed in the past, and they will continue to change well into the future.
I'm curious to know if anyone else has any thoughts about what iTunes and iPods have done for music. Has the way that we interact with our music changed so much that we are totally disconnected from what we're consuming? Or have these modes given us new ways of sharing and obtaining? Have they given us the potential to remix or have access to new music that we may have never otherwise had the opportunity to be exposed to? Is music really dead?

the REMIX project

In Toronto, ON, there is a place where high-school aged kids from disadvantaged and underprivileged communities can go to learn about remix culture and have the opportunity to access a 5,000 sq. ft. facility, with a full recording studio, photography studio, business development centre, creative arts lab, video editing suite & more. This place is called REMIX and enables these aspiring kids to learn more about the technologies surrounding the development of remix culture and to become more connected with the world at large.

One of the programs the center offers is called a Remix Project. The workshops involved in this program educate the kids on issues of copyright law, starting a small business, managing credit, and financial planning etc. By exposing these disadvantaged youth to the culture of remix, the participatory aspect of what remix is is strengthened. The high-tech, expensive aspect side of remix (having access to a computer, digital recording equipment, etc.) is no longer an obstacle and the voices of the disadvantaged can be heard.

Through the business and creative arts programs REMIX continues to create opportunities for youth to develop a path to success and accomplish their goals. REMIX has people that they look up to and use as examples for the youth that attend their programs. These people are called Remix Ambassadors and one of the more recent Ambassadors to the program is K'naan. Known for his song "Waving Flag," used as the Official Song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, K'naan has inspired many people in his fight for social justice and the leveling of the global playing field.

Once tragedy struck Haiti in 2010, K'naan came together with Young Artists for Haiti and using his song "Waving Flag," made an unforgettable musical collaboration which was used to educate people and to create awareness. With K'naan's version of "Waving Flag," used at the FIFA World Cup and the version of "Waving Flag" performed by the Young Artists for Haiti, it is evident that the same piece of music can be used for different purposes.

The transformative and participatory aspects of remix are present in what K'naan has been able to do with his music and what the Toronto-based REMIX center is doing with inner-city youth. Although it may seem that the sectors involved in remix culture such as music, video and graphic design are corporate-driven and not easily penetrable at times, sources are available in order to get new stories into circulation. REMIX and K'naan are helping to continue the development of convergence culture, where every story and image is circulated on multiple platforms. No longer do corporations have all the power as voices are being exposed from grassroots locations such as the streets of Toronto and other areas of Canada, not to mention the rest of the world.