Quote Originally Posted by VAisForEagleLovers View Post
I'm of the firm belief that if you don't stand up and speak out for what's right, regardless of how it makes you look, you've lost an important piece of yourself. I realize not everyone thinks it's wrong, but if you have something that someone else owns and you didn't pay for it...
I'm all for standing up for yourself and what you believe in, but there is an element to the older artists that are so opposed to phones, social media, etc being all "you meddling kids get off my lawn you darn smartalec whippersnappers" that is humorous to me. Almost if they do it just to be different or be "old school" OR because they refuse to live in 2015 or whatever year it is when people are reading this and are hanging on to their glory days. Which is fine. I can be just as nostalgic. It's the outspoken drivel about how things suck nowadays that make me laugh. And I'm one who thinks I was born in the wrong generation when it comes to music. But I also know that we have to move forward.

Just like the people who hate new country artists because it doesn't sound like Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, or Waylon Jennings and sounds more like rock n' roll or pop, or both. As Don himself said in HOTE, "Time passes, things change". They have a right to voice their opinion, but that doesn't mean I can't voice my comments on said opinion. If all you do is look at what happened in the past and hold on to the coattails and resist modern life, you are going to miss a lot IMO. There is a particular blog on modern country music that drives me up the wall... All they do is bash new country artists. Rather than shining light on new artists they like (which they rarely yet occasionally do), or celebrate classic country they call them names, make fun of their style, and say it's trash.... I love some classic country, but I also love modern country. You don't have to listen to new country, but by being so outspoken about it, it makes you look dated IMO. Again I'm not saying they can't be, but that's just the way I feel they come across.

I've never once downloaded illegally. It's not about stealing (which I don't agree with), it's about not accepting change and being stuck in the past and not moving with the times.

I do stream, and a lot of my guitar friends in the music business stream (because I see it in their facebook feed ). The moment streaming or watching concerts on YouTube becomes illegal I will stop and fully comply. The whole publishers getting money is a deep issue and while it needs looking over and seeing if it is right or not, I'm not the man to do it. That's up to the RIAA, lawyers, and judges to figure out.