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A musical introduction to Objectivism

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Gabo

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I've been working on a music album called "A musical introduction to Objectivism." The record consists of original compositions which aim to represent an Objectivist's view of life through music. Several tracks also feature readings of selected passages of Ayn Rand's novels and essays on top of the music.

Three tracks from "A musical introduction to Objectivism" are already available for preview at www.myspace.com/gabo67 . The tracks are "Life on Earth", "Winds from the right", and "The moral meaning of Capitalism", the latter of which features part of a speech from Ayn Rand's "Atlas Shrugged."

Please have a look at them if you're interested! :(

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Have you obtained permission from the Ayn Rand's estate to use her material in this way?

The readings from Ayn Rand's novels and essays only amount to a very few lines from each, as if I were including quotations in a research paper. Besides, the project is absolutely non-profit; the whole album can be downloaded for free.

Edited by Gabo
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The readings from Ayn Rand's novels and essays only amount to a very few lines from each, as if I were including quotations in a research paper. Besides, the project is absolutely non-profit; the whole album can be downloaded for free.

That is well within the "fair use" rules.

Bob Kolker

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The readings from Ayn Rand's novels and essays only amount to a very few lines from each, as if I were including quotations in a research paper. Besides, the project is absolutely non-profit; the whole album can be downloaded for free.

I would take more issue with the title, combined with the fact that you are using direct quotations.

I don't thing the profit status of your project would allow you to simply ignore any copyright violations of use of the material.

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I would take more issue with the title, combined with the fact that you are using direct quotations.

I don't thing the profit status of your project would allow you to simply ignore any copyright violations of use of the material.

Why the title?

Half the tracks in the record don't use quotations, and in the ones that do, they are kept to a minimum, simply as a way to give more shape to the musical ideas contained. Anyway, I agree that getting explicit permission to use the material will always be preferable, so I may ask for one if the project generates enough interest.

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The readings from Ayn Rand's novels and essays only amount to a very few lines from each, as if I were including quotations in a research paper. Besides, the project is absolutely non-profit; the whole album can be downloaded for free.

But in a research paper, for one thing, a direct quote would never be included without a visible citation to the author within the same paragraph. But if someone is listening to your songs, without reading information you have on your website, they would only hear the quotes with no citation and might assume that you invented them yourself.

It just seems to me that it would be more original and first-handed to write your own material rather than quoting for someone else without her permission. They're your songs, after all.

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You have a point there, and I thought about myself, but it's a very daunting task to explain the main principles of Objectivism in a way as memorable and strong as Ayn Rand's.

On the other hand, if a person listens to one of the tracks and is interested in my music, I think that given the title of the record they would at least try to find what Objectivism is. First of all they would read the information on my website, when it would be clear that I was quoting from Ms. Rand. If, however, an individual just listens to a track and never before comes to the website because he's simply not interested, it would be very unlikely for him/her to start spreading the word that I invented great quotations in my music.

For someone acquainted with Objectivism, there would be no problem because they would immediately recognise the quotations, as they are taken from some of Ayn Rand's best known works.

My next project will probably feature music inspired by Ms. Rand's work but without any direct quotation.

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You have a point there, and I thought about myself, but it's a very daunting task to explain the main principles of Objectivism in a way as memorable and strong as Ayn Rand's.

I absolutely agree with that. It's really a daunting task just to make worthwhile art in general. But, when faced with a daunting task, does one borrow *directly* from those who have mastered the task in the past, like Peter Keating cutting and pasting the architectural designs of others onto his buildings, all out of the original context, or does one attempt something on his own.. Letting himself fail, even, for as long as it takes to get it right--to make something new, and true, and something that's never been said in exactly that way before?

Personally, that's why I would primarily take issue with the title. It's a very ambitious title. It's a title that I would not expect someone to give to a work unless he was ready for it, and could live up to it on his own effort, not second handed, but with an *entirely* original and flawlessly inspiring performance musically, lyrically, aesthetically, and philosophically. I would expect it to be an unprecedented integration of musical ideas with lyrical ideas that was constructed with as much passion and devotion as Ayn Rand put into her own works.

I think anything less than that, with a title such as that, however innocent the intentions, could only ultimately serve to feed off of Ayn Rand's enormous popularity, not to promote it in a significant way.

But, then, I am an American. I can sympathize with the plight of someone who lives in a country where her ideas are even more unheard of than they are here, and the desperate desire such a person might have to broadcast them for someone, anyone to hear, and hopefully to want to know more. But still, posting the songs on a public forum opens them to criticism from a world audience. So that's my perspective.

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I absolutely agree with that. It's really a daunting task just to make worthwhile art in general. But, when faced with a daunting task, does one borrow *directly* from those who have mastered the task in the past, like Peter Keating cutting and pasting the architectural designs of others onto his buildings, all out of the original context, or does one attempt something on his own.. Letting himself fail, even, for as long as it takes to get it right--to make something new, and true, and something that's never been said in exactly that way before?

Well said. I approach writing like this. So far my novoul, my recent poetry, and my novoulette are all approached that way. I do not think I have failed, though no one has seen more than 3 sentences from my novoul, 2 sentences from my novoulette, but I personally know that the recent one hundred or so poems that I have written in less than two months...most certainly have not failed...hehe :thumbsup:

(and to think I'm not even two years old literarily yet...)

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or does one attempt something on his own.. Letting himself fail, even, for as long as it takes to get it right--to make something new, and true, and something that's never been said in exactly that way before?

Honestly, at least from my perspective, this is what I tried to do with this project. As far as I know, there has never been a record of contemporary music explicitly addressing Objectivism before. As it is, it may not be perfect, but I consider it a worthwhile attempt and I'm quite proud of it.

Originally, the idea was to include lengthy quotations in every track, but then I changed my mind. Aside from the copyright issues, I realised it would eventually diminish the strength of the record, to the point where the readings would take more precedence over the actual music. As it ended up, I think now it's the other way around: half of the tracks don't include quotations at all and the ideas are presented solely by means of the music and/or the lyrics, and in the other tracks, the readings are kept to a minimum and are there simply to make the relationship between the music and Objectivism more explicit. The only track in which the reading is very prominent is "The moral meaning of Capitalism", because it was the only ocassion where the music was written taking into account the length of the reading.

I do not intend to feed off Ms. Rand's popularity in any way. At least in my country, it's not simply that most people have not heard of Ayn Rand, it's also that they haven't even considered an alternative to state intervention in the economy and a morality of sacrifice. While I'm aware that popular opinion is not going to change just because of my record, at least may a small step towards raising awareness.

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  • 1 month later...

Hi friends (for I presume we are at least *potentially* friends:)

I consider the talk about the title as of relatively little importance. Objectivism is a body of principles that is reasonably well established. Thus folks have the right to have any kind of introduction to Objectivism they like, without asking anyone for permission for such. Can you imagine the silliness entailed in my writing to Kant's estate for permission before writing an introduction to Kantianism?

Far more important, to my mind, is the quality of the music. One person is supposed to have composed a Concerto of Deliverance which, while legal and all that, was terrible music IMHO!!

As long as the music is really of high standards and is relevant to its stated theme, I'd be a happy listener:)

best wishes all,

Mike Rael

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