Quirky and brilliant musician Jane Siberry has made her song “Calling All Angels” [mp3, lyrics] freely available on her website in response to emails she’s received from people interested in sharing it with Hurricane Katrina relief workers. She just sent out an email suggesting she might make all of her music (that she has the rights to) openly available to anyone with the option to pay whatever you find reasonable.
From her email:
‘let go let go’
is the song i hear in my head all the time these days.I just put ‘Calling All Angels’ on my website for free. People have been contacting me recently wondering how the song could be sent out in a wider way in these difficult times. One person wanted to burn copies for relief workers. I said yes. Then I thought that feels so right. And better yet, if i also make it available as a free website download the gesture would be more Earth-loving with no plastic created. Then I thought, heck, why don’t i just make everything free (that I have rights to). Something feels forced about withholding (music) until one gets something (money). People could pay what they want or not pay at all. That would be more authentic, pure. And probably bring more positivity to all. I think the music would be happier, too.
And a strange phenomena is happening. Things are shifting from captured on vinyl to captured in heart. It seems (as I wait to record) that my live shows are becoming more of a living breathing music. Perhaps concerts are the ‘new recording’ format (no recording, you just have to memorize each moment, not waste it). Music, poetry, prose, stories are coming forward knowing that it doesn’t have to fit into the ‘recordable’ ‘timeless’ genre. Things are bunching up more against the present moment. I am grateful to the folks that come to the shows and share time with me. Something very good is happening and I’m not talking just about what I do.
there must be new and better ways for this all to work.
everything on earth, actually.
and I bet the new ways sound like a new music.does anyone have any comments?
If so, would you write a little letter in the Sheeba Forum?
http://www.janesiberry.com/forum topic = ‘let go let go’NOTE: I can’t respond but I want to hear. You are such cool folks and I respect your thoughts so much.