Under the Radar With Seth Sommerfeld

How do you value art?

It is undeniable that all our lives are impacted and enriched by songs, movies, paintings and a slew of other artistic works. We've all had bad days that have been cheered up by popping in a DVD, fascinated by a photograph, or been moved by the lyrics in a song.

So with that said, why has it become acceptable to not compensate the artists who give us these great works?

Very few people would walk into Best Buy and shoplift a DVD or CD, yet no one bats an eyelash at someone torrenting a new movie or downloading the most recent album leak anymore. Why? If it is merely the tangible, physical properties of an object that make theft wrong, people wouldn't have to copyright ideas and concepts. It seems accepted to take the actual work without pay, but ripping off the thoughts is not justifiable. Does this make sense? Much of this is based on the "Metallica Effect." Metallica (namely drummer Lars Ulrich) came out vehemently against Napster when the peer-to-peer file sharing site was in its heyday. When this happened, many people defended not paying for music because artists like the members of Metallica are millionaires and don't need record sale money.

While it's true that Ulrich doesn't need more cash, for every one Metallica, there are hundreds, if not thousands, of artists who more or less scrape by from gig to gig. They should be compensated for their work.

I'm not trying to preach from a pulpit here. The aforementioned financial issues are not the crux of what I'm trying to get at, it's merely a way of illustrating the point.

Personally, I still pay for my music (all 16.7 days of it). This is because I feel like I owe music something. It's always there for me. For every dark spell I've encountered in life, there have been songs that helped me get through them. I seriously don't know where I'd be without Alkaline Trio and so many other bands. I know I can't be alone in this sentiment.

Artistic endeavors might seem trivial in the grand scheme of things, but without them, many of us would go mad. We need things that allow us to escape to a different emotional realm through tears, laughter, and everything in between.

So I'm asking you to take a moment and evaluate the role art plays in your life.

Where would you be without art?

What is art worth to you?