Brain Paint ACar

Paint Car B

Dear David,

You sent me this message about getting all the music you want (and probably software too) off the internet for free, and copying it and giving it away. Understanding your viewpoint will really give people insight as to how our perceptions of the UNIVERSE are shaped by our personal desires and wants. Thinking about this is EXCELLENT FOOD for the BRAIN.

Here's part of your letter again (a REAL letter for anyone else reading this) just in case you forgot what you said:

"I'm sure John doesn't care now, but doesn't Paul, George, and Ringo have enough money already? What's the harm in downloading your favorite Beatle songs when the greedy THIEVING record companies get most of the money, the band has more than enough money, and anyone else involved with the project is doing pretty well. How giving and caring can a person be before they feel like they're just being scammed? Besides wouldn't music be better if it were given for free? Musicians would create music for the love of it and therefore create beautiful inspiring pieces of music. We wouldn't have to weed through all the crap that's out there. So what if the record companies go broke. They all are reptilian suckheads. So what if the whole capitalist system breaks down; it's not really helping us anyway!- David C."

YOU ARE SO RIGHT ON!!

I thought about this a little bit and I think you are SO RIGHT about musicians giving away all their music - (and those rich software companies probably should too.) You know, I really should give away all the music I make, BECAUSE:

Ever since I've grown up, all the music lessons I ever took--- from 3rd grade, every year up through college - TEN YEARS, one lesson every week--- I got for ABSOLUTELY FREE from music teachers. The instruments I learned on-- my parents never had to buy-- because they went to the music store when they were giving these away to customers! Boy, I have been a lucky fellow!

When I went to music college at the university for FIVE YEARS all the textbooks and tuition was free. I don't know who paid for it-- but it cost me absolutely NOTHING. Just fabulous that college of mine!

And for some reason, it's funny, although some people have to practice for hours and hours and YEARS to get good at playing and writing music-- I never had to do ANYTHING LIKE THAT AT ALL! All of my talent just came to me naturally one day after I got up out of bed--- suddenly, I could play the piano and guitar like nobody's business!! Everybody was astounded when they heard me play Mozart and Bach, and even a bunch of rock and roll tunes--- and I never had to practice even for even a minute, much less hours, days, months, or years. -- I guess I'm really blessed.

As I grew up, all the instruments I've used as a professional musician have been given to me for free, all the ones I used on this new album- my free acoustic and electric guitars, my free saxophone, my free drums, and my free synthesizer. All of these instruments cost me NOTHING!! Isn't it amazing?!? Last week when we wanted a bass guitar to use on the next recording-- guess what? We just walked into Guitar Center Music, picked out a $1000 bass guitar we needed, and the salesman said "Go ahead, just take it--- we won't charge you this time!" I was blown away!

Then- somebody gave me a free multitrack tape recorder--- usually these things cost thousands of dollars--- but somebody gave me one-- Totally FREE!! They even gave my the blank reels of tape to record on-- dozens of them--- COST ME NOTHING!! They even threw in thousands of dollars worth of microphones, mike stands, hundreds of dollars of patch cords, a couple of expensive electronic reverbs and compressors we normally couldn't afford, but you need to make a half-way decent record. It's incredible!!

Of course, I needed a mix-down deck to do the master recording transfer. For this, most people have to pay between $700 and $2000 for a DAT machine. You won't believe this, but just when we were ready to do the mix down, I found a brand new one IN THE ALLEY-- still in the box! Somebody must have just stuck it out there hoping the right person would find it.......It worked PERFECTLY! It was a gift from the Miracle Music Equipment Angels of Mercy!

Then, I waited in line at the computer store, where one day they were giving out FREE COMPUTERS and CD WRITERS!! Since then, I've been able to manufacture all of my CD's that I put my music on--- without ANY COST. And fortunately, with the free computer hardware, they threw in a LIFETIME SUPPLY of blank recordable CDR's and LABELS, and CASES for the CD's. It's just fantastic!

To mail all of my CD's, the office supply store has given me thousands of free padded envelopes, pens, wrapping tape, and stacks and stacks of free paper. All of my friends help me package up stuff and address the thousands of packages that take me weeks sometimes to fill out - they'll sit with me for hours at a time, and they never ask that I pay them anything in return except bring them a glass of water and let them use the bathroom.

Kinko's has given me a coupon booklet, good for 25 years of NO COST printing, for things like stationary, and printed matter that goes with the CD's. When the US Government found out about all the free things people were giving me, they gave me a little known form I filled out-- it entitles me to $10,000 a year in FREE PRIORITY POSTAGE-- including postage to foreign countries which sometimes costs as much as $34 to send one box of tapes and books---- and I don't have to pay one cent!!! The government is incredible. Thanks, Washington!!

Speaking of the government-- did you know that musicians don't have to pay any taxes on music? It's the MUSIC TAX ACT of 1972, which exempts all musicians from income tax made on their music and concert income. (You do have to pay tax on T-shirts though, damn!)

Fortunately, all the years I was growing up, going through music school, and since then for the past twenty years-- I have lived at this "magical" place in Denver--- all the musicians live here-- Its a big farm just outside of town, on top of Lookout Mountain-- if you are a qualified musician who REALLY loves music, you can live here- and ALL THE FOOD and RENT is COMPLETELY FREE!! Do you know, I've never had to work for a living?! The scenery is great, and I get my own 5 room cottage with a view of the Continental Divide. I've lived here for 26 years, and never had to pay a red cent!! The owners will even will loan you a car when you get old enough to drive-- I have a nice Toyota SUV-- it's an older 1992, but it works fine-- and it has never cost me anything at all. Did you know State Farm has special MUSICIAN CAR INSURANCE? It's only $95 a year, and if you sign this special contract with them, they will waive all the premiums, but only if you've made at least one recording during the past two years.

So that's why I've decided to give all of my music away for now on, because it's something I love and I want to share with everybody, and not charge them anything.

So here it is my brand new FREE ALBUM of MUSIC-- It cost me absolutely nothing to create-- and I pass it on to you for free--- Just click on the little circle below, and that will allow you to hear the entire fifty five minute recording and save it to your computer, make ALL the copies you want and PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE AND FILE ON TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW VIA EMAIL so we can all share.

Please click to listen and save:

Neil Slade
http://www.NeilSlade.com
The Amazing Brain Music Adventure
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