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What happens when you put two fabulously groovy things together. Say for instance, David Lee Roth’s isolated vocals from “Runnin’ With The Devil” and the new Microsoft Songsmith songwriting software. The result just has to be the most coolest thing ever, right?

Here ’tis.

As always, never underestimate the intelligence of the consumer then, click pause on the music player located in the side bar before playing the YouTube.

I’m sure we are just scratching the surface on this stuff. Go to YT and find your favorite wacky Songsmith parody today!

The L.A. Times has an article about USC’s Thornton School of Music’s announcement of a new bachelor of music degree in pop music performance.

The thrust of the new program, which is overseen by associate dean Chris Sampson, is to provide a place for instrumentalists or vocalists whose passion is popular music — be it rock, R&B, folk, blues or country. Although other institutions grant degrees to those who study pop music as a cultural force, this is billed as the first bachelor’s degree available to those who perform it.

Students still will be required to study music theory, history and songwriting, but they’ll also learn about entertainment law, record promotion, marketing, publicity and other fields pop musicians need to understand to succeed in the evolving music business.

I think it’s a good idea; I’ve always been a fan of practical education. Teaching people how to write pop songs…I’m not totally sold on that initially. Does that mean they will be teaching some formulaic approach that results in a glut of new writers further homogenizing a field that already does that of it’s own accord?

So USC has consulted with Randy Newman, Steve Miller, superstar producer Glen Ballard and others in developing the degree components.

The still developing faculty will include hit songwriter-producer Lamont Dozier, drummer Peter Erskine, guitarist Richard Smith, drummer Ndugu Chancler and pianist-singer Anne Farnsworth. Students will be required to take a year of drums — not because it was Sampson’s original instrument of choice but to emphasize the critical role that beat and groove play in pop music.

That all makes sense, consulting with successful people to develop the program. It’s a good idea to study drums, if you want to write songs.

What of the potential danger of institutionalizing a type of music created in large part by youths railing against the adult world? What would Chuck Berry or Johnny Rotten say about someone earning a college degree in rock guitar?

“That’s a great question,” Sampson said. “I think they would ultimately have a fear that this music, which is rooted in rebellion and in statements against the establishment, is now part of the establishment. “I thought long and hard about that. Our trick as faculty members is to create a learning environment for these students, and to be able to lay in front of them goals to keep them stretched and to improve their skills, without superimposing what we think defines popular music.”

Well, there is some stuff to wonder about right there. How do you develop a degree program without “superimposing what we think defines popular music”? I’m not real sure what that means superimposing but, you have to define the music you are teaching. That’s part of the territory.

I don’t think Chuck Berry or Johnny Rotten are unaware that “this music, which is rooted in rebellion and in statements against the establishment, is now part of the establishment.” I don’t think they fear that either.

See, here’s the deal; is it possible that the next Chuck Berry or Johnny Rotten is a product of the scholastic pop music environment? Obviously, there is no way to answer that and anything could happen. What you are likely to see are kids with pop music degrees populating the Vegas strip, theme park productions, over in Branson and some will make it in to large production concert shows. And, you will see them working in TV and film.

But, can you develop a crop of Chuck Berrys and Johnny Rottens? That stuff just happens.

There is an agreement on the table that will specify royalty rates to be paid by internet radio stations. This article from AAJ is a little misleading.

The opening paragraph…

Songwriters, record labels, and webcasters have reached an agreement on mechanical royalties for songs played on web radio services. However, the “disastrous” performance royalty that threatens to drive Pandora and other webcasters out of business remains in effect.

“Disastrous performance royalty”; see, there is a performance royalty situation that will put a lot of internet radio out of business so, disastrous isn’t an exaggeration. If you are pointing the finger in the right direction, I’m OK with disastrous. Now look at paragraph two….

Webcasters will pay 10.5 percent of their revenue to songwriters and publishers minus any performance royalties already being paid to labels. The move comes as part of music publishers’ drive to start collecting mechanical royalties for compositions played online after giving online radio a free pass while business models developed.

See, that makes it sound like the songwriters and music publishers are the villains. Performance royalties were set up for songwriters. When a song gets played on the radio, the songwriter gets paid a small royalty. The artist doesn’t get paid because, they benefit from exposure. The artist sells records and builds interest for live shows. Nobody knows who the writer is usually so, they aren’t getting the added career benefit. The writer gets nine and a half cents when a record is sold. Generally, this is split, in at least half, with the publishing company.

The performance royalty is what can make songwriting worthwhile. If you write a song that gets played on the radio, every now and then, years after the record stopped selling, you get a nice little check every quarter. Meanwhile, the artist still capitalizes from the song by playing it endlessly in concert performances and continues with a career.

It’s the way it was done until internet radio. Somehow, the record labels hopped on internet radio from the git go and horned their way in to getting a performance royalty for the artist/label. So, whenever a song gets played on the internet, the artist and label get a little piece. On top of that, the artist and label still get exposure that helps sell records and enhances a performing career.

There aren’t a whole mess of people making a rat killing from the internet. One way to drive traffic to a site is to feature music. If a site uses music to gain revenue, the writer should get paid. When the performer or, artist or label gets paid that, right there, is the “Disastrous Performance Royalty”.