The Steve Jobs Legacy

Steve Jobs passed away this week at the age of only 56. But in his relatively short life he came up with more innovations than almost any other individual of his generation. He created Apple and all that that means to us today from remarkable personal computers to iPhones, iPods, iTunes and a whole lot more. And let's not forget his contribution to full-length animated films at Pixar. The man was a genius who practically recreated the world we all live in. If you want to learn more about Steve Jobs life and how he became the man he was, look up the offbeat and inspiring commencement address he gave at Stanford in 2005.

But as with any great innovator there is a downside. As a giant corporation Apple could be controlling and uncooperative. And in the field of music while Steve Jobs made all kinds of music more widely available than it had ever been before, performers and composers sometimes felt that they had been steamrolled and lost control of their own creations.

This video deals exclusively with pop music but it is illuminating to anyone interested in any kind of music. Classical music is almost inconsequential as far as iTunes is concerned but can't help but be affected by any major technological changes in the way music is disseminated. For most people music is entertainment and for most people who control the industry music is a business. Those of us involved in classical music live on the fringes of this world. But there is no doubt that the movers and shakers like Steve Jobs are changing our world too. Ever wonder what happened to the big record companies? CDs? Classical music radio?

Paul E. Robinson