Music historian Ted Gioia discusses the cultural obsession with minimalism, speed over beauty, and distractions. He calls for excellence in writing and a return to the magic of the written word. Topics include minimalist vs. maximalist writing, honesty, creativity, inspiration, and navigating challenges as a writer in a dopamine culture.

Ted Gioia is a leading music historian and author of 11 books including “The History of Jazz” and “Music: A Subversive History”. He combines his cultural expertise with an extensive business background as a strategy consultant and Stanford MBA.He also writes an incredibly insightful Substack: https://tedgioia.substack.com/You can find him on Twitter: @TedGioiaTimestamps:(00:00:00) - Intro + Ted’s Background(00:03:16) - Why Culture Is Looking Backwards(00:09:08) - Financialization Of Entertainment(00:11:52) - Music And The Lindy Effect(00:16:12) - How To Foster A Counterculture(00:20:01) - Why Music Innovation Comes From Outsiders(00:25:58) - How Music Changes Your Body Chemistry(00:34:47) - The Downside Of The “Four Chords” Pop Music Formula(00:40:32) - How To Do Compounding Work(00:45:55) - How To Pursue A Creative Career(00:49:40) - Ted’s Thoughts On Rene Girard(00:55:22) - Rene Girard And Rock Music(01:02:35) - Hollywood vs. Silicon ValleyWhat Is Not Investment Advice?Every week, Jack Butcher, Bilal Zaidi & Trung Phan discuss what they're finding on the edges of the internet + the latest in business, technology and memes.Watch + Subscribe on YouTube:https://youtu.be/dKr-nBrbl_gJoin our group chat on Telegram:https://t.me/notinvestmentadviceLet us know what you think on Twitter:@bzaidi@trungtphan@jackbutcher@niapodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ted Gioia, the great music and cultural critic, has never lived in New York and it has cost him. He knows he is completely out of touch. “I didn’t make the relationships, I didn’t have editors opening doors for me,” he says. “Things were harder for me at every step along the way because I wasn’t at those cocktail parties.” But not being in New York has its upsides. Perhaps most importantly: it has helped Ted retain the mindset of an independent outsider, less vulnerable to the groupthink that can overtake the modern media. From his perch in Austin, Texas, and previously in Silicon Valley, the author of 12 books on music and co-founder of Stanford University’s jazz studies program sees things that his peers tend to miss. On his Substack, The Honest Broker, Ted has taken the music industry to task for its failure to discover and nurture new music; he has argued that despite a time of democratized access to publishing, society is missing a counterculture; and he has pointed to indicators of Facebook’s impending collapse. Occasionally, he’ll write a deeply researched series about a figure from rock history that would never find its way into a mainstream outlet.In this conversation for The Active Voice, we discuss how internet platforms are changing our cultural industries for better and worse, how the rise of the likes of YouTube and Substack are helping creators subvert the gatekeepers to outshine traditional channels, and how social media has become a sameness machine—a perpetrator and victim of crowd psychology based on people’s intense need to be just like everyone else. “Platforms like Twitter, which should be independent voices saying fresh things, start to feel like everybody’s shouting the same thing all at once.”The way out? Find the person who can rise above the fray. Find the honest broker…Ted’s recommended reads:https://lewisporter.substack.com/https://greilmarcus.substack.com/https://iverson.substack.com/https://jeffreysultanof.substack.com/Show notesSubscribe to The Honest Broker on SubstackFind Ted on Twitter, Instagram, and his websiteElias Canetti, Crowds and Power[02:39] The story behind the name, The Honest Broker[08:41] Journalism and the media[11:17] Avoiding politics[12:10] Perks of being a music writer[15:27] On being the outsider[17:02] Ted’s background[21:12] How the internet destroyed music culture[26:56] The role of TikTok in the music industry[33:09] Mimetic desire, René Girard, and social media[36:21] The exception of Kenny G[40:02] Choosing the writing life[44:05] Advice to young writersThe Active Voice is a podcast hosted by Hamish McKenzie, featuring weekly conversations with writers about how the internet is affecting the way they live and write. It is produced by Hanne Winarsky, with audio engineering by Seven Morris, content production by Hannah Ray, and production support from Bailey Richardson. All artwork is by Joro Chen, and music is by Phelps & Munro. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit read.substack.com

Ted Gioia, a writer known for coining the term 'dopamine culture,' delves into the implications of our current fast-paced, distraction-filled lives. He discusses how this culture affects everything from relationships to mental health, highlighting the alarming rise in screen addiction, especially among children. Gioia offers actionable strategies for reclaiming attention, advocating for digital minimalism and intentionality. He emphasizes the importance of conscious choices amidst the noise of modern life, encouraging listeners to foster meaningful connections.

Music, Movies, And Innovation is an entertaining podcast featuring Ted Gioia, author of 'Music: A Subversive History'. They discuss the evolutionary aspect of music, the transition from analog to digital in the music industry, the competition between old and new music in streaming platforms, the disappointment with major record labels, the phenomenon of fake artists on Spotify, and the rise of alternative platforms like TikTok and Substack.