Stage to Studio

This study examines the impact of the sound revolution on musicians in the 20th century. It considers the conflicts that occurred across America as new invention, entrepreneurship and the interests of artists intersected, relating changes in the lives of musicians to cultural/technological change.

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This study examines the impact of the sound revolution on musicians in the 20th century. It considers the conflicts that occurred across America as new invention, entrepreneurship, and the interests of artists intersected, and shows how musicians adapted - or tried to adapt - to momentous change and the emerging nexus of corporate power, labour-union muscle, and government regulation that came to define the field. The author combines ideas and techniques from business, labour, and social history, and offers a case study in the impact of technology on industry and society. The conclusion is that capital and capitalism were as important in the entertainment industry as in steel manufacturing or coal mining.