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I am writing about Ryan Gallagher's interesting Voice Box column on file-sharing in the Dec. 2005/Jan. 2006 issue. While I am neither a freeloader nor a downloader, I am a Juilliard graduate who has expanded my education to become a psychologist and psychoanalyst who works with people in the arts. As such, I have written and spoken widely and passionately about the concept of "psychic income" (a term borrowed from economists H. Baumol and W. Bowen), which refers to intrinsic rewards gained from involvement in the performing arts. However, one does not pay bills or tuition with "psychic income" or from file-sharing. The value of the arts cannot be measured in dollars and cents, but musicians and other artists should be compensated in real income for their lifelong investment in their training, and for the invaluable contributions they make to the enrichment of us all.
Julie Jaffee Nagel, Ph.D. (B.M. '65, M.S. '66, piano)
Dexter, Mich.
Regarding December's Voice Box on illegal file-sharing, in light of the fact that most of the "illegal" downloads consist of current pop music, I feel Mr. Gallagher gives too much credit to the "ingenious creators" who put all of this corporate, manufactured, over-produced, soulless music on the market. Besides, you'd have a very hard time finding any current classical CDs out there on the Internet, so the main interests pushing this campaign against downloading are spoiled celebrities and terrible bands. They don't deserve the obscene amount of money they make.
Jared Soldiviero (M.M.'04, percussion)
New York, N.Y.
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