World-class Italian guitarist Flavio Sala once declared that he couldn't understand why Venezuelan music was still unknown abroad. His words were somehow full of anxiety as he also talked about the beauty of it. I must say that the main reason is that the country still lacks a real industry.  If one looks at the examples set by Brazil and Argentina, one can see that people of those countries love their music. It is always there on the radio, at concert halls, at record stores etc... But to be honest, I cannot be so sure that answers the question completely. It sure answers it in part, but it's not the whole thing.

Now that the year comes to an end, I'd like to state that many interesting things have happened. C4 Trio has established its elf internationally. Festival Nuevas Bandas celebrated its 20th edition being the only festival of its kind to last so long by Venezuelan and Latin American standards. Gustavo Dudamel really hit his big time by conducting some of the best symphony orchestras in the world, yet we aren't known as much as Soda Estereo, Gal Costa and Caetano Veloso are. We, however, are paving the path that will lead us there someday in the future. All individual and collective efforts are heading there as they never did before, but artists still struggle to be listened to on the radio due to the infamous payola which is often kept a secret for obvious reasons. If music is now regarded as a serious profession, it is still pulled to pieces by local pubs and nightclubs owners. Not all of them, though.

The survival of the fit? Well, of course not. I don't mean to be tough on all the ingredients that constitute the "industry", but I want to alert those seeking to make a living out of music so that they know it isn't yet a well established profession like you see in first world countries and those like Brazil and Argentina. We sure have given a step forward with the Juvenile Symphony Orchestras movement that started in the 70s, but we still have a long way to go. We still need rubbing elbows with the great names in music when they visit our country. What I mean is that we need a wider exposure to musicians from everywhere thru clinics, recitals and any form of educational format that could grant an up-to-date exchange of musical ideas as well as business ones.

Demand and supply... well, not in such a business way! I just want to end addressing our very own musicians. Being a musician isn't only playing an instrument. A musician must have a global knowledge about music, its history and development, its most remarkable moments, ethic and a sense of respect for the profession and for their peers. Being a musician means acquiring various duties such as being on time, studying your parts and many other matters. Only then, we can truly start talking about developing a real music industry. The listener has his/her duties, too.