More about The Trouble With Music:

There is a crisis facing music. The signs are everywhere, from the saturation of public space by tuneful trivia to the digital downloading controversy. Quantity has replaced quality. The number of units sold is now the criteria by which music is judged, and high-gloss, mass-produced, low-content music is everywhere. You can't shop, eat, ride a bus, or see a movie without hearing it, as each day you are inundated with enticements to buy it. Like the replacement of essential nutriment by junk food, music lovers are expected to surrender their critical faculties and consume the phony McMusic that can be more effectively controlled and profitably sold than the genuine article.
Mat Callahan has been a composer, musician (most famously with The Looters, who literally invented "World Music"), engineer, and producer for 40 years. He is the founder of the legendary San Francisco club/performance space/recording studio Klub Kommotion. Herein, he unravels and elucidates the crises facing music as well as its liberatory potential. The Trouble With Music includes discussions of: technology and its effects on music making and listening; superabundance and the absence of critical thought; the development of radio; music criticism; copyright; the digital domain and the Internet; labor and music making; and the special relationships among words, dance, politics, and music.
A large segment of the general public seeks a relationship to music (which provides an exceptional profit for those who own and control it.) Callahan provides a means of evaluating music and a powerful critique of the music industry. Whether you whistle at work, sing in the shower, or conduct concertos, this book will challenge and enhance how you think about music.
Includes an introduction by Boff Whalley, guitarist/songwriter/singer for Chumbawamba.
"Yes—let's break the grip of Stars and Hits. Music could change the world. Read this book." —Pete Seeger

More about Mat & Yvonne:

Partners in life and love, Mat Callahan and Yvonne Moore are also partners in music.  After eight years of working together on each other's solo projects Mat and Yvonne have discovered the creative potential of the duet.  The special sound of two voices singing together, in close harmony, have inspired a new repertoire and a new approach to performance for both of them.  Exploring the limits set by one acoustic guitar, two voices and a few 'folk' instruments such as the harmonica and hand percussion, Mat and Yvonne are finding refreshment in what is very old.

There were two parts to this process: First was recognizing the difference between the styles of singing each one had developed on their own and what sounded best together.  In this sense, 1+1 does not equal 2.  Two, together, means a third voice emerges that is the combination.  Secondly, the songs that made use of this new instrument were not always the songs that each singer might do well alone (or with a band).  So, Mat set about composing music that took advantage of the possibilities this new instrument provides.

This led to some provocative results, right away.  Over many years of performing, Mat and Yvonne have each been known for intense energy and foot-stomping inclusiveness.  The wild abandon evoked by driving rhythm and sweat-drenched singing were hallmarks of their shows.  The duet has opened up a new dimension of intimacy,  reflection and thoughtfulness.  They liken it to an invitation to join them in their living room.  Here, the wine flows, tales are told and recipes are shared.  All are welcome, all may partake and all can contribute to the celebration of friendship.