Music is timeless. There is no way to say at which point in time humans discovered music. But saying that music has existed for a long time is an apt description. Humans have been playing and enjoying music from time immemorial. Although music has changed over time, there have always been musicians and fans of the different styles of different eras.
The discovery of a 42,000 years old flute carved from the wing of an ancient vulture in southern Germany from a cave, along with fragments of another flute made out of mammoth tusk, is believed to be the oldest evidence of humans creating musical instruments. More discoveries in various locations around the globe of different musical instruments, including cymbals, horns, jingles, and metal bells, are an archeological record of the evolution of music. But the actual record of music being recorded as notes in writing began with humans writing down words. At around 3200 BC, humans began recording words on clay tablets or cuneiform tablets, and the first written evidence for music came sometime after, as pictograms featured on cuneiform tablets. The music ‘notes’ are depicted as harp-shaped characters on the cuneiform tablets belonging to that era. The earliest musician known through archeology to us is an Akkadian composer named Enheduanna from 2300 BCE, a priestess who wrote moon-god hymns. Unfortunately, only some of the lyrics from these hymns exist, but not the music, as her time pre-dated the recording of musical notes on the cuneiform tablets. The composition and recording of music continued through the different epochs of human civilization. It changed and evolved throughout time. It is believed that so did what we recognize today as an industry. Live music playing for a gathering of people or masses can be considered the initial form of a recognizable industry. The live music industry has existed in one form or another as long as people have gathered and paid with money or valuables to watch them perform. From the beginning being a musician and performing for people has been indistinguishable.
But with the invention of the printing press in the 1600s, a new avenue opened for musicians, and thus a legal industry began taking form. With the music now easily printable on paper, the sheet music could be distributed to various orchestras in different locations. Now, these orchestras could perform the works of the few composers of that time, and this birthed the music publishing industry began in earnest. So, by the late 1800s rolled around, the music industry was in its infancy but recognizable. Everything changed with the invention of the phonograph by Thomas Edison, which meant now music could be recorded as sound and played back.
By the 1960s, a fully formed industry came into being. Despite the devastation of the second world war, communications were one of the areas that improved, and the world seemed smaller. The music could be beamed around the world and enjoyed by the masses. And with this, a full-fledged and modernized music industry came into being. So, it can be stated that as long as music existed, so has a ‘music industry’ around it in one form or another.
Gary Upton is a widely known and celebrated bassist. Upton experienced all the ups and downs during his music career. Like most professional musicians, Gary had to deal with different issues daily. But stress in maintaining instruments, especially an instrument like bass, was his biggest grief. Time is of the essence in music like any other field, and any delay due to safety and care required for his instrument meant more issues. Upton noticed that the same was true for other professionals as well. Any carelessness could mean the loss of an instrument, which meant spending a big amount for a new one, even if the artist could afford it. So, he had an idea, and that was to create a company that could provide quality maintenance for instruments and also be affordable. This was the beginning of Upton Bass. Assuring affordable prices and the highest quality maintenance were the cornerstones of Upton Bass. It all started in Jewett City, CT, and then a bigger space in Downtown Mystic, CT. Gary Upton, along with his wife, was delighted with the growth and expansion of their business. Upton Bass is an established and recognized brand today and has collected many awards. This includes the Silver Medal in 2009 and the Certificate for workmanship in 2013 from the International Society of Bass. With great foresight and the ingenuity that he displayed in recognizing the issues that plagued his fellow musicians and finding a solution that worked, is why Gary Upton is such a success story today.
