These are all good points, Blogger Thom. But I would caution that your conception of public and private are too black and white. I think you make good points from a comprehensive perspective. However, I think that it might be more beneficial to evaluate the evolution of the public/private dichotomy on more specific levels. Distinctly, I would like to know how a citizen, let's call him "the modern listener-consumer" (as distinct from those who are creator-businessmen and bearing in mind that these roles can and often do overlap), How does the modern listener-consumer approach music? Is his consumption primarily private or primarily public? What forms do these consumptions take? What is more important to the modern listener-consumer? Public or private consumption? How has this mix evolved since, say, the introduction of the Sony TPS-L2 cassette Walkman in 1979? Can you believe that "Sony made great efforts to overcome the negative public image associated with headphones" then? Click here for a four-page history of the Walkman's introduction.  ¶ 2:06 PM