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trickg · 05-25-2005, 08:55 AM

Since the mid 1980s I have noticed some changes toward instrumental music for the positive.

Sometime in roughly 1986 or 87 (I was a sophomore in high school) I once went to a demonstration at a music store dealing with Yamaha keyboards, sythesizers, and midi technology. The demonstration was impressive and the guy showed how keyboards/sythesizers could be utilized to create new sounds or duplicate the sounds created by real, acoustic instruments. At the time of the demonstration, the rep from Yamaha basicially said "look, this is where technology is going and the need for musicians in recorded music is going to decline because of it - get used to it!" This idea bothered me because at the time, I was bent on pursuing a career as a musician.

Fortunately, his prediction regarding the role of the synthesizer in recorded music hasn't come to pass and in fact, it seems to me that studio recordings are using far more real live musicians these days than they were back then, although there did seem to be a surge in electronically produced music for a time.

Something else that cannot be changed is the spirit of the musician that is channeled through their voice or instrument during live performances. This is an intangible thing, but it very real and I love going to hear someone who gives a great performance because it shows a dedication and love for something that transcends the person or persons performing. The performance itself becomes a living, breathing entity and the energy channeled to the listening audience in that performance cannot be matched with a recording. That's why it so important to support our symphonies and other musical ensembles - people miss out on so much when they don't go to hear live music.

Collapsing? I don't think it's collapsing. What I do think is that it is becoming more and more refined in both the musicians and the audience's expectations. There may be fewer actively working musicians, but the quality of music is generally higher.

05-25-2005, 08:55 AM	#5 (permalink)
trickg Forte User Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Glen Burnie, Maryland Posts: 2,054	Since the mid 1980s I have noticed some changes toward instrumental music for the positive. Sometime in roughly 1986 or 87 (I was a sophomore in high school) I once went to a demonstration at a music store dealing with Yamaha keyboards, sythesizers, and midi technology. The demonstration was impressive and the guy showed how keyboards/sythesizers could be utilized to create new sounds or duplicate the sounds created by real, acoustic instruments. At the time of the demonstration, the rep from Yamaha basicially said "look, this is where technology is going and the need for musicians in recorded music is going to decline because of it - get used to it!" This idea bothered me because at the time, I was bent on pursuing a career as a musician. Fortunately, his prediction regarding the role of the synthesizer in recorded music hasn't come to pass and in fact, it seems to me that studio recordings are using far more real live musicians these days than they were back then, although there did seem to be a surge in electronically produced music for a time. Something else that cannot be changed is the spirit of the musician that is channeled through their voice or instrument during live performances. This is an intangible thing, but it very real and I love going to hear someone who gives a great performance because it shows a dedication and love for something that transcends the person or persons performing. The performance itself becomes a living, breathing entity and the energy channeled to the listening audience in that performance cannot be matched with a recording. That's why it so important to support our symphonies and other musical ensembles - people miss out on so much when they don't go to hear live music. Collapsing? I don't think it's collapsing. What I do think is that it is becoming more and more refined in both the musicians and the audience's expectations. There may be fewer actively working musicians, but the quality of music is generally higher. __________________ Patrick Gleason email me at: trickg1@hotmail.com "What we do in life echoes in eternity" "At my signal, unleash hell." - Maximus Decimus Meridius