MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY (Was Re: stereo)

[tEd ® KiLLiAn <tedkillian@charter.net>]

Howdy all!

Different tools (whether our personally chosen instruments or our  
preferred levels of applied musical technology) sometime suggest or  
influence wholly different musical directions and outcomes.

When I set aside electrical technology (as I sometime do for a time) I  
tend to play guitar and sound like a folk musician (some rough  
approximation of the Leo Kottke style of finger-picked guitar playing).

This is neither bad nor good, it's just what that musical situation is  
for me personally.

If civilization were to collapse and all this technology disappear,  
that's probably what I would continue doing in order to amuse myself  
musically.

But in the hyper-techno-glutted and connected world that is, we  
already have one Leo Kottke - of which I am only a pale and inept copy.

So, when I apply some level of electricty to the mix of things  
available to me (say looping and/or FX) my imaginative horizons are  
much less hemmed in by my own technical proficiencies (or lack thereof).

I can both imagine and play many other things in many other tonal  
colors that I might never have considered otherwise.

Alas, having an instrument (or some combination of instrument and  
applied technology) that simply produces gorgeous and/or interesting  
timbres all by itself (with modest technique), and loops them up into  
overwhelming walls orchestral stereo sound, does tend to make one  
gravitate in the direction of greater dependence on the "sonic  
enhancements" of said technology than in acquiring greater motor- 
physical command over an instrument and/or deeper conceptual musical  
skills.

That is a problem with any technology.

These are just some thoughts . . . I am not even sure I will agree  
with what I said 5 minutes from now.

I'm not even sure where I was going with it.

Stereo?

Oh, I definitely approve of it . . . I have 2 ears.

:-)

Ted

On Jan 23, 2011, at 12:26 PM, Andy Owens wrote:

> I certainly agree with Bill that "sound" can't replace music, but
> truths like this should be understood on a discussion board like LD
> :-)
>
> Ah true Per, but thats why people go more than once to church, to  
> get reminded!!
>
> Andy only the O one