Music Without Technology?

In a way, I am a purist. My favorite music will probably always be the work of the masters. But in another way, I have always been fascinated with technology. Sometimes, I am frustrated with the use of technology in place of musicians, but I like what it does for me in terms of creativity and productivity.

Technology in general is fascinating and ever-changing. I love to acquire new software or equipment, then to learn everything I can about that newly acquired toy. Initially, I probably waste way too much time messing with the software and not enough time composing. So, my future efforts will concentrate on integrating the music with the tech in a compositional, rather than purely practical sense. I started to explore some of these options in projects mentioned in earlier posts, such as Stare Wars, HL2, Thinkin’ of You, etc. These were student projects. However, I now plan to incorporate technology into some of my serious work.

I think that this combination of music and tech in a serious form should be approached with discretion. I don’t think throwing everything my software or hardware will let me do into a “classical” piece will work. My initial thoughts on how to use technology involve scene painting in regard to specific themes, scenes, ideas or emotions. I want to think of my tech voice as another member of the orchestra that adds character to a piece where needed. I want the music to be the focus, not the tech. I want to avoid changing the style of music I compose to fit the tech. It should be the other way around.

A lesson learned in my early experimentation with technology in music revealed at least one universal truth:

Using live, real instruments is ALWAYS the best scenario, but not always the most practical scenario.

Clearly, a midi performance, even with the best technology and mastering, will never fully emulate the nuance, quality and individuality of human performance. A dilemma is presented in my mind when I consider the game music industry and its heavy reliance on synthetic or sampled sounds. I think what they do is great and certainly on a similar talent level, perhaps an even greater creative level than other forms of composition. Even game composers will add at least one live musician when given the chance, and would probably jump at the chance to have their scores performed by a live orchestra. In their case, it comes down to a matter of practicality, rather than an intentional replacement of musicians.

Universal truth amendment #1:

Using live, real instruments is ALWAYS the best scenario, but not always the most practical scenario… Unless the instrument you are using is uniquely synthetic. That is, not a reproduction of something that already exists.

A second dilemma is created in my mind when I consider the impact that gaming music has on a generation that might not otherwise be exposed to this style of music. Some people are almost obsessed with game themes, as they are no doubt reminded of the many engrossing hours spent mastering the game. Games themselves would be empty shells of the virtual without any sense of reality if it were not for the finely crafted scores of game music composers.

This raises yet a third dilemma. Despite all of my concerns with the balance between music and tech, I find myself becoming increasingly interested in creating game music. As I continue to plan the course of my musical endeavors, I am gravitating toward this fascinating musical art form as a perfect combination of interests. I love music. I love technology. After all, those are the same reasons I decided to study music technology in pursuit of a degree.

The solution to these dilemmas (concerning my current plans to integrate technology into my serious compositions) lies in the balance and discretion that I mentioned earlier. Balance, in that the tech does not replace or overshadow the real… Discretion, in that those voices and effects chosen to enhance a musical composition truly add to the composition, help tell the story, or set the proper mood… Preferably these voices and effects will be unique to the world as an utterance of the digital creation of original media. Production, not reproduction. Enhancement, not replacement.

Here is a short summary of rules that I am forming in preparation for my new compositional theories and concepts:

1. The inclusion of technology in classical music should be approached with great discretion

2. Live music and musicians are always the best scenario vs. a simulation of the same

3. Synthetic voices should be used to compliment a score, not dominate

4. The musical form or style should not be slave to the addition of technology

5. The creative process should include the consideration of all available instrumentation, real or digital

6. Digital instrumentation should be limited to those voices that are uniquely technological

7. The same care and attention should be given to the creation of music that involves technology as those that are traditionally conceived

If it isn’t traditionally conceived, then it needs to sound that much better in order to compensate for the lack of realism. Thus, rule 7 was born. I think there is a tendency in my mind to think of music composed using virtual instrumentation as less serious. This is likely because I have been trying to use virtual means to reproduce what is intended to be live music. Here, I am discussing the prospect of using uniquely digital instrumentation to augment traditional orchestration as an actual part of the live performance.

While, in many ways I am a purist, I believe that the inclusion of technology as a part of live performance is a necessary exploration. I do not want to sacrifice the creative process for the conceit that real instrumentation is always better than digital. To fully exploit the added productivity and creativity that technology offers, I must make an attempt to fully integrate music with technology in my future musical endeavors.

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