The Cultural Affect of Technology on Artistry.

Things are changing.  

"What things?",  nobody asked.

"Artistic ownership?", another nobody replied.

 

Our collective conception of what or who an 'Artist' is yet another social understanding affected by the technological alchemy happening in our world today.

Because I believe there are forces or a mind behind this technology evolution and I'm a Christian is say the start was the day we walked out of the garden. 

But it was the Advent of the pc that really gave it some discernable momentum.  

Is it good and bad? 

Who knows.

I do know it was a major socio-economic pivot.  

I remember a time when only the rare genius with money actually had recording equipment in their garage.

Analog of course.  The major players was The Studor and two-inch tape.  

It wasn't analog recording itself excluding the vast majority of us. It was the cost.

The Studer J37 - used in Abby Road Studios cost $60,000 and originally had just one track.

And it just got monetarily more out of reach from there.

Your only way in was endless touring and continually submitting demo tapes.

And then along came the cassette four-track.  But like the incandescent light bulb the four track was swallowed up by a computer and master MIDI controller.

And where is analog?  No one cares. 

And why would they?  A single individual can now build a viable recording studio for $500.

Affordable digital recording equipment busted down the doors and evaporated the threshold of music recording.  

A person with complete physical paralysis can now write, sing and record a song with no assistance.

Probably one of the coolest changes accompanying affordable recording is Gangster Rap.  

Say what you want but consider the consequences if this social pivot wasn't occuring.

The level of unrest and drug addiction would likely be without precedent not just in inner cities either.

Old money wasn't listening to the necessity of social upheaval. So Music just marched around them.

Now, a 20 year old kid from Compton has more than just football or basketball to escape.

At least rappers seem to rap it out before they immediately go for their gun.  The possibility exists violence can be avoided through music.

And for those folks viewing Rap as anything but music I suggest brushing up on music theory.

By definition music is simply the movement of sound through time.

And the good news?  The threshold to music production is disappearing altogether.  It is wide open.  

An overweight, elderly Irish woman with a beautiful voice can be a legitimate rock star now.  

But that's not far enough. Music clearly desires production to be even more broadly accessible.

Song writing and production is now available without a garage full of cool digital gadgets.

A small rectangular device fitting in your hand is every bit as powerful as a workstation or even professional studio.

That has to be a miracle.