Jacob Cappe<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There is no question that as time goes on, things change. This can be said for numerous things such as technology, climate, humans, and economics. All of these things have undergone transformations as time goes on. If you were to compare the
\ntechnology of the 1950s to now, you would see a very stark difference. Music is
\nno exception to this pattern of change. In fact, it may be one of the best
\nindicators of where today\u2019s society is headed.<\/p>\n
Music takes many forms, including pop, rock, hip-hop, jazz, and, of course, classical. If you stop and think about it, the transformative patterns that are taking place in
\nthese genres of music are fairly consistent. Almost all of them have an aspect
\nof technology associated with them.<\/p>\n
If you think back to 1790, around the time of Ludwig van Beethoven, classical orchestras were generally composed of orchestral strings (violin, viola, cello, bass,) horns, trombones, bassoons, flutes, oboes, clarinets, and percussion; basically your
\ntypical instruments in a typical symphony. But now, we see that in addition to
\nthe composers changing, \u00a0the compositions
\nthemselves are changing. New and unique instruments are being added to the mix,
\nand these new instruments often involve some form of technology.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo Percussion\u201d is one of the world\u2019s premier percussion ensembles. They strive to create music that explores all the extremes of musical possibility. They have been called \u201can experimental powerhouse\u201d by the Village Voice, which is indicative of their
\n\u201cwacky\u201d style of music making. In their most recent Toronto concert at Koerner
\nHall, they used an array of acoustic percussion instruments, as well as a
\nvariety of electronic instruments. Some of the electronic instruments included
\ncustom synths, laptops, multiple sequencers, and who could forget the amplified
\ncactus. Yes, they amplified a cactus and used the needles as instruments.<\/p>\n
There was even an audience participation aspect of the concert where the audience was given instruction as to how to participate. For example, there was a moment where
\nevery member of the audience was instructed to take out their cellphone and
\ncall someone, and put it on speakerphone There was another moment where the
\naudience was instructed to access YouTube via their cellphones and play a
\nNirvana song as loud as possible. Compare this to sitting in a concert hall
\nwatching a symphony. These are two very different experiences, and one of the
\nfundamental differences is the addition of a technological aspect.<\/p>\n
Lorne Cappe had the pleasure of attending (and participating in) this concert. \u00a0He said that, \u201cit was certainly very different than almost all of the other concerts I\u2019ve seen in my life. I never really thought that I would be told to keep my phone on for the duration of a
\nperformance, much less that I would have to blast Nirvana in the middle of a
\nperformance.\u201d<\/p>\n
But what do the musicians themselves have to say about all of this new technology that is rapidly creeping its way into modern music? Ian Smith, a percussion teacher and
\nfreelance percussionist in Toronto thinks that, \u201cthere\u2019s only so much you can
\ncompose by using nothing but musical notes, and in today\u2019s society, where
\ntechnology is so prevalent, it is one of the many ways to make music more
\nversatile and relevant.\u201d<\/p>\n
It is important to note that the addition of technology to music isn\u2019t the only thing that has changed. Composers are finding new ways to go about composing pieces to make
\nthem interesting and relevant to the listening audience. For example, Tod
\nMachover, a current American composer, is in the midst of writing a new piece
\ncalled \u201cA Toronto Symphony.\u201d Even though Tod Machover is known for electronic
\nmusic and digital interactive systems, this particular symphony includes only
\ntraditional symphonic instruments. The way the symphony works is Torontonians
\nwill submit requests and input for this piece. Once this is done, he will begin
\ncomposing. There is a clear difference between Beethoven writing a symphony in
\na room illuminated by candles, and Tod Machover using social media to compose a
\npiece reflecting a city.<\/p>\n
Comparing music from many years ago to modern contemporary music is a fascinating process. Simply put, it is very different. Hugh Livington, an expert in baroque music,
\nand a local music teacher, thinks that \u201cthe addition of technology to music was
\ninevitable, wasn\u2019t it? I mean, what doesn\u2019t involve technology these days? I
\nuse technology the first second I get up, to make coffee!\u201d \u00a0It would be interesting to know what baroque, classical, and romantic composers would have to say about this music. It would also be interesting to know what virtuosos like Glenn Gould would have to say about this new era in music. Would they like listening to it? Would they like
\nplaying it? Would they like writing it? These are things we will never know.
\nHowever, we can make an educated guess. Considering the fact that the baroque,
\nclassical, and romantic eras are all characterized by different sounding music
\nand composers, this is quite possibly the next era in music.<\/p>\n
So, things change. This is firmly established. It\u2019s just the way the world works. What makes this change interesting is the comparison between then and now. Music really
\nencompasses the changes that we are seeing in society, and I think that the
\nramifications of this change are ongoing and ever changing.<\/p>\n
\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Jacob Cappe There is no question that as time goes on, things change. This can be said for numerous things such as technology, climate, humans, and economics. All of these things have undergone transformations as time goes on. If … Continue reading