One type of technology that we have not had access to until recently is music notation software. With programs such as Sibelius and Finale, I have the art of composing and arranging music at my fingertips, something I was never really able to do previously. Sure, I had ideas of what I wanted to write, if anything, in terms of composing music in my head, but music notation software personifies my thoughts of composition.
I am a proud user of Sibelius. I have access to writing and arranging whatever my hearts content. There are many different formats, font faces, instrument arrangements, and sound effects that are possible with this program. Because of MIDI, also known as Musical Instrument Digital Interface, sound effects are built into the software, so the person that is writing the music can get as close to a real-life preview as possible of what they composed or arranged by simply clicking the "play" button. For example, when one writes music into the line for a French horn, the sound reproduced mimics the tone color of a French horn.
It is hard for me to believe that music used to be written by hand and by whatever amount of memory the composer/arranger had of the sound they desired to be performed. As technology takes over how people go about their every day lives, it is also taking over how people compose, arrange, and share music. One issue that I do have with computerized notation software is the fact that, as I stated in my previous blog, human connection is being somewhat drawn away from the music being composed or arranged.
I admire 16th and 17th century composers, such as Ludwig van Beethoven, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, and Johannes Brahms, for putting their feathers, ink, pencils, etc. to paper and putting their passion, blood, sweat, and tears into all of their works. There are fantastic works out there today that were composed only through music notation software, but I feel hitting control + C or P to copy and paste does not have the same effect as it does to literally write music. Also, the composers I mentioned relied on their ear and their training with their mentors in theory and composition to make their point made. Today's composers can hear their progress at the click of a button. This is extremely convenient and helpful; however, I am a big believer in imperfection and flaws. A program like this is designed to play back one's arrangements and creations perfectly. The same piece of music, performed by live musicians, will never be performed the same way every time. Different ensembles and groups have their own interpretation and style of what is on the page. When the music is played back through the software, it will always be played the same way over and over again. For composers and arrangers, it is never enough to just rely on what the playback of their notation sounds like; they need real, human musicians to really capture what they have plugged into their program.
Programs, such as Sibelius and Finale, are a great asset to our world that is rapidly converting into a world run by technology. Despite my thoughts about this program potentially ripping away the human connection of composition, it is a great tool for students to be introduced to when learning about composition, theory, different instrument timbres, and more within music.
Saturday, September 28, 2013
Sunday, September 22, 2013
Technology Autobiography
The most important communicative technology in my life is the laptop. Laptops are an easy way for me to access new information with the keystrokes of a few fingers. To me, the laptop is an all-in-one device that allows me to be capable of sharing important documents, researching information through databases that have scholarly information intertwined within them, getting my assignments finished, and more. With that being said, a negative point I can make is that it is easy for me to get off task. With the wonders of the internet at my fingertips, I can easily get side-tracked with my curiosity of what certain things are that I see through web videos, links, pictures, articles, etc., and my curiosity can leave me unfocused for long periods of time. The laptop that I currently use is the new Google Chromebook. It uses its own operating system that is set apart from Windows and Mac, and it gives me easy access to the internet, email, documents via Google Drive, calendar, and other applications. It is also very slim, so I am able to take it with me anywhere I go with ease.
Having a cell phone is another important form of communicative technology that I am grateful to own. In this day and age, a cell phone is commonly referred to as a smart phone; I see them as tiny laptops. From what I have heard and witnessed, one can have the world and new information in his or her pocket and close to anything I previously stated a laptop can accomplish. For the sake of this post, I will talk about the basic functions that have changed the world that a cell phone can do. I am pleased with the fact that I am able to stay in touch with family, friends, colleagues, and new contacts with a device that fits so easily in my pocket. I have also recently been able to send and receive picture messages as well. This is coming from a person that owns a flip phone that performs only the most basic functions: texting, calling, and picture messaging. A cell phone or smart phone can be a great device to keep in touch with people, but it could also be a distraction when in the workplace, in class, with family, etc. I feel excited when I get a new message or call on my phone, and sometimes that excitement and curiosity distracts me and keeps my mind racing in situations where I should be focused on my task at hand. It would probably be even worse if I had a smart phone with many more functions and applications to attempt to distract me.
Another important form of communicative technology is social media. I feel that social media has virtually taken over with how we communicate and keep in touch with other people. Facebook has taken the world by storm, along with Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. People share information, such as what they are doing at the moment via words or pictures, communicate with one or multiple people as they choose, make new connections, find out information about people, and more. I have found social media useful for finding out about when certain events are as well as keeping connections with contacts that can help me obtain opportunities in playing my instrument, that are long-distance family members to see how they are doing, that go to school with me so we are able to collaborate to achieve a common goal, and more. With that in mind, I feel social media can rob people of something I find so sacred: the human connection. I feel that social media has split the personalities of people from who they are on social media to who they are in person.
In regards to the young people in the video, I do agree that technology has become a convenience for society, especially since one is able to have it in his/her pocket whenever needed. One person said that with the absence of technology, she would not have most of the hobbies she has since they are internet-based. I agree with how rapidly the world is converting into a digital format since the world has become so dependent on the easy access to technology. But, I also agree with the girl that states she is a human, not a computer. I would hate to see our world become so reliant on technology that we lose the value of the human connection.
Having a cell phone is another important form of communicative technology that I am grateful to own. In this day and age, a cell phone is commonly referred to as a smart phone; I see them as tiny laptops. From what I have heard and witnessed, one can have the world and new information in his or her pocket and close to anything I previously stated a laptop can accomplish. For the sake of this post, I will talk about the basic functions that have changed the world that a cell phone can do. I am pleased with the fact that I am able to stay in touch with family, friends, colleagues, and new contacts with a device that fits so easily in my pocket. I have also recently been able to send and receive picture messages as well. This is coming from a person that owns a flip phone that performs only the most basic functions: texting, calling, and picture messaging. A cell phone or smart phone can be a great device to keep in touch with people, but it could also be a distraction when in the workplace, in class, with family, etc. I feel excited when I get a new message or call on my phone, and sometimes that excitement and curiosity distracts me and keeps my mind racing in situations where I should be focused on my task at hand. It would probably be even worse if I had a smart phone with many more functions and applications to attempt to distract me.
Another important form of communicative technology is social media. I feel that social media has virtually taken over with how we communicate and keep in touch with other people. Facebook has taken the world by storm, along with Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr, etc. People share information, such as what they are doing at the moment via words or pictures, communicate with one or multiple people as they choose, make new connections, find out information about people, and more. I have found social media useful for finding out about when certain events are as well as keeping connections with contacts that can help me obtain opportunities in playing my instrument, that are long-distance family members to see how they are doing, that go to school with me so we are able to collaborate to achieve a common goal, and more. With that in mind, I feel social media can rob people of something I find so sacred: the human connection. I feel that social media has split the personalities of people from who they are on social media to who they are in person.
In regards to the young people in the video, I do agree that technology has become a convenience for society, especially since one is able to have it in his/her pocket whenever needed. One person said that with the absence of technology, she would not have most of the hobbies she has since they are internet-based. I agree with how rapidly the world is converting into a digital format since the world has become so dependent on the easy access to technology. But, I also agree with the girl that states she is a human, not a computer. I would hate to see our world become so reliant on technology that we lose the value of the human connection.
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