This article written by Herbert Brun, discusses the history and emerging technology and the roll it plays and has played towards musicians, specifically composers. The part starts with a brief history about the emergence of electronics and their role in music. It talks about people such as Edgar Varese who was known as the "Father of electronic music" and how they were constantly pushing and demanding a new array of musical instruments. A lot of effort was made in the bell labs by looking at telephone research. The research was used to look at how certain sounds could be analyzed and synthesized which created new sounds.
At the same time, composers began to work with tape recorders (tape decks) and started looping tracks on top of each other which created a new style and sound, (read "Sound Unbound"). But a major point was not how technology could simply create more precise sounds, or improved editing, etc. but the composers began to define technology as "the science and art of applying knowledge to the desire for PROBLEM SOLVING.." This is very interesting.
The second part discusses in depth the relationship between composers and technology and the role both play. One line states, " that technology considerations lead to the availability of acoustical phenomena needed by composers for an audible representation for their musical idea." BUt you have to remember that musical ideas can be thinking models rather than simply chorus' or a melody. Thus the need for these technological systems is more complex than originally thought.
The article was one that provided a new way of looking at technology and the role it has with musicians and composers. I definitely am looking at this from a new perspective than before.
Tim
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