Teaching with Technology

Teddy’s CTCH603 Reading Log 04.28.2010

For class session 04.28.2010

This article by M. Dogantan-Dack reviews issues concerning recorded music. Namely rock, jazz, classical, electroacoustic and non-Western genres. Several perspectives are stated within the context of these reflections. Many of the opinions are based on the relationships between recordings and musical works. Several themes emerge as the authors describe and explain critical points using examples.

 According to the author, Kania provides a useful framework, which he describes, implications for musicology. He recognizes the dependence of classical music and jazz on live performances, however, he argues that rock music is more so a recorded-based art form that relies on music studio technology. Furthermore, Kania states that jazz does not have fixed musical works and therefore, its recordings are approached differently.

On the other hand, Frith comments that live improvisations are not considered works and are not expected to have the same qualities as notated compositions. Nevertheless, he believes that they aspire to what he terms as “work status”. I too believe that not all compositions are in a box. There are many outside of the box waiting to take shape and enlighten us. Kania’s perspectives do not allow for impromptu creativity and fails to encourage musical growth.

Next, Symes explores the idea of forgeries and copies in relation to musical recordings and engages the reader on ethical issues concerning the use of recording technology.  Gyrack talks about making distinction between live and studio recordings as well as recordings that exploit the available recording technology to produce a recording atefact that cannot be reproduced on the stage for live purposes. This is terribly true concerning much of today’s pop-music culture. Due the lack of musical creation skills much of today’s music is produced and performed by non-musically endowed individuals. In fact, I consider them poets lost in poorly construct musical structures! This has left an enormous void in the music industry. Moreover, it has diminished in many ways our ability to recognize music that demands talented performers and workmanship.

Giggs and Dack go on to investigate the role of the recording process and the creation of space in music. Echard emphasizes the need for scoring music to obtain its intended interpretations through live performances. Trezise speaks to the issue of our ability to become naive listeners that assume the same listening approach to studio recordings and live performances. Rumsey points out our lack of concern as listeners for high fidelity recordings. Benson lectures on the content of jazz licks and the listener. Krebs is concerned about the specifics of recording technology and its use by electroacoustic comp0sers. Gritten and Dogantan-Dack examine how recording affect performers and lastly, Reigle encourages the use of ethnomusicological practice.

In conclusion, the text is an integration of material that presents a full spectrum of perspectives that would surely excite future arts-based researchers. I believe this new horizon is the framework for more investigation that could result in going public on more innovative projects. Thanks to technical developments we are able to gain more in depth insight concerning the philosophical and critical aspects of studio-based and live performances.