The Old, The New, And The Dangerous
Boon, H. 2024. The Old, The New, And The Dangerous. Commercial Electronic Musical Instruments in 21st Century Music Practice. University of West London 09 - 10 Sep 2024
Boon, H. 2024. The Old, The New, And The Dangerous. Commercial Electronic Musical Instruments in 21st Century Music Practice. University of West London 09 - 10 Sep 2024
| Title | The Old, The New, And The Dangerous |
|---|---|
| Authors | Boon, H. |
| Abstract | The ubiquity of synthesizers in music production raises critical questions about the nature and necessities of synthesizer pedagogy. Joseph Auner said that music has always been technologized. Some artists, like Skrillex, consider voice as a synthesizer and Todd Rundgren’s ‘Born to Synthesize’ used voice and effects to achieve his synthetic thesis. Meanwhile, Suzanne Ciani expressed her love for the machine. Critics like Simon Frith have observed that synthesizers leave no room for individual feel or touch. Therefore, a problem is synthesizers are viewed as a substitute for ability. Music technology manufacturers are often focused on a formal vintage aesthetic suggesting a continuation of traditional value hierarchies, posing a challenge for synthesizer pedagogy to navigate. A question that can be asked is, what are these necessary required abilities, and, importantly, what could this tell us about what to learn? This presentation aims to address three key objectives: Advocate for a synthesizer pedagogy that embraces artistic creativity and problem-solving without seeking fixed solutions. Laurie Anderson’s view that art can be “dangerous” even with simple tools like a pencil underscores the potential of minimal resources for profound artistic expression. |
| Keywords | music production |
| creativity | |
| composition | |
| synthesizers | |
| music business | |
| Year | 09 Sep 2024 |
| Conference | Commercial Electronic Musical Instruments in 21st Century Music Practice |