tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9617011.post2139231273897539334..comments2024-03-27T23:45:06.093+01:00Comments on Renewable Music: This Time, Next TimeDaniel Wolfhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09093101325234464791noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9617011.post-40950317796328759292009-01-09T05:57:00.000+01:002009-01-09T05:57:00.000+01:00What will change everything in music?The commenter...What will change everything in music?<BR/><BR/>The commenter above has a point. But I'd add another point: When an increasing number of new music composers remember that most musicians in this world are amateurs, not virtuosi, then things will change.<BR/><BR/>Part of the genius of Terry Riley's "In C" is that even a mediocre amateur like me could participate in a creditable performance of it. An amateur singer like me can get great joy out of singing Moses Hogan; whereas Ned Rorem's songs are out of my reach, which means as much as I may like Rorem, I have far less of an emotional connection to his compositions. More new music like "In C" and Moses Hogan will reach more people at a very intimate level.<BR/><BR/>Renaissance composers knew this, and wrote tons of stuff for amateurs. With Renaissance music, there's a long, easily sloped learning curve, from easy-to-play but very musical stuff, all the way to very difficult pieces. Ditto rock, blues, punk, hip hop, which starts at Louise Louie and goes up to, say, Frank Zappa (and at least I can sing along to Frank Zappa, whereas I can't sing along to Ned Rorem).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9617011.post-52880960512722421122009-01-03T18:49:00.000+01:002009-01-03T18:49:00.000+01:00What will change everything in music?How about thi...What will change everything in music?<BR/><BR/>How about this: When a live performance is no longer the standard by which a piece of music is judged successful.<BR/><BR/>Pop musicians have been retreating into the studio for some time, I realize. But by and large a contemporary composer will say his music is a success when it finds an organization willing to perform it and an audience to hear it.<BR/><BR/>Yet the infrastructure to support this has been in constant erosion - musicians have a difficult time finding work, the larger symphonies, etc are mostly in a constant state of financial distress. <BR/><BR/>At the same time, the means to create, record and distribute original music has come within the means of every serious musician.<BR/><BR/>What will change everything is the idea that music is considered important when given a hearing in the absence of an assembled audience. That a networked community will fulfill the same function as a paying public.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com