2009/6/22 Paul Davis <paul@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>: > On Mon, Jun 22, 2009 at 9:24 AM, Fons Adriaensen<fons@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx> wrote: >> He's not saying that musical creation should be restricted to a >> small number of predetermined people. But de facto, like all >> artistic endeavour, it is a minority activity, We may all be >> potential great composers or artists, but most of us do not >> exploit that potential, just look around. Maybe 10% of the >> population is capable of producing anything that would be >> regarded by the remaining 90% as music they'd want to listen to. >> Less than 1% could do something that would survive a generation >> and become part of music history, > > Although I don't disagree with anything you've written here Fons, I > feel compelled to note that there is a purpose to artistic creation > that has nothing to do with creation "for others". When we encourage > children to paint or make music, we are not doing so because we > believe that their work will have meaning for others or illuminate > some aspect of the human condition. At least, that wasn't why I > encouraged my daughter to do so, and its not why I encourage her now > with her cello playing. > > When I started writing audio/midi software 11 years ago, it was > originally with a goal to providing the tools I wanted so that I could > make music. Over time, I realized that I am a really stunningly > mediocre musician (even that is putting it a little kindly), and its > much more productive for me to use whatever skills I have as a > programmer creating tools for others. BUT ... I still attempt to > create my pathetic little pieces of sound not out of any delusion that > they will last beyond the end of next week but because the *process* > of creation is intensely satisfying even if the end result is almost > certain to be disgarded. > > the problem with the "democratization" of music production is, IMHO, > not that most people shouldn't be engaged in it - they should. the > problem is that the same processes that have led to this > "democratization" also seem to have led everyone who can rearrange > loops in garageband to believe that they are creating work worthy of > exposure to others and *this* is where they are mistaken. they should > be enjoying themselves, deeply immersed in creating mediocre pieces > that nevertheless bring some pleasure and meaning *to them*. i > remember eno describing the hundreds or thousands of demo tapes he > would get at one point in his career, and noting that people didn't > seem to realize that for every piece he ever released, he worked on > "hundreds or a thousand" other pieces that he discarded because they > were crap. his allusion was clearly that most of what we all produce > is crap, but that shouldn't stop anyone from engaging in the process. > we just have to find a way to get people to understand how the > difference between making music for others and making it for yourself. > there is no shame in either. "Who is wisely limited to what seems possible not ever make a step" from Morte di un matematico napoletano (a film by Mario Martone) let's say, I don't want to wisely limit myself in writing a simphony ;-) ... hope I will finally write a blues :-)) regards -r _______________________________________________ Linux-audio-user mailing list Linux-audio-user@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx http://lists.linuxaudio.org/mailman/listinfo/linux-audio-user
