[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]
Re: [microsound] music in the digital age
I find it strange that computers have predominantly
impoverished rather than enriched music by reducing it
to the status of a filetype,
subject to an unimaginative filing system,
On the other hand I would argue that Mtv has impoverished music by putting
the focus on image and surface rather than musical substance. So is it
possible that by stripping all visual aspects and physical artifacts from
music, the mp3 player actually does enrich our experience of music? When
every piece of music in your collection is reduced to a short line of text
in a list does that allow you to focus your attention more deeply into the
sound and musical content of the "file" and free your listening experience
from the infuence of external visual packaging?
If we want to move forward to a more personalized way to organize and
interface with our musical collections, perhaps this period of
depersonalization is a necessary step. In that sense the applications which
allow you to arrange small pictures of album covers could be considered a
step backwards. A step forward might be a program that would allow you to
categorize your music collection by visual system of your own design
(abstract colors and shapes associated with mood or maybe a horizontal
chronological timeline divided into separate vertical strands that part and
converge following different music-historical lines.). I think this is what
your article is getting at.
I wonder what hypothetical extraterrestrials who have been-there-done-that
with digital computing might have to say about our software design
techniques.
they'd probably say "been-there-done-that." Preferably in some sort of
alien-valley-girl-accent.
_________________________________________________________________
Find great local high-speed Internet access value at the MSN High-Speed
Marketplace. http://click.atdmt.com/AVE/go/onm00200360ave/direct/01/
---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: microsound-unsubscribe@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
For additional commands, e-mail: microsound-help@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
website: http://www.microsound.org