[microsound] death of monoculture (sort of)

[Manannan Mac Lir <macdara@xxxxxxxxx>]

Bucky Fuller described architecture as the integration of microstructures
into macrostructures and I think a similar analogy could be drawn with
our present discussion. From a practical perspective I was doing a jazz
performance course a couple of weeks ago and found it really hard to
relate to a lot of the musicians I was working with. We were all
theoretically part of one greater macroculture,the jazz world, but within
that there's also many niches or microcultures. What I found was that the
some people who should be trying to create their own music had a
murderous obsession with what they saw as the appropriate way to play the
music of the past causing negative growth or stagnation. However if there
was no macroculture to relate to, in this case a perceived shared history
and musical interest then I would never have had the opportunity to
interact with others let alone be able to disagree with them. I think the
key is how the microculture relates to the macroculture, in the case of a
lot of the stuff being called jazz these days I would personally say that
it's a negative relationship because the macroculture is perceived by
some as being diametrically opposed to some of the microcultures within
it. This creates a rejection by many members (we could even say cells) of
the macroculture of the smaller microculture within it. In the 80's in
the jazz world the record company's saw an opportunity to be able to
create a commercial product by pedalling a revisionist history that said
the clock stopped around 63. What had started as a microculture, lets
call it neo-classical stylising ended up becoming a macroculture through
the endorphins of the major record company's. The "natural" cycle of
development was interrupted and since then, in my opinion, a parasitic
host has taken over. The huge difficulties now are that seldom are many
things left to develop naturally, I believe this mailing list however is
an interesting example of  how a microculture can develop, in my own
situation I was wandering the web one day and found this list which
sounded interesting, I knew it was related to computer music and that I
could hopefully learn a thing or two about some of the stuff going on out
there. Since then I've definitely absorbed some of the stuff going on and
taken it with me into my playing and thinking. Once the cycle of
creativity and development continues, life will come forth but if there
isn't any reciprocal exchange there will only be death. Another Fuller
quote "nature multiplies herself by herself". All well and good in a
perfect world without commercial exploitation but I believe that neither
the microculture nor the macroculture exist in isolation they both depend
on each other intimately. Monoculture as a term is useless because I
don't believe it has ever existed or ever will. There are some HUGE
macrocultures but as of yet no Orwellian Monoculture. The macroculture
will never "die" and nor will the microculture.

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