How has technology changed the world of art?

Sound Image Sound 9

How has technology changed the world of art?

One of the main forms of art I enjoy is soundscape, or art set to music. I am currently working on my Masters in Music Composition, so it is only natural that I enjoy music creation. With the advancements in technology, music creation is becoming more accessible. People that once tried to learn a musical instrument without success are finding new outlets with electronic synthesizers and music software programs. Just like a person that is not the best at drawing or painting can use a program like Photoshop to create a visual work of art, a person that is not the best at playing an instrument can use programs like Reason or Logic to create a musical work of art. As with visual art, music software programs are giving people that once struggled with conventional methods a new form to express their creativity.

The art and music disciplines are facing many of the same questions and problems.  Advancements in technology have made each discipline more accessible to a broader audience, but some are unhappy with this expansion. Some that have been in the discipline for years view software programs as killers of the art. In the music discipline, many feel that if you don’t play a real instrument, you are not creating music. A musical instrument, as with painting or drawing, takes countless hours of practice. It can take a person years to develop certain techniques and mastery of their craft. Many don’t see technology as an acceptable skill. To some, anyone can learn a computer program, but not everyone can be a great musician or artist.

This feeling was addressed at a conference I attended recently.  Sound Image Sound 9 was held at the University of the Pacific: Stockton, Conservatory of Music. The conference showcased many works combining digital media, music, and technology.  Some works consisted of digital art combined with computer generated sounds, while others consisted of live instruments combined with video or pre-recorded soundscapes.  During one of the conference discussions, how this form of art is viewed by others was the topic. The general consensus was, some are always going to view new techniques or styles as non-conventional.  Technology is just a new tool or technique. You can have all the technology in the world, but there is something that drives all forms of art that can’t be created in a computer, creativity. Without a person’s creativity, no art in any form would happen.

The question, “Is art in any form created with technology real art?” is nowhere near from being answered.  One thing has been answered, without creativity; there would be no art of any kind.

 

An original Buchla synthesizer. This was first released in the 1960’s, and was asked many of the same questions that software programs are asked today. Is what you make on this real music?