Introduction:
Do you remember the last time you had to go to the store and buy your music on CDs or records? When was the last time you weren’t able to jam out to your favorite tunes because you broke or scratched a CD? How about the last time you thought about creating music, but were unable to due to minimal experience with instruments? Or the time you weren’t able to learn to play an instrument because of various reasons? Thanks to new innovative technologies, these are issues of the past. New opportunities have arisen for experiencing and interacting with music. The way we listen to, learn, and create music has been revolutionized.
How has technology affected listening to music?
Listening to music is more than just hearing the lyrics and sounds. It’s experiencing the music and interpreting the lyrics and sounds to make you feel a certain way. This is most effectively done when the quality of sound is ideal, which was once solely associated with hearing live performances. However, according to Christopher Cayari, with the help of technology, the need to go to concerts to fully experience music is a problem of the past, which is great since not everyone is fortunate enough to afford concert tickets or are just not able to attend one for various reasons. Speakers and sound transmitters nowadays are fully capable of enhancing people’s experience of listening to music. Not to mention, music videos illustrate and personify music just as well as concerts, or better in some instances. Additionally, according to Natalie Wilson, the owner of Musical Advisors, “streaming music has become the most popular form of music consumption”. Streaming music is a way of delivering music without requiring any downloading of files online. The most popular streaming music app is Spotify, and Apple Music and Pandora Apple Music are second and third, respectively. The services mentioned above store all their music in one convenient location which can be accessed at any time. Thanks to their unique features, the previously mentioned issues with accessing music in the past are basically obsolete. Moreover, adding music to playlists or music libraries is effortless and straightforward, so you’ll be vibing to your music in no time with no stress. Furthermore, such apps are efficient when it comes to discovering new music. A great feature of Spotify is its weekly recommendation for your playlist, which is created based on the songs and genres of music you’ve listened to. I have discovered so many great artists and songs that I would have never found without this fantastic feature.
How has technology affected learning music?
Learning music has been done the same way for ages. You either get lessons from a family member, or you go to a professional for music lessons. However, with the help of technology, new efficient methods have been introduced to our era. According to Vincent Rienna, online music lessons have become just as efficient a method as in-person lessons. No matter your level of experience, finding a teacher that fits your needs is just a click away. They give excellent feedback and will help you every step of the way. If you have a busy schedule or have no way of commuting to lessons, you have nothing to worry about because you can schedule lessons when it’s best for you. You can do it all from the comfort of your home. All you need is your instrument and a device that you can use a face calling app on, such as Skype. Not to mention, online music lessons are cost-effective because online music teachers charge less than in-person music teachers, and you save transportation costs. In addition, according to Christopher Cayari, people have learned how to play instruments through watching YouTube videos. YouTube is a video sharing platform that has a wide variety of videos, including instrument tutorials. The tutorials explain the step by step process of playing the instrument, and proceed slowly so the viewers can follow along. I know many people who have learned the basics of playing certain instruments through watching YouTube videos because of how efficient and convenient the videos are. Can’t forget the fact that the videos are free, so that’s a major plus. Here is my friend talking about learning to play an instrument on YouTube.
This is an interview with a friend about his experience learning to play an instrument from watching YouTube videos.
This is the video he mentions. Media credit: The Ukulele Teacher
How has technology affected creating music?
Creating music is widely viewed as a daunting task that only certain people can accomplish. People believe you need extraordinary talent, or you need a bunch of expensive equipment and years of experience. Don’t get me wrong, having musical talent and proper equipment would undoubtedly help, however, creating music is not out of reach for the average Joe. Recently, making beats has become easier and more accessible due to countless beat making software and apps, which has increased musical creativity among music enthusiasts and aspiring music producers and DJs. An example of such apps is a looper app, which, according to Natalie Wilson, is an affordable way of “creating textured sounds.” The accessibility of music production apps and the fact that there are so many of them out there allows people to find the best apps and software that fits their needs. This enables many more people to use them and follow their ambitions of creating music. In addition, technology has also facilitated the process and steps of making music for musicians. According to Melissa Daniels, apps like auto tuners and chord charts help streamline steps that musicians take before creating music, as well as during the process. There are plenty of apps out there that have made certain aspects of creating music irrelevant. Not to mention, artists have voice memo apps on their smartphones that allow them to quickly record lyric ideas or inspiration in a useful and timely manner.
Conclusion:
Evidently, technology has affected all aspects of music and connects them. Through listening to music, one can find a passion for creating music, which is easier now than it ever has before. Also, learning music would be beneficial for creating music process because it can lead to a more fundamental understanding of music, which can improve the impact of the music. Overall, the implementation of technology has led to the creation of expressive content and has enabled musical creativity in the music field. In conclusion, technology’s impact on listening to, learning, and creating music has absolutely revolutionized music interaction.
Work Cited:
Daniels, Melissa. “How 10 Years Of The IPhone Has Changed Music Listening.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 22 Feb. 2017, www.forbes.com/sites/melissamdaniels/2017/02/22/how-10-years-of-the-iphone-has-changed-music-listening/#2e0a7521c277.
“How Technology Has Impacted The Way We Experience Music.” Work In Entertainment, www.workinentertainment.com/blog/how-technology-has-impacted-the-way-we-experience-music/.
“The Benefits of Online Music Lessons.” Music To Your Home, 5 Dec. 2017, www.musictoyourhome.com/blog/the-benefits-of-online-music-lessons/.
Cayari, C. (2011). The YouTube effect: How YouTube has provided new ways to consume, create, and share music. International Journal of Education & the Arts, 12(6). Retrieved [date] from http://www.ijea.org/v12n6/.
Gu. Jason. Video interview. 9 December 2019.
Teacher, The Ukulele. “How to strum a ukulele! ” YouTube, YouTube, 6 Mar. 2013, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6eqH_jZp1Ow.
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