My roommate is a music and technology major here at Stevens. The other day we had a conversation that revolved around how technology affects music. We discussed this in terms of creating, distributing, and listening to music. Well as for creating music, traditionally someone would need to play and instrument or use their voice to create songs. Today music can be created on computers, tablets, smartphones. Does this make the musician less talented? I do not necessarily think so. There are great tools out there to simulate sounds and help a musician to compose. With a computer they could compose on the go or anywhere at any time. Musical instruments also tend to be expensive, if someone already has a computer this cost could be left out. In no way am I saying that a computer could replace a musician, just simply that it can be a useful tool for creation.
I think the biggest issue with technology and music today is distribution. It is very rare for people to buy CD's or records, most people just download or stream music online. I really wanted to get my roommates perspective on this topic and she was torn. She said aside from the fact that she likes being able to physically have a record or CD she does prefer to stream music, it is just more convenient. The focus of the conversation turned to how streaming and illegal downloading affects musical artists. She described the situation to be a double edged sword. On one hand illegally downloading does not help the musician make money and on the other hand it gets their name out there. We did not really reach a conclusion, and I would be interested to see what the rest of the class thinks about this. I would like to hear how everyone else thinks technology impacts the music industry.
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