Won't advances eventually make musicians near obsolete?

[salatspinatra]

I would like to sift through the other replies, but off the top of my head, I'll say this:
In one manner, musicians are already becoming obsolete, if you consider the compensation mechanisms in place. It's harder and harder to make a living as a musician, make money off your work, etc. Live performance is really the only novel area that has potential to remain employable, and even there you're being cramped in with iPods, etc.

As far as making things more playable through computers, I see two divergent paths: people who realize sounds for the masses which allow people to play music, much like playing a game, and composers/instrumentalists who pick their instrument(s) for the sake of developing some expertise in those chosen tools-something that not everyone could do.

[Reversoulmusic]

Nooooo Man shit like The Lady 99c album will...

The most powerful women in the music business should be fighting against this!!!

How are musicians, singers, engineers, DJs suppose to make money in the future

For sure one day people are going to get tired of giving there music away for free

and software developers are going to get tired of getting jacked (some are starting to crumble already)

If you not performing on the road all the time you basically shit out of luck

Ladies & Gents don't quit your day job even if you get your 15 minutes of fame

Peace Love & Hair Grease

[spfanok]

You cannot teach creativity to machines, you can only teach rules and then increase the complexity of the rules. Those rules can only be as complex as the mind of the system architect. And just think, people spend decades of their lives raising their children and still cannot impart every bit of wisdom on them.

If we do get to the point where we can teach machines to think on their own, humans in general will be obsolete, not just musicians. We'll be long gone before a robot releases an album.

[Nick the Zombie]

You cannot teach creativity to machines, you can only teach rules and then increase the complexity of the rules. Those rules can only be as complex as the mind of the system architect. And just think, people spend decades of their lives raising their children and still cannot impart every bit of wisdom on them.

If we do get to the point where we can teach machines to think on their own, humans in general will be obsolete, not just musicians. We'll be long gone before a robot releases an album.

This!

In my opinion, these developments come down to adding new ways for the creative composer to offload common tasks onto a machine. These new pieces of technology may go by fancy names, but it's not much different than any other developments in the arts. I remember similar complaints coming up with DBlue Glitch came out, but the majority of music made with that plugin sounded like crap (again, my opinion). A few people really mastered the Glitch and were able to imbue its output with more intent than just hitting random and recording the output. Ultimately, these are just tools to give a wider palette of sounds. How you shape them and use them in your music is where the real creativity is.

[3dot...]

meh... maybe we should let the computers take over music making and be done with it?
no we won't...
because music makin its good fun..
you don't actually need to be famous..

and so ..as long as there are music makers..
there would be music lovers..
each doing what they like to do..
very organic...
and its like the birds and the bees..
good night

[crumhorn]

You cannot teach creativity to machines, you can only teach rules and then increase the complexity of the rules. Those rules can only be as complex as the mind of the system architect. And just think, people spend decades of their lives raising their children and still cannot impart every bit of wisdom on them.

If we do get to the point where we can teach machines to think on their own, humans in general will be obsolete, not just musicians. We'll be long gone before a robot releases an album.

You're thinking in terms of traditional coding techniques, where a programmer starts with a problem definition and writes code by hand to solve it.

Using Genetic Algorithms and other Evolutionary Computing techniques, trainable artificial neural networks, etc computers can be taught to do things that we don't know how to program. Sometimes it takes a lot of effort to figure out how these things even work.

Here's a wikipedea link http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolutionary_computation

Maybe they could start out with a number of systems that produce random dreadful music and a listening panel could judge the results to choose the best candidates for the next round of mutations. Continue the process until you start to get programs that seem to generate something original and good.

Still not sure if you could call it creativity though.

[oddstep]

its still composition, pre computing Western composition has a set of rules on cadences, chord progressions, harmony and counterpoint... for example. The composer has a more personal set of rules relating to variation, melody and key centres. These rules are then used to create a new composition. Algorithmic composition foregrounds these elements and allows the composer to spend more time on the rules, the notes effectively write themselves. Bland and unimaginative people will use these tools to make bland generic music, people with talent and skill will use these tools to create more satisfying music than they otherwise could have done.

That's how it is with technology, it raises the bar... dullards will still make rubbish music, but at least it will sound alright.

[Piplodocus]

According to the 60's and 70's we're all supposed to be living lives of luxury now, with robots and machines doing everything for us. Sure, we're now surrounded by machines we never had, but life's not really easier. Same for music as I see it. There'll be more machines in future but it still takes talent to make real good music.

[invol]

Watch this Today Show segment on the Fairlight with Keith Emerson from 1983. Same questions then : )

http://youtu.be/Lt_iZLgo2f8

Great hair cuts too!

[Tone Deft]

Watch this Today Show segment on the Fairlight with Keith Emerson from 1983. Same questions then : )

http://youtu.be/Lt_iZLgo2f8

Great hair cuts too!

same answers now.

truly great post, thanks.

[Saxer]

the topic question is obsolete.

if you invent a roboter which can drink wine: would wine drinkers be obsolete?


music making is the fun, not music consuming. and people who can´t play music at least dance to participate the process.

[LeifonMars]

the topic question is obsolete.

if you invent a roboter which can drink wine: would wine drinkers be obsolete?


music making is the fun, not music consuming. and people who can´t play music at least dance to participate the process.

Exactly my thoughts.

+ that art has a way to become something else it was just a moment ago defined to be.

[perplex]

I believe we came to the conclusion that while musicians will never be obsolete, it will become more difficult to profit from.

[Gaetano CAPUANO]

I am a guitar player and I am a little shocked at some of the guitar tones coming form Kontak and Kore. There is something about it still not super great, but some is pretty good!

[Gaetano CAPUANO]

Watch this Today Show segment on the Fairlight with Keith Emerson from 1983. Same questions then : )

http://youtu.be/Lt_iZLgo2f8

Great hair cuts too!

Wow, interesting....... "One may even estimate the royalties on songs, as they are being written."


I will say, alot of "old school" musicians do hate most things electronic when it comes to music......................