Verda Mae Pugh
December 26, 2012
Three silent films, with live music
January 2, 2013
Bob Dylan once said “The times they are a changing.” He was right; many things have changed with the times. Even Bob Dylan eventually picked up an electric guitar – which alienated half of his fan base at the time – and explored new music-making techniques.
This leads to the musician of today and the music of tomorrow.
An individual has full reign of creative control over every aspect of the production of his or her music. A laptop has now become a fully recognized musical instrument played by the tech-savvy music maker.
There are many ways that musicians use technology to their advantage. One example is home recording. What once cost a musician time and money can now be done for little to no money at all, in a bedroom. This has lead to a flood of new music and original bands breaking into the Houma music scene. Some sacrifice quality just to have material available; however, these home recording techniques can lead to amazing music that otherwise wouldn’t be around. Dead Swamp Studio is an example of home recordings done the right way. With an impressive resume under its belt, Dead Swamp is a shimmering example of this future business market that is for the most part untapped here in Houma.
Technology can also take the place of people completely. Musicians are not bound to having lasting friendships or tumultuous relationships with fellow musicians to make it into the music industry mainstream. All you need is a dream, a laptop, and some of the latest music software. Put them all together and what do you have? Dubstep, just one of the examples of the new medium being put to use. Don’t think it’s real music? Tell that to the throngs of people screaming at Voodoo Fest 2012 for Skrillex. Maybe these guys are the reincarnation of the rock star. The dorky kids who grew up with MTV and video games have arrived for their women and money.
Why not? Isn’t that the American dream, to take what is nothing and make it into something valuable? Well, just leave it to a crafty kid to do just that. Which leads to the question: What other new types of music lie inside of our laptops just waiting for a creative kid to decode it?
Bands are also adapting to technology. With the help of this tool, an entire band can be assembled with pre-recorded software. One of these bands making the jump from virtual reality to plain-old reality is Much Like Mountains. The New Orleans-based band was the dream of friends Tyler Blanchard and Tony Malcombe. Their music has already gained popularity with followers on Facebook, where they picked up more than 1,000 followers on the band’s page in two days. The guys have hired musicians to bring their show to fruition and should be playing live in only a few short months. Pre-recorded software has also done wonders for the rap community. The effect is most evident with the recent explosion of mixed tapes from new artists available on the market. From S.A.C Religious, to Hustlaholic. These gifted young artists are using the recent breakthroughs in music to succeed.
The biggest role that technology has played and is currently playing is in the social networking medium. To become acknowledged as a serious musician or band, you have to be connected with the roving masses. It is quite easy for a band that has been working hard for years to not have the success of a band that has only been together for a short amount of time. The key to a modern day band’s success is social networking. You can’t expect people to attend a show that they don’t know about. The times of going out and putting up flyers until the early hours of the morning are dead.
Now with one click of a button, thousands can see your event notification. Artists that are finding success now-a-days have a rapport with their fans. They listen to suggestions and make a better product based on the consumer. The social medium is one that I believe hasn’t been used to its full potential. In the coming years I expect to see new developments that will revolutionize the relationship between fan and artist.
The times, they are revolutionizing. If you don’t get on the train, expect to become a fossil. The youth know what they have to do to be new and fresh; the question is: Do the working musicians who were born before these advancements know it? Do they understand the ever-changing landscape of music and what it takes to be socially conscious and relevant? I hope that this helps to get them on the right track. I also hope to inspire the youngsters out there, thinking this is too hard to do. It’s not. It just takes perseverance and a little tech savvy.
Skrillex, who may be indicative of the modern-day rock star, excels with technological-infused rhythm. He’s one of the “dorky kids who grew up with MTV and video games (who) have arrived for their women and money,” columnist Alex Martin writes.
