One of the aspects of music that I think I continue to learn each and every day is that not everything that can be done should be done. I just watched a video tonight of someone using his arm as a drum by tapping his fingers on it. I don't post it here because I am trying to be kind but my response to this video is why? Ultimately the test for any music is in the hearing right? OK, I admit that sometimes I am expressing certain concepts in my music and it might help to know what those are but even in these songs I ultimately want them to stand on their own. I guess my point is that I should not need a video to understand what I hear and what I heard with the finger tapping sounded like a cheap $10 DIY drum machine.
Again, if I point the finger at myself I admit that what I do is experimental. But I hope that I seek something of value musically. This is all subjective but my point is that all music and especially experimental music and instruments require a great deal of discernment and refinement. In other words, just because someone can do something, in many cases they would be better of not wasting there time if it's not liiely to yield some musically useful results.
I will leave it at that until the next blog when I talk about an experimental music that does work - The Korg Wavedrum.
2 comments:
For me creating art is primarily the act of making decisions about what "works" in any given situation. Sometimes I decide that an exploration, or experimental element should be added to a piece. More often than not I opt to discard the result but almost without fail, the very act of descriminating gives me valuable perspective on what I believe does work.
I recall a blog post somewhere that put it nicely, "Learn to love your failures..."
Regards,
Scott
Hmm stumbled on this blog (I was looking for blogs to chat about a blog I'm currently working on: http://radiumaudiolabs.wordpress.com/ ) and you have a very good point.
Reminded me, to an extent, of people like Dieggo Stocco... Granted he has done some excessive and very good sampling of the various noises a tree can make, but that doesn't mean it's musically good! Having said that, I think that good visual concepts are the best way of selling experimental techniques such as this. If Dieggo had just posted a track instead of a video demonstrating how he achieved the sounds, the response would have been far less than it is.
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