MUSIC & TECHNOLOGY

Thoughts, views and concerns on the threshold of a new century.

Presentation: Antonis Plessas

Saturday, July 13, 13

Music is everywhere...

and in the Cloudin the form of applications

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One thing remains consistent over the years and that is....

The genesis and power of creativity!

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Music is the aural landscape of our lives

Its power transcends national, religious, ideological, cultural or heritage boundaries and captivates the emotions of an universal audience.

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Technology

Human Behavior

Culture

Business

Technology is constantly and

irreversibly affecting, formatting and changing our culture and habits.

The catalytic force of technological evolution

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Music in the industrial Age: Sound recording & reproduction

Recordings fixed a musical performance in time.They made it possible to shift both time and space for people,

so we could now enjoy music anytime and anywhere.

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Music in the industrial Age:Record Labels - Publishing Houses

As the modern world evolved and populations increased, greater organizational structures and divisions of labor became necessary

to manage the needs and wants of modern society.

More and more entities arose to mediate things to us. In music this meant the rise of music publishers, record labels,

promoters, booking and other kinds of agents.

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Music in the industrial Age: RADIO

With radio people could listen to and enjoy music together in the comfort of their homes.

Radio transformed time and space and made it possible for huge numbers of people to enjoy music that they might never have heard otherwise.

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Music in the industrial Age: Television

In 1956, Elvis appeared on the Dorsey Brothers’ “Stage Show” and became an nationwide sensation. This was the beginning of music marketing to the masses.

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Music in the industrial Age: Vinyl & Tape

Stereo Vinyl LPs get introduced in 1958 and change the way music was both delivered and enjoyed.

Vinyl LPs along with magnetic tape and radio crystalized an industry.

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Music in the industrial Age:Artists write and perform their own songs

In 1964, a new band called the Beatles appeared on the “Ed Sullivan” showand from then on, the music business would never be the same.

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Advancements in technology

allowed creators to seek and achieve new ways of expression through experimentation.

Les Paul with his wife Mary Ford in their home studio during the 1940’s

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Raymond Scott in his self-built 1950’s recording studio, New York City

Creators sought and achieved new ways of expression through experimentation

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Paul and George with George Martin in the studio during the 60’s

Creators sought and achieved new ways of expression through experimentation

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Synthesizers changed the way music was produced, adding a lot of new sounds to the palette.

MIDI brings a revolution in music making by transforming the way music was produced, mixed and distributed.

Sony and Phillips introduce the Compact Disc in 1982. Red Book specs didn’t provide for copy protection

The transition from analog to digital

A few years later Philips and Sony's Orange Book specifications enabled the first desktop disc writing.

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The transition from analog to digital

The Personal Computer enters into the marketplace. Music apps will transform it into a portable recording studio.

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Ιn 1990 The World Wide Web enters to market.

In 1998, the Moving Picture Experts Group present MP3 a lossy compression algorithm files designed to greatly reduce the amount of data required to represent the audio recording and still sound like a faithful reproduction of the original uncompressed audio for most listeners.

The MP3 Player : In 2001 Apple’s ipod changes everything. (The first Mp3 player was manufactured by Korea's Saehan in 1998 and it could hold up to 8 songs).

The transitio

n from analog to

digital

In 1999 a young college student named Shawn Fanning invents the first Napster software that allowed people to trade and share song files.

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At the turn of the century, the record industry encountered a Best seller book by Nassim Nicholas Taleb

When the combined use of several technologies allowed audiences around the world to share the music they love over the internet,

the record industry wasn’t ready to adapt.

Creators, artists and labels were confronted with the consequences of unprecedented economic crisis.

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Easy to use

Today’s tools are:

Affordable

cover a great number of applications.

Portable

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Can you?

function as your own Publisher, Manager, Booking Agent, Attorney, Publicist, Social Marketing Manager, Technologist and still find the time and energy to create?

With every new opportunity new challenges present themselves

Choose the right partners!

BEWARE: DIY doesn't mean DIAY (do it all yourself).

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Creativity

Understanding and Knowledge of the craft

Expression

Ever wondered if and to what extent tools limit or enhance our:

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The use of tools can’t be a goal in itself.

Puttin

g time a

side t

o get

to kno

w them

Explor

ing th

eir so

nic po

ssibiliti

es

Experimenting in every musical direction (form, melody, harmony, rhythm, performance, orchestration)

Use them creatively to serve your musical ideas by:

Saturday, July 13, 13

My approach in using technology within the compositional process:

Don’t let tools influence or even worse dictate a direction in the creative process.

Take time off and revisit your work.

Be ready at any moment to make changes or even throw away material and start all over again.

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My approach in using technology within the compositional process:

Make sure your music can stand on its own merit.

Welcome as much input as possible.

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and whenever possible...

Rehearse Play Record

LIVE with other musicians.

&

Neil Young speaking. “Sound City” documentary by David Grohl.

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fundamental changes in the way music is

Created Produced Distributed SoldPromoted

+Music Technology Telecommunications

=

In a nutshell:

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compose - produce - record

perform - promote - address an international audience

explore new ways to monetize

In the age of internet independent artists around the world have an unprecedented opportunity to...

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Key Innovations the Internet Has Brought to Music

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Scarcity economy is replaced by abundance economy.

Key Innovations the Internet Has Brought to Music

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In the era of the Internet it won’t be an elite that will decide what to serve the audience.

This time it’s the audience itself. And that changes all the rules.

Used to be

Now

Large companies & brands

Large companies & brands

Networked individuals

Networked individuals

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Attract interest

Sustain attention

Win trust

“The Real Problem For Most Artists isn’t piracy, but obscurity”. Tim O’Reilly.

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BE TRUE TO YOURSELF AND MAKE THE MUSIC THAT YOU LOVE.

GO OUT AND PLAY.

TURN PEOPLE ON TO YOUR MUSIC.

SPREAD IT YOURSELF.

RICK RUBIN LEGENDARY PRODUCER in his interview with Dave Growl for

the documentary “Sound City”.

DON’T THINK IT HAPPENS ANY OTHER WAY...

Saturday, July 13, 13

Thank you for your presence

Performing musicians photos by: Chris GoldNY

email: aplessas@otenet.grLinkdedin: Antonis Plessas Twitter : aplessas Facebook: plessas.antonis

MUSIC & TECHNOLOGYThoughts, views and concerns on the threshold of a new era

Saturday, July 13, 13