Dear ALL FRETS members :
While we all hoped that COVID would be a memory by now , unfortunately it has become a big part of the way we live our lives . Gone are the familiar in-person musical performances and social gatherings , often being replicated by virtual events hosted via the Internet . For the hopeful benefit of musicians and groups such as ours I must offer a few personal observations and comments …
Technology is amazing . During my lifetime I have watched gadgets of science fiction – such as Dick Tracy ’ s wristwatch video telephone and the futuristic GPS seen in James Bond ’ s Aston Martin – become commonplace realities of everyday life . Cellular and Internet technologies have made communication and the dissemination of information and entertainment instantaneously available to anyone with a device ... which , these days , means just about everyone .
While we are all beholding to the miracles of modern technology which have allowed us to keep our music and friendships intact during this time of isolation , I have become increasingly cautious that society ’ s general adaptation to and acceptance of digitally produced performances and social interactions will further erode what was already a fragile cultural need for the in-person experiencing of music , theater and art .
I have always contended that no electronic replication of a musical performance can replace the sensation one feels during a live concert or musical performance experience . Keep in mind , that opinion was based on pre COVID standards , comparing the finest , most well produced recording of great orchestras and classical works to actually experiencing them in person ( and there truly is no comparison .) The current situation , however , has given apparent license to be very casual in the presentation of musical performances with little effort to capture the visual and audio quality which was the standard of production prior to COVID . While the technology is amazing at its distribution capability , this “ new normal ” standard of content and production has , in my opinion , diminished . Anyone with a smartphone can now record a performance and post it for worldwide consumption in minutes . Gone are the countless artistically driven hours of thought and planning which typically took place prior to professionally producing and recording a performance .
My fear is that our collective expectations with regard to musical performance are being lowered as a result of an “ it ’ s better than nothing ” mindset . In their ever adaptive spirit , society has “ cut some slack ” during difficult times . Fair enough . For the time being , I guess we should be grateful for the internet programming being offered and support those whose livelihoods have been decimated , always being mindful that someday – hopefully sooner than later – we ’ ll all meet again for the real thing - which hopefully will be at least as good as we remember it .
4 ALL FRETS SEPTEMBER / OCTOBER 2020