Posted by Eric on December 10, 2003 at 20:11:46:
In Reply to: reading and interpreting music posted by bloke on December 10, 2003 at 09:02:28:
What you're noticing is a trend toward push-button society where the complicated, useful skills and creative aspects of life are supplanted by computerized systems. Most kids who yearn to create music now are simply becoming disc jockeys who mix pre-recorded music together and call it their own. They dont see any problem with calling the music their own, either. They dont have to learn any musical skills whatsoever, instead relying upon their first impressions of what sounds good and going by trial and error through massive pre- formatted sound libraries.
I am the product of a typical (horrible) modern united states school system that I am convinced is designed to fail in its classic role. I did not know the letter names of the notes until the first week of music theory class in my sophomore year of high school, much less solfege or piano playing.
1. Teachers consider their job to produce good workers rather than enlightened minds
2. Feelings are emphasized rather than cognitive development
3. Teaching methods are employed that destroy correct word associations
4. Cheating and copying are encouraged
5. Huge quantities of money are continually wasted on soon-to-be-obsolete computers that arent used properly.
6. Teachers are kept in a constant state of confusion with endless seminars on the latest fads and theories regarding teaching methods, most of which are of quite dubious purpose.
7. Standards are lowered while at the same time (and because) more and more superfluous subjects crowd into the curriculum.
Creativity, skill, and pride are slowly being purged from society. Individual skills were of great use in the days of entrepreneurial spirit, but they are neither necessary nor desirable in the cubicle world of large corporations. But, on the other hand, we have excellent workers who work much longer hours and take far fewer vacation days than in any other industrialized nation.
This, of course, spills over into music, architecture, engineering, literature, and all the other arts.
That said, I like sound samples, even crude midi. I'm as lazy as the next guy.