UB afforded me another phenomenal experience. On this year’s theme of Music and Computers, here is what some of the composers, students, and faculty are up to at the 2008 June in Buffalo.

Miller Puckette

Author of Pd, the open source programming language, as well as Max/MSP, Miller’s software dominates the field of interactive sound, and his workshop bemused the history and future of signal processing. To paraphrase, “Why play a video game, like guitar hero, that rewards you for some behavior and punishes you for others–like a lab rat–when you can program the computer to do your bidding?”

Miller spent a good portion of his talk explaining the difficulties of score following and pitch tracking, citing the importance of artist control in performance. He also denounced a broad sound spatialization detracting the focus from an on-stage performer. On this note I agree–I’d love to see a speaker mounted on the back of a cello, or some such. Also, spatialization was a sort of sub-theme at June in Buffalo this year; the subject of many conversations. Miller strongly encouraged students of signal processing to recreate other works as a discipline and for ear training, demonstrating with Charles Dodge’s A Man Sitting in the Cafeteria. The world of digital signal processing owes a great debt to this brilliant mathematician and his dedication to the arts.

Student Works

Andrew Colella’s Rhythmus 21 used histograms from a video stream to cue sounds using Pd. Andrew said the composition process was more interesting than the piece itself. I suggested he turn it into a theater piece whereby he explains the composition process.

Guitarist James Soares’ Vertiginous Rotation performed by virtuoso Magnus Andersson so fully utilized the capacities of the guitar and the computer interaction was splendid. A thrilling piece!

Charles Dodge

After being treated to a splendid performance of Any Resemblance is Purely Coincidental the night before, Charles Dodge reminisced to us about the early days of electronic music. He felt that it was probably a crazy waste of his time–but interesting. Digital-Analog Converters were not readily available, but there was one at Bell Labs. So after programming the computer from a control panel and manually addressing memory registers, one would commit the program to digital tape, and ask for time at the lab in order to hear it. Maybe a week later, you might get to hear what you programmed–assuming there were no bugs. Dodge: “It was like learning to play the piano by pressing a key and then coming back next week to hear what it sounded like.”

Currently Charles Dodge is working with just intonation. He’s working on a piece that, cycle after cycle, expands on the number of partials, and/or retunes pitches down from a given partial. It’s a very bold compositional gesture, with ideas as simple and pure as the consonances they are realized with.

Roberto Morales

Having demonstrated the integration of improvisation, computer responses to audio, as well as motion detection with computer responses in video from the previous night on Historia de Culebras, Robert Morales shared his vision for the future of music. He talked about the challenges involved in motion/movement detection (for his piece he used a pair of Wii remotes strapped to his arms). I really like where he is taking the arts–composer as improviser, integration of movement and video, all with interactive computer programs… it’s an exciting world.

Ben Thigpen

What can I say but that 0.95652173913 and malfunction30931 “struck a chord” with me. Something really clicked with fixed media this year and I felt a total connection with the aesthetics of these pieces. I felt transformed by hearing them, as if I had entered a new plane of existence. These works enchanted the audience, who seemed docile and entranced upon their completion. Ben Thigpen is a real master of the electronic arts, and friendly to boot. He is so sensitive to the beauty of the sounds, each of them carefully equalized so they fit perfectly together like the ancient stonework of a fine mason. Each sound flows seamlessly into the next. The form is so organic and never elicits a conscious structural element forcing the listener into the moment.

Ben is using some custom software built in Max. He takes a sound file and chisels out a clip to use, and then loops it. Another check box loops the sound alternatively forward and backwards. More magic changes the starting and ending points of the clip–perhaps only the attack of a sound is heart one time, and the decay, separately, the next. At this point the sound clip really feels alive. More parameters put a delay across another channel and manipulate the frequency independently. The result is a present, living sound that Ben can then tweak and record.

malfunction30931 borrowed some errant output from the sound card at IRCAM. The sound changed slightly as windows were dragged around, etc. The fascinating source sound resulted in a profound and meditative piece. Ben said that he has 5.1 mixes of many of his newer works. There are a lot of home users with systems capable of this format, thirsty for content (I’m one of them!). I really hope Ben will get his act together and put out an album of recent works in 5.1.

Hans Tutschku

Hans Tutschku is a brilliant musician and user of Max/MSP. He has a set of patches that are the envy of any electronic musician. He talked a bit about score following using terraced dynamic registers and timers; a loud sound (relatively louder than ambient noise-absolute values being impossible with different microphones/setups) would act as a trigger, but then start a timer so that performing within a designated time space would not accidently trigger the next section. He also emphasized the importance of composing your patches for rehearsal; that 95% of the time, you will use your software in rehearsal, but only 5% of the time in performance, so it should be very easy to use. He discouraged the use of global paths and encouraged compiling your program as a stand alone application, increasing the chance that your application will work properly on other computers. He had a very cool patch that arranged 8 channels of sound into a 2d circle, and then matrixed it out to the nearest speaker for whatever number of channels may be present, making the piece flexible for different performance environments. The beginning of each patch literally has a checklist that steps the user/musician through setting up the sound outputs, number of speakers, etc. This is stereotypical of Hans, who is so sensitive to the nature of all things, human and musical, and carefully accounts for everything. Another example is allowing performers practice time if they need to do something unusual in their piece, for example, using a midi pedal to trigger events. What is the musician trained for (dynamics, interpretation, etc.)? What is the musician not trained for (pressing a midi pedal while playing)? Take everything into account.

What does the audience think when they see a musician on stage looking into a computer screen? They could be checking their email, for all the audience knows. Hans encouraged performers (as he does himself) to use specialized controllers and keep away from the computer on stage as much as possible. He encouraged heavy computer interactors to stay at the mixing board. Performance practice is important and we should be considering it as carefully for experimental electronic music as we do for the proper performance of a baroque piece.

In addition to music, Hans has been busy using his programming prowess to prepare interactive art and sound installations. Why sit in the audience and watch a performer on stage have all the fun? Further, why do we suffer the traditional confines of a concert hall and ancient performance practice? How about a “concert” with different interactive musical experiences going on in different rooms, with the “audience” free to wander from space to space as they please? Hans also insisted that the public be free to interact with his exhibits in any way they choose, including unpredictable ways, and that we must, as artists, accept this. Hans is so sensitive and accommodating to the nature of things.

Cort Lippe

As a composer, Cort Lippe explained the challenges of getting past, for example, the “pianoness” of a piano; that when an audience sees and hears an instrument, they bring, in the case of the piano, hundreds of years of history along with them. Cort tries to get the audience past this history and begin hearing instruments for what they really are, aptly demonstrated in Music for Marimba and Computer and Music for Snare Drum and Computer, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Also, in retrospect, I recall being acquainted with the true sound character of the piano, free from history, in Braxton Sherouse’s Regulated Action.

Karlheinz Stockhausen

Though no longer with us, Stockhausen is as alive as ever thanks to several outstanding performances at this year’s June in Buffalo, including a magnificent rendition of Capricorn by bass vocalist Nicholas Isherwood, who, piously bowing to Stockhausen, never fails to disappoint.

Thanks

As with any June in Buffalo, I leave with a renewed invigoration, sense of self, and purpose. I really like where these composers are taking the arts. For another take, check out mad Eastman bassist Scott Worthington’s account of June in Buffalo 2008. But what stays so strongly in my mind are not just the musical performances, but all of the insightful discussions with the brilliant and fun participants, who are so inspirational with their achievement and dedication to their art. They have encouraged me to keep plugging away at my goals, which I will do. To all of them I wish wisdom, flourishing, and inner peace!

Programs

Programs are available for June in Buffalo 2008 and June in Buffalo 2007.

Arsis-Thesis

Notes can be assigned two labels: arsis and thesis. The notes marked arsis are full of forward motion and emphasis, as when walking, one lifts one’s foot. The thesis notes resound with rest and resolution, as when walking, one brings one’s foot to the ground. When mentally grouping the notes, one should start with an arsis and end with a thesis. The arsis gets the emphasis. Traditional notation can be very misleading. Consider this diagram from page sixty-four, showing how we should mentally group notes together:

Context

Now consider this reasoning in the context of a musical line on page sixty-three:

Conclusion

Though the writing is highly academic in character, this book does contain “the accumulated experience and study of more than half a century of professional playing and teaching.” James Morgan Thurmond thoroughly explains and defends his thought process. This is a valuable read for any mature musician and music educator. Note Grouping is distributed by Hal Leonard.

Music Comprehension

Unfortunately, many current standard practices in music education do not support the most important aspect of music learning: the ability to hear sound while it may or may not be physically present. This subconscious process, called audiation, happens in the brains of all good musicians and audience members. It allows us to compare what we are hearing with what we have heard, and anticipate or predict what we will hear next. This ability is the foundation for all genuine musical meaning and comprehension.

Before You Read

Learning Sequences In Music, being one of the most detailed and in depth explorations into music learning, is best prequeled with some educational resources based on Dr. Gordon’s work. Developing Musicianship Through Improvisation is my strongest recommendation, and it will even improve your musicianship and improvisation skills besides serving as a practical introduction to Dr. Gordon’s theory of music learning. If you have a child in your life, definitely pick up Music Play. Lastly, any of the Jump Right In series of materials can also be very helpful. But once you have a sense of the surface and practical applications of the theory, do read Learning Sequences In Music.

Serious Reading

The writing style is generally serious and academic in nature. Dr. Gordon does have a sense of humor, and anyone who has met him in person knows he loves to tell jokes, but to find the humor in his writing, you have to be sensitive to the way he explains things. If you are used to reading magazines or fictional novels for entertainment, this book will challenge you, but the challenge is worth the results.

A More Musical World

Dr. Gordon’s book will help you develop your own music learning methodology and curriculum that will help your students learn how to audiate and comprehend music. It is available in hardcover, along with a challenging study guide, and most recently, audio lectures introducing each chapter. But best of all, attend one of Dr. Gordon’s lectures in person, and keep up with the Gordon Institute for Music Learning. I truly believe that if more music education professionals were aware of the results of Dr. Gordon’s research, the world would be a much more musical place.

“There’s something perversely fascinating about educational policies that are clearly at odds with the available data.  Huge schools are still being built even though we know that students tend to fare better in smaller places that lend themselves to the creation of democratic caring communities.  Many children who are failed by the academic status quo are forced to repeat a grade even though research shows that this is just about the worst course of action for them.  Homework continues to be assigned – in ever greater quantities – despite the absence of evidence that it’s necessary or even helpful in most cases.”

Beyond Homework

Alfie Kohn isn’t just writing about homework, he’s writing about how decisions are made in education. The first sentence nails it: policies in education are not being influenced by available data. Decisions are made on whims. Someone tried something, and it seemed to be ok, so they kept doing it. Or it is simply considered “conventional wisdom” that a given practice is the best approach. But actual research is being done in the field of education; it’s just that, for some reason, people aren’t letting the research guide their practice.

Research In Education

Granted, research in education isn’t perfect. It’s not appropriate to raise children up in an isolated chamber only to expose them to a certain thing at a certain age. But you can assess two groups, try something one way with group A, a different way with group B, and see which group has better achievement in the end. It’s the best we can do, and it’s leaps and bounds above “but we’ve always done this way.”

Research In Music Education

Dear Music Education Professionals: please check out the work of Dr. Edwin Gordon, especially the tome Learning Sequences in Music.

The Data Is Out There

It is my hope that parents, teachers, and especially policy-makers in education seek out research, and not just know it, but let it influence their feelings, their thoughts, and their actions.

Solution

Before uploading music to MySpace, save a copy of your pristine, high quality master wave file as 96kbps 22khz stereo (11khz per channel). The website will post the file as uploaded without conversions.

Teachers have to be military commanders. They have to mean business all the time. They have to ferociously scold, and then turn it off like a light switch, and praise and love. If your heart is in it, you can learn how to do it. It takes about three years.

There are experienced teachers who have total control of their classrooms - absolutely no violence amongst the students, and high test scores. The students straighten up at the sound of a little whistle. They are obedient and compliant. But what happens when they walk out of those classrooms? They turn again to violence. What does this tell me? The students in those classrooms do not really learn compassion, love, and respect. They have no opportunity to learn morality. All they learn is to obey authority, and compliance is ever so temporary. While my heart is in education, I don’t have it in myself to be a military commander, because I believe I would be not only teaching the wrong lessons, but not teaching the right ones - critical lessons, like how to live together.

But the teachers have to mean business all the time at inner city schools. The students are angry and want to kill each other.

Get To Class

Being in class is more musical exposure time for your brain, not to mention the advice, instruction, and good will of your professor. So get up and get there, no matter what (unless you are very ill).

Solfege

You are probably be using a system of verbal association to help your brain organize a large number of tonal and rhythmic patterns. For tonal syllables, if your professor uses moveable do with a la based minor, they are very smart. More commonly, they will use moveable do with a do based minor, meaning you must alter the syllables in order to sing in different tonalities with “do” always as the resting tone. With this system, you cannot, for example, determine what tonality you are in by determining the correct solfege for the resting tone, since it will always be “do.” You will also be doing quite a bit of mental gymnastics as in tonalities like Phrygian and Locrian. But even if your professor isn’t using the best system, they are probably just old and set in their ways, and still have a lot to offer you in terms of musical instruction, so for now, use the system they want, and when you become a music teacher, use moveable do with a lot based minor.

Likewise, for rhythm, your professor will probably have you use the 1e&a system. The system that can help you the most is known as “du de,” because the syllables are based on beat function, not notation. There is at least one other beat-function rhythm solfege out there, but just use whatever your professor wants for now. Some kind of verbal association is better than none at all.

To get a better grasp on solfege, use it all the time. Solfege everything you hear – a little motif from a popular melody, your applied instrumental/vocal assignments – everything. This will carry you a long way towards mastery.

Rehearsing Sight-Singing Assignments

Each week you will probably be given a series of melodies and rhythms to later perform accurately for your professor or their grad student. It seems silly, like you are almost memorizing a bunch of music – but the goal is not memorization per say, but rather to commit the tonal and rhythm patterns you perform to memory where they can serve you. Then hopefully you learn to hear what you see, even when the sound is not physically present.

On the day you are given the assignment, go and try to sing through all of the lines. Sit at a piano and check your accuracy if you must. Pencil in the occasional syllable if you are just learning solfege. Do not leave until you have accurately performed each line at least once. It may take several hours, but your time will be well spent, and your total average daily time will be much lower if you solidify your performance now. Get into a good habit by doing this with the very first assignment, even if it seems pathetically simple.

The next day, again sit down and make sure you can accurately perform each assignment at least once. It will only take you maybe 25% of the time it took the first day.

The next day, do the same thing again: perform each line with 100% accuracy. Time spent now is a very small fraction of the time you spent on the first day.

The next day, do the same thing. Keep going through the assignment and performing each one with 100% accuracy, if only once per day. By now you will get to the point where you do it perfectly the first time. Keep practicing every day, even if all you do is reinforce perfection, until you actually perform for a grade. You will get better and better at the examples, with less time. They will become so easy as to make you sick of them. They will haunt you in your sleep.

Harmonic Dictation

When you must do harmonic dictation, listen for the melody first, then the bass line, and then any inner lines. Use logic to narrow down your choices of inner voices, and use your audiation instrument (your brain!) to confirm which tones you are actually hearing. Sometimes it really helps to write chord symbols (I IV V I) across the top, and then work from there. Use slash notation – don’t bother filling in circles for note heads; just draw a diagonal slash.

Rhythmic Dictation

Again, use slash notation. Sometimes it helps to quickly jot down tick marks across the top, and then go through and fill in the rhythms with the proper beaming.

Stick With It

I have seen people take this same class year after year. Keep plugging away and sticking with it. Get help from your professors. Practice with your friends. Keep singing along melodies and basslines to your favorite tunes, and solfeging your large ensemble music. You will get it and your musicianship will benefit!

There’s No Such Thing As Sight-Singing

In reality, there is no such thing as Sight-Singing. You can either read music, or you can’t. If you are truly learning to read music for the first time, this is a formidable challenge. But practice for a perfect performance daily, and you will find this class to be a very satisfying accomplishment. You might also enjoy How To Be Ridiculously Successful In College. Good luck, and happy reading and writing!

1. Get To Class

So much of your success will simply be based on class attendance. Sure, the professor might not be taking roll, but they will be aware if you are around, and being immersed in the classroom is an important part of the collegiate learning experience. Get up and go to class, no matter what (unless you are really ill). Make a pact with yourself that class is your first priority – more important than sleeping in, video games with your dorm-mates, or even completing assignments for another class. Be there, and pay attention to what’s going on. Sit up front near the professor. If you need motivation to take your class time seriously, take a look at how much your tuition/scholarships add up to, matrixed across your actual time hours spent in class. You might take class more seriously if you realize you are effectively dropping a $50 bill on the way through the door each day!

2. Take Notes

During class, take notes by hand, even if you are the only one doing it. You can take notes by hand really quickly, draw pictures and diagrams to help illustrate concepts, not bother anyone with the clickity-clack of a computer keyboard, and avoid the personal attention distraction of a laptop. After class, consider it your homework to type up the notes, organizing them into bulleted/numbered lists. Now you have a searchable hierarchy of what was discussed in class, plus your brain had another opportunity to process and organize the information. You might find that your typed, hierarchal list is in a very different order from that which the material was presented in class – that’s ok. Organize it in a way that makes sense to you.

Before each session of, say, History 101, quickly read through your typed notes from the previous session. This will help re-establish the mental structure of the material. As you build up days and weeks worth of material, try to review as much as possible in that little time slot while everyone gets settled down before class begins. Because you will see your notes so often, you will begin to commit them to memory. Even though you are constantly adding new material, the old material is constantly becoming more familiar, so it all works out.

By the end of the semester, you will be so familiar with your notes from class that you will be nearly sick of them. Any sort of memorization-based test (and yes, there are a lot of them) will be a breeze. Sharing your well organized typed notes will also curry the favor of potential friends, though be aware of your professor’s wishes when distributing your notes to non-classmates.

3. Stay Organized

Come to class with a well organized empty notebook, ready to fill up. Yes, completely organized in advance – a ring binder, the spine neatly labeled with your name, the appropriate school, semester, and class, filled with dividers, paper, and plenty of clear plastic protectors, all ready to go the moment your professor begins handing materials out. The expense will be negligible compared with tuition. You will never spend extra time organizing your notebook or finding materials, because you will be gradually doing it all along. Organize your notebook by WHAT things are – Class Notes, Handouts, Reading Notes, Assignments, Exams – not topically or chronologically (except for within those divider-sections; I recommend topically for class notes and chronologically – when the materials were given to you – for everything else). It took until my senior year to revise this notebook system and I only wish I had finished it sooner – it will serve you well!

4. Get Your Sleep

In order to learn, your body needs to sleep. That means all the extra time you stay up studying is not helping you that much! If you are getting to class, taking, typing, organizing, and reviewing notes, and keeping well marked, organized ring binders in action for all classes, all semester long, you will hopefully never be tempted to exchange sleeping time for studying time. However many hours you need to sleep each day – 7, 8, 9 – make sure you get it on school nights. Adjust your bedtime so that you will get enough hours of sleep and still be able to get up for that morning class. Other than that, don’t sacrifice your sleep time for anything. If you really do find yourself with a backlog of assignments to complete, keep getting enough sleep, and talk to your professor about waiving whatever late penalty may be in place. If you are doing all of the things this article has outlined so far, your professors are going to respect how seriously you take your education and they are going to cut you some slack. If by chance you run out of slack and have more assignments to complete than you could ever possibly finish, carefully consider how important each assignment is, both personally and grade-weight wise, and do as much of the most important work as possible, discarding the rest. Pick your battles. But do not sacrifice on sleep; if you do, you’re only hurting yourself!

5. Get Some Exercise

If you want to learn, you need to keep a fresh supply of oxygen available to your brain. Of course, this means exercise. Exercise is an effective stress reliever. Using the campus facilities is a great way to meet other people who are interested in developing their whole person. If you really want to stick with your schedule, work out each morning before your first class. Getting friends in on your schedule may also help you stick to a workout regiment. Also check out classes and clubs in martial arts, aerobics, etc.

6. Complete Large Projects ASAP

If you have a very large project assigned, e.g. a research paper, get it done ASAP. Sometimes useful library materials are far and few, and by getting the project done early, they will be all yours for the using. You’ll also avoid the stress of waiting until the last minute, competing for those few useful references, and the inevitable “oh yeah, just one more project before the semester ends” unexpected extra workload when you are already at the limit. You’ll be breezing through the end of the semester while your friends panic and slave away at their work. Just be warned that if you choose to turn your project in before the due date, it is likely that the professor may encourage you to revise it. If you don’t want this burden, I suggest waiting until the deadline to turn in your project.

7. Visit Professors During Office Hours

Most professors have times that they must be in their office. They get paid to be there to help you outside of class. Some professors will shun you with a closed door and unfriendly attitude; avoid them, and save your sentiments for the end-of-semester review. But there are professors who will giddily await your arrival at their office, thrilled to discuss and help with class materials, and even shoot the breeze. Some professors use candy and other gimmicks to lure you into their office. If you have any confusion with class work (which you won’t since you are so conscientiously taking, organizing, and reviewing notes, getting enough sleep and exercising regularly), show up at office hours. But don’t also be afraid just to drop by, as some professors can be great people to get to know.

8. Do Your Assignments

It might sound like obvious advice, but get your assignments done. Your classmates may slack off, but you know you are paying good money and want to make the most of your time in class, so you do your assignments and do them well. Your classmates who loathe the thought of completing their assignments (but probably never attempt them) have no idea just how little effort it can take to do an excellent job. If you have reading assignments outside the scope of class discussions, considering taking reading notes and organizing them just as you would class notes, whether your professor asks you to or not. Remember, you are going to college for yourself. Do what you need to do to get the most out of your investment.

9. Go To Parties

Yes, parties are a dime a dozen in college, but definitely attend some (most?) of them. They are a great time to relax, have fun, socialize, play games, joke around, dance, meet people to ask on dates, and otherwise balance out your academic life. Don’t worry about missing a great party this weekend – there will be an even better one next weekend. And don’t think you have to stay for the entire time – you might have just as much fun leaving the party at 3am instead of 5am, but you will be that much better rested and adjusted for class. Even if you don’t like to drink, go to parties anyway, and laugh at everyone else. Besides parties, join some clubs/groups to meet people and further your expertise outside of your major. Lastly, remember to take everything in moderation, including moderation itself.

10. Take Time For Reflection

After each semester is over, go for a walk late at night and think about all that you have accomplished academically, personally, and spiritually. Are you happy with your progress, how you handled difficult situations, etc.? Whatever your most important goal is in life, don’t lose sight of it, and use this time to make sure that everything you do aims you towards your goal. Plan any necessary adjustments to implement in the following semester. In the frenzy of academia, keep an eye on your greatest purpose, keep breathing, and keep smiling!

That’s averaging over 41 million songs per day. That’s a lot of music. But the superiority of CDs keeps me from purchasing all but the occasional single from iTunes, for a few reasons:

Losing My Religion (I Mean Music)

When you buy a song from iTunes, a copy is made to your hard drive, and that is it – the transaction is finished. From this point on, it’s my responsibility to keep a working backup of the song available if I want to play it. Though I’m careful to make regularly scheduled backups on various media, etc., I simply don’t feel comfortable enough trusting an entire music library to the whims of various hard drives and backup software, prone to fail sooner or later. It’s possible that with an unfortunate series of events, I could lose my entire iTunes library and backups. It’s just an extra stressful potential for disaster that I would rather avoid. When I buy a CD, I rip it into iTunes, and then it sits on my shelf as a backup. CD: 1, iTunes: 0.

Musics Of Quality

When I rip a CD into iTunes and re-encode the data into Apple Lossless format, I usually end up with a file in the 500-600kbps range. That’s plenty of data and to my ears sounds as good as the CD (as it should, especially with error checking during the rip process. Turn this on through Preferences->Advanced->Importing and check the box for “use error correction.”). The CD itself is not perfect – it has probably been dithered down to a lower data rate during the mastering process in order to accommodate the red book audio standard, but mastering engineers are very good at this. Now let’s check out a song downloaded from the iTunes music store – ouch, only 128kbps. That’s a small fraction of the amount of data I get from a CD, and even with all of the psychoacoustic knowledge we have, the algorithms still cannot perfectly decide which information to keep and which to throw away. Sure, walking down the street you might be hard pressed to tell the difference between this and a CD, but sitting at home on a quiet evening with monitoring headphones, compression artifacts will rear their ugly head and obfuscate the listening process.

Recently, iTunes worked out a deal with EMI to provide tracks with twice the usual bitrate – 256kbps – on the music store. In order to see this, you need to find an EMI album (like Pink Floyd’s Dark Side of the Moon) and click the link for iTunes Plus. The higher bitrate gets pretty close to CD quality - thanks to psychoacoustics, more than “half way” as the numbers may suggest. But it’s still not quite as good as a CD, and currently is only available on a limited selection of tracks. Pretty much any tune I am interested in is not available at the higher bitrate. CD: 2, iTunes: 0.

Digital Restrictions Management

Music bought on the iTunes music store can only be played in iTunes, or an iPod, or some other Apple-blessed product. There are loopholes, but they are inelegant. For example, you could burn the music you buy onto a CD, and then rip it back into iTunes. But then you end up with either a much bigger file for the same quality product, or a lower quality file of similar size. This is not only inelegant and inefficient, but it’s the same sort of tedious backup work and low quality I am trying to avoid by simply buying a CD in the first place! It is also conceivable that Apple could at some point close shop or otherwise de-authorize iTunes, which would then no longer play the tracks you purchased. Recently, as part of the deal with EMI, the iTunes tracks at 256kbps do not have DRM, so they will play anywhere as long as a player exists to play them. However, once again, this is only available on a limited selection of tracks. CD: 3, iTunes: 0.

Duh Winner

Now you know why I still buy CDs- an automated backup, high quality, restriction free media. But iTunes could be all this and more!

Automated backup: iTunes could simply allow you to re-download any music you buy, in case a hard drive or backup fails or is destroyed.

Higher bitrates: iTunes could not only match, but even exceed the bitrate of CD audio, supplying end users with mastering-grade 192khz files, and beyond.

Digital Restrictions: This one’s easy: take away the restrictions. Give me a format I can play anywhere, anytime, and losslessly transcode to other formats.

Market Lieder

As the iTunes Music Store continues to make incremental improvements at the mercy of an industry that’s collapsing on itself, determined to shoot itself in the foot and run itself into the ground, competitors lurk in the midst. Like most Apple products, the iTunes store seems annoyingly mediocre and depressingly underpowered, frustratingly on the brink of achieving excellence, but not quite getting there. Though no one can yet match iTunes’ impressive array of popular labels, another store is potentially only a contract away from doing so. Indie is on the way in, as musicians produce and market their own work. Lastly, with an increasingly large library of legally free music available online, will the sales of digital recordings survive the twenty-first century? There is so much free content available and constantly being released that you could spend your entire life listening for free and never hear the same thing twice…

Advanced Measures of Contemporary Music Audiation.

Joke Background

To celebrate the end of our Level 1 GIML Certification in Early Childhood Music, I developed the joke. I wasn’t going to do it, but then they lured me with research money.

Karlheinz Stockhausen

One day during class, Dr. Gordon told the following story [I paraphrase]: “I was at a music conference in Europe with composer Morton Feldmen. Karlheinz Stockhausen was explaining one of his pieces using mountains of charts and graphs. Morty told Karlheinz to ‘just sing it!’ Karlheinz couldn’t do it and was very embarrassed.” The musical excerpts in AMCMA are from Stockhausen’s Gruppen for 3 Orchestras (1955-57). Also, many have asked – yes, that is your author’s voice on the recording.

Audie

AMCMA is based on Audie, a musical aptitude test for children ages three through four. The fact that the Advanced Measures of Contemporary Music Audiation uses the same format as a test designed for children ages three through four further pokes fun at contemporary music practices.

It’s All A Joke

The biggest joke here is that I am a huge fan and composer of contemporary music, including the likes of Stockhausen, Cage, and the June in Buffalo festival. Stockhausen’s Helicopter String Quartet is beautiful and magnificently spellbinding. Further, in accordance with the results of Dr. Gordon’s research, I believe that tonality is always perceived, and that learning to audiate helps one to make sense of contemporary music, where tonality may be subjective and or transient. So, Karlheinz, please don’t take my test the wrong way.

Explore

If you want to get in touch with the modern music scene, tune into Counterstream Radio, a product of the American Music Center, which I wrote about in July.