Music in the making

Richard Lanham discusses in chapter 30 of the Handa book the state of music and its evolutionary path concerning what constitutes real music, how these changes affect copyright, and the notion of public and private performance. This is only a small portion of the chapter, but a very important topic in my world. During my journey through undergrad, I took a class taught by Richard Winham on music. He posed an interesting question, and I cannot remember it verbatim, but he essentially asked us if we thought music could still be considered authentic music if no instruments were used in the making? Lanham is basically getting at the same question only he focuses more on the issues concerning copyright just as the copyright on print media is rock-solid the introduction of digital texts also introduces issues with authorship and copyright. In answer to both Lanham and Winham, I feel music and texts are only as authentic as the composer and author want them to be. For example, many new "musicians" are creating music digitally without the augmentation of actual instruments. Is this still considered music? I think music is music whether it is created using a trash can and a wooden spoon or a $2000 mac. However, I prefer the tangibility and connectedness experienced when seated in front of a group of folks jamming out with various instruments. I have been a loyal listener of Nine Inch Nails since high school and have no issues with Trent Reznor's use of digital instruments.

But if given the choice, I would much rather rock with Aerosmith and their acoustic/electric old-school ways.

I feel text is in the same boat. Multimedia and digital text certainly have their place, but books will always possess a certain tangibility, authenticity, and realness for lack of a better word.

But what about the shift in music performance from the public to the private? Lanham feels concerning music "to replay it at home is as 'authentic' as to replay it in a concert hall" (463). Hmmm...I'm afraid I disagree to an extent with that statement. I see where Lanham is going, but I'm afraid there is a huge difference in jamming out at home in your garage or house to a set of speakers muscled by a computer than to the raw, emotionally driven, sensory overloading experience of a live performance. Maybe I am missing the point, but Lanham apparently has not been to a concert in a while. My last concert was A Perfect Circle in Nashville and holy moly those guys rocked the house. Sitting at Starbucks with my little, white earbuds cranking out to the best of their ability "Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drums" just doesn't have quite the same effect.

So, again I feel tangibility, the emotional connectivity experienced by the reader or listener will always win.

Copyright is last on the to-do list. What does one make of it? Is it an issue in the digital world? Returning to my previous statement, "I feel music and texts are only as authentic as the composer and author want them to be"; if one wants to establish authority and concrete validity in one's work, don't publish on the web or create music from digital snippets or music creating software. I think each world, print and digital, have their uses and to expect the rules of each to be completely compatible is futile or naive at best.