Matt Brann

Watson Chapel High Schoool

Submitted on March 26, 1999

ABSTRACT

The following report is about how music has been affected by technology. How technology has went form the only music around being the Gregorian chants to many forms of music like Jazz, Rap, Country, Alternative and my forever love Metal. From records being played over a radio to compact disc players in every home. From 12 men bands creating the same sound one man can now. One mans dream to be a singer, being livedo ut even though he cannot play any instruments by getting up on stage and singing to his favorite song in a kareoke bar. From 3 strings being wrapped around a box to a very devloped sitar with 19 strings. If technology hadn't taken over the music industry none of this would have happened.

The way that sounds have been played off of have changed slightly since the bginning of recorded music. The basic design of records or 8-tracks compared to compact discs and tapes, are very much alike even though there is much better clarity on compact discs and tapes. And compact disc and tapes have a much better carry on size and weight. Compact Disc players are much better players using a laser lens instead of needle that record player used. But maintaining your compact discs and players is much more work, making sure your disc doesn't get scratches, finger prints, or dust on them and making sure that there is no dust in the player, there is work with records but the possibily of it getting scratched is much less.

Instruments have changed dramatically over the years the jokes about blowing on jugs aand playing 2 strings over a homemade guitar are more true then you first might htink. Back then the instruments weren't as important, as they are now, they were just mere accompaniments, but todaya song just doesn't sound right without a great beat. Intruments have taken greater form, from the six \string acoustic guitar to the 19 string Sitar which takes years to learn and many chords needed to know to play. Speakers and amps have been developed letting live performers have bigger audiences, and let ever one of them hear the slightes tap of the foot on stage.

With great recording, playback, and mixing instruments one man can take turns playing each of the instruments he would like in his songs and be solely responsible for a great album, one man bands are becoming more and more popular but ther are many let downs in one man banding, performing live would be a real hassle if you weren't able to play all the instruments so most "one man bands" have live performers. Distorters have lead to a very different sound that can let you make your voice sound like a guitar, make your guitar seem to be talking. Electric drums "the percussion of the futuer" that allow you to make each one of your drums have a different sound, you can even make your drums sound like a tuba and each strike of the drum can be a different note. Electric Drums have been a new delight to some of the newer percussionist but some of the older players think they're no good because they jsut aren't the same.

Kareoke bars have hits with many musicians to be, the ability to get on stage and sing to a small audience to any of your favorite songs or one of your own songs. No one can be held back form jumping into the music industry today with many televisions shows lik Apollo and star search, and production companuies that allow you to sed in a smaple of your work letting them get a feel of what your work is like then possible jimping directly into the business. Many recording studios let you come in and record your work for a small fee, get it put onto a compact disc and pass h