Music technology is a rapidly growing field and already foundational to our daily interaction with music. All of us listen to music using various forms of software and hardware: additionally, several layers of hardware and software were used to create the music as well. The DAW (Digital Audio Workstation) is a program on a computer/ipad/tablet/phone that is every professional and home studio’s central tool to assemble and make create. With a DAW you can record, edit, create and pretty much do anything you want to audio.
If music technology plays such a critical role then why is it not common knowledge among musicians and why is it not more commonly discussed in educational settings?
There appears to be some kind of mysterious fog that shrouds music technology in a veil of mysterium from many musicians. Perhaps there is a perceived level of difficulty or it appears too foreign and unlike the ways musicians traditionally interact with music.
With my own personal journey, music technology allowed me to achieved an understanding of sound that would not have been possible if I had only learned my “tangible” instruments. There are many new tools and perspectives available to musicians today and the more I learned about them, the more ways to create, understand, analyze, and perform music I came up with. My ability to command these tools drastically improved my physical playing in addition to my understanding. For example, you can visualize what you’re hearing in a DAW on screen, or import your sheet music into the program to hear what is sounds like at any speed.
As a multi-instrumentalist, I find that each instrument promotes a certain way of thinking, and music technology is no different. This is the main reason why anyone with access to a device can begin working with digital audio tools and develop this understanding. Because playing an instrument or having years of experience is not needed, you are developing a different way to interact and create music outside of traditional processes. For modern musicians – I feel it is important to utilize the tools at your disposal and broaden your understanding of what musical options are available.
You can hear a sample of David’s music here, and learn more about him and all his upcoming projects by visiting his website.