The Problem with Music (1993)
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The Problem with Music (1993)
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Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#2[deleted]
Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#3Not knowing too much about sound engineering myself, I tried comparing it to software engineering. At the end of the day what matters is your output and learning along the way. It seems the author has a gripe with people calling themselves producers.
If someone said I can’t call myself a software engineer until I had interned at XYZ company and understood Kubernetes, Docker, Typescript, AWS, Rust, etc. I would say ok and?
I know there are thousands and thousands of producers and artists making content that isn’t of the highest quality, but at the end of the day they are creating. Setting an unreasonable bar of skill is not the way forward.
Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#4[dead]
Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#5Not knowing too much about sound engineering myself, I tried comparing it to software engineering. At the end of the day what matters is your output and learning along the way. It seems the author has a gripe with people calling themselves producers. If someone said I can’t call myself a software engineer until I had interned at XYZ company and understood Kubernetes, Docker, Typescript, AWS, Rust, etc. I would say ok…
The bar will only get lower with ai assists. Gatekeeping is either essential or futile depending on your perspective.
Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#6I have been making music for decades. Not professionally of course, but only for myself.
I think in the rush for fandom we forget that it is quite possible to be the best musician you know.
Music is one of those healing substances that will always work and doesn't require you to invest heavily or be addicted or sign a subscription. It will just heal you.
The fact that this has been industrialized and indeed weaponised in the Western world is a bit of a travesty - but we must never forget that our music schools produce 4 - 5 million new musicians a year.
This is why I say, the only rock and roll industry is the one where the guitars are being made and new instruments designed and fashioned - for us all.
The idols come and go. That old synthesizer will have a lot, lot longer use than the CD rack ..
Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#7Not knowing too much about sound engineering myself, I tried comparing it to software engineering. At the end of the day what matters is your output and learning along the way. It seems the author has a gripe with people calling themselves producers. If someone said I can’t call myself a software engineer until I had interned at XYZ company and understood Kubernetes, Docker, Typescript, AWS, Rust, etc. I would say ok…
"The author" in this case is Steve Albini[0].
[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Albini_discography#As_an...
Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#8I wonder how these calculations changed with the rise of production using computers, especially for electronic music, where even a studio is likely not a hard requirement anymore?
I am sure also a lot changed with the rise of various streaming platforms and services allowing to distribute your music to these easily.
Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#9Not knowing too much about sound engineering myself, I tried comparing it to software engineering. At the end of the day what matters is your output and learning along the way. It seems the author has a gripe with people calling themselves producers. If someone said I can’t call myself a software engineer until I had interned at XYZ company and understood Kubernetes, Docker, Typescript, AWS, Rust, etc. I would say ok…
The date on the article is actually important here. Music recording is MUCH different then it is today, 20 years later.
The best you could do for a home recording was a (comparative to today) shitty 4 track cassette recorder. You really needed some training on the equipment to know what you're doing. The resources just wern't there otherwise.
The analogy for the worst cases here is more 'I've turned a computer on, so, Mr Torvalds, heres how a kernel is written'.
Of course there were a few brilliant producers. There mostly mediocre producers who just got the job done, that you'll never hear about. Only the outliers, the best and worst get remembered.
Re: The Problem with Music (1993)
#10Not knowing too much about sound engineering myself, I tried comparing it to software engineering. At the end of the day what matters is your output and learning along the way. It seems the author has a gripe with people calling themselves producers. If someone said I can’t call myself a software engineer until I had interned at XYZ company and understood Kubernetes, Docker, Typescript, AWS, Rust, etc. I would say ok…
I do understand sound engineering. I think their gripe is people claiming they understand how to make something sound good with no actual knowledge of how to do it then making up words along the way. Imagine you have a manager tell you to make the site more “zazzy” with a straight face. Imagine all managers start doing this.