Music has been helping us stay together even as we stay apart, from window serenades to video conference concerts. It is hard to imagine we will ever have a shortage of music making, not to mention the decades of existing music recordings. So we don't need to train computers to make new music for us, but of course that hasn't stopped us. We don't do it so that they can replace us, we do it so we can better understand the music we make and what makes it appealing. And whether it is the intention or not, I think teaching … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Sing a New Song
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Science Corner: Siri, Compose a Sonata
Electronics and computers have a long history in music making, from theremins (patented in the 1920s and most famously appearing in the Star Trek theme song) and synthesizers to the now-ubiquitous electric guitar. Pretty much from the moment we figured out how to produce electrical currents and do work with them in the 18th century, we've been harnessing it for play as well. Mostly we humans are actually choosing which notes to play when, although looping, noise, and random composition techniques give away some control … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Siri, Compose a Sonata
Science Corner: Shape of My Brain
Following last week's discussion of expertise (be sure to see the comments also) comes an entirely different perspective on the subject. Sting, formerly of The Police and more recently a genre-spanning solo musician, had his brain scanned while listening to a variety of music selections. The songs were grouped by the way Sting's brain responded while hearing them. Other music comparison algorithms, like the one used by Pandora to recommend songs, rely on features of the music that are quantified in a more objective and … [Read more...] about Science Corner: Shape of My Brain
Should I Get a Degree in Music? (Part 4): Other Careers in Music
In the previous two posts (Part 2, Part 3), we talked about how to decide whether a career in performance or teaching might or might not be right for you, with the understanding that before taking a degree in music you should have some idea of the musical fields in which you could see yourself working with success and satisfaction. In this final installment, we'll walk through a few other possibilities for careers in music. Conducting Yes, most orchestral and choral conductors begin with undergraduate performance … [Read more...] about Should I Get a Degree in Music? (Part 4): Other Careers in Music
Should I Get a Degree in Music? (Part 3): Teaching
In the last post, we observed that many musicians, including many of the highest caliber, teach to supplement their performance activities. So if you decide you want to teach (whether as the whole or part of your musical activities), what does that say in terms of our initial question of whether to pursue a degree in music? For any music teaching job, even if you're self-employed, it is at least advisable to have a degree in music —but the specific necessities (how many degrees and what kind) depend upon what kind of … [Read more...] about Should I Get a Degree in Music? (Part 3): Teaching