A romantics (modified) view of technology

My friends have often teased me that I romanticize the past. I feel that people were happier without TV, DVDs, Nintendo, X-box and all the other computer games. We have become isolated--entertaining ourselves. Before that, people had to gather together in groups to play music, hear a concert, see a movie or play, participate in an athletic activity or join a sewing group, etc. The only items that I allow into my idealized past are the telephone and washing machine. OK, maybe the Cuisinart, toaster oven and blender, too. (Yes, I like to cook at times.) The electromagnetic rays of the TV and computer zap our body's energy when we sit too long in front of them. People's work was more physical and they sang as they worked which added to positive frequencies and movement into their bodies.

I didn't have much respect for music that used a drum machine. To me, it sounds and feels robotic. (It was good for dancing disco, though.) It misses the subtle human imperfections and interactions. I thought that composers that used synthesizers, labs and computers weren't "real" composers. They could only construct using mechanical techniques not create original works.

So, I have become converted. Do I hear a Hallelujah?! My perceptions and knowledge of the various uses of technology in the creative process have been enlightened. I have found that there is creativity, and much creative choices, when using technology--the computer. I have experienced the choices when one can make when creating music using Audacity, altering photos using Adobe Photoshop, creating webpages with uploaded music and images, and blogs. I have found it a very satisfying vehicle for my creativity: enjoying the background color choices, image background choices, font colors, music selection, image selection, layout needed for webpage creation. And, even though sometimes tedious, the HTML code usuage reminds me of my music theory analyzations in years past--needing to be exact, clear and read multi-layered. I have embeded a link under my blog's title to my current webpages and projects that I have been creating in a music technology course. I hope you enjoy....