Scott Thurman
Mr. Reuter
Blog Post
Music – Is it Truly Talent?
This day and age has slowly, or in
many cases quite quickly actually, worked its way far into the technological
world. More and more us humans are becoming dependant on what technology can do
and we are relying on it to almost do our jobs for us in some cases. Music is
one of those places. All of the pop music of today uses more of the computer
and technology than it does the actual singer/band. Other than classical, jazz,
and most rock/metal, the more pop genres and alternative genres use auto-tune
and many other gadgets and programs to make even the worst of musicians sound
perfectly professional.
Auto-tune was created for tech
artists to be able to save time, fix little timing errors, and fix pitch just a
little if a singer or solo band member couldn’t quite get the right pitch or
note out. What it’s become today is something that is overused, where singers
and other musicians who really quite frankly don’t have a lot of talent are
still made good using technology to make them sound heavenly compared to what
they really sound like. Most of them even use their recordings for concerts. People
these days are only in this business (the pop singers at least) for the
publicity, attention, and money. According to today.com, it says, “The
prevalence of Auto-Tune comes from two longstanding pop music traditions — the
desire to alter the human voice and the quest for perfection at the expense of
real talent and emotion.”
So how might this affect the economy
or even individual finances? Well, as far as the individual goes, real talent
is no longer recognized or understood these days. For the reason that no one is
perfect, those who spent their whole lives practicing, being in bands, choirs,
singing and playing for tons of different people and places are not recognized
and given the opportunities they deserve because they’re being beaten out by
people who are clearly not as good as they are yet have been made “perfect” (if
sounding like a robot and not having any musicality like vibrato and dynamics
is now what we classify as perfection) by auto-tune. Therefore, those who have
the talent are unable to make it big meaning they have to find something else
to do with their lives because our world sees backward.
The same article referred to above
goes on to talk about how the first stages of the program were only able to
give certain effects to the singers voice, but could not change pitch or tempo
which means the people still had to be able to sing. Also, Michael Jackson
became so popular before auto-tune really took over pop because he was one of
very few people who could sing quite well but also had some mad dance moves.
Today, people just look good, dance some dances, and let auto-tune do the rest.
People are paying money to see these people like never before and what’s funny
is they’re not even really hearing the singer sing – they’re hearing what they
want to sound like and programmed it into a computer and are playing it back.
Dealing with the macroeconomics,
auto-tune is the number one used music tool in the world (go figure) so that is
making a ton of money and it’s not showing any signs of being passed up by
something else. Auto-tune is ruining music, real musician’s lives, yet is being
rewarded with a boat load of money and an astonishing amount of attention and
adoration.
This was a very interesting article to read about. I do agree with a lot of what you talk about in your article. I do agree that many pop singers actually can't sing at all, and use technology to alter their voices. And I also agree that there are many real talented singers out there that aren't being recognized for true talent. This is very sad, because there are many true talented individuals, but they never get the spotlight because many of these actors or actresses become singers as well, or family members get put in the spotlight. I believe today mostly music is not talent anymore because of all the technology we use to alter sounds and voices. However I also believe for some people who can really sing they are blessed with true talent.
ReplyDeleteI never would have thought that music could be affected this greatly with a new age of music. I personally am open to a lot of different types of music but I do see where you are coming from. These people that don't have talent are making it big and the people that spend hours on hours are losing their jobs. It is really unfortunate to see this happening but at the same time that is what happens as technology advances. The world isn't fair and everyone has a plan for their lives so if technology pushes them out of something they thought they had talent for then maybe that wasn't their true calling but rather a hobby. It is unfortunate but its the truth in the day and age we live in.
ReplyDeleteInteresting how it is the number one selling music technology out there. Pop singers really can't sing. My dad recounts when auto tune first came out, you could only prove yourself if you did an unplugged version of your shows to show you didn't use or need it. I bet no pop singer today could come close to that. And honestly, auto tune doesn't make them better, they still sound terrible, yet this is what is popular and this is what we buy, not good music, but some 'popular' song our friends like. This is what feeds into the economy.
ReplyDeleteYour topic was interesting to read about. Over the years you have seen many new artists become popular. And you made a good point that i don't think some can actually sing and that something that was such a talent has become oh anyone can do it. Music now is finding someone that can fit the image and that technology will take care of the rest. Yes this is making money but now its changing and making it harder for people that have the talent to make it because maybe they just don't have the look.
ReplyDeleteIt is clearly unfortunate that people are losing jobs or having trouble getting one because technology is taking their place. As sad as it is that Auto-Tune is making not as talented people famous, if it is bringing in money, there is still a benefit there. For those who would rather hear the non Auto-Tuned people even though their fame doesn't precede them, it is frustrating when the majority of the stuff on radio stations is Auto-Tuned. However, for those who are accepting of a variety of genres that don't use it as much, they take the other end of the deal. Either way, and for both preferences, there are positive and negative externalities.
ReplyDeleteI was just talking about this with a friend the other day. It's incredible how easy it is to become famous in the music industry because of all of the musical technology that exists in the industry today. It's almost as if knowledge and experience with music technology is more important and helpful than actual talent sometimes. However, I do not think that that means they should be making any less money. The amount of entertainment this music brings is more valuable than the actual authenticity of the music. If you take concerts, radios, CDs, iTunes, music videos, and all the other aspects into account, music brings in an impressive revenue.
ReplyDeleteBy using things like auto-tune, it allows record labels and music companies to make more money by producing higher quality of music. By using these simply 'white lies' you can turn even the worst singer into one of the best there ever was. Auto-tune is putting all the natural talent in the back seat and not even giving them a chance because the voices you are hearing in today's music are virtual perfect. This puts many young and striving musicians out of work because they just want to sing in their natural voice and not go with the flow to be auto-tuned.
ReplyDeleteWith it becoming harder and harder for musicians that have natural talent to make it big, less people will practice and get education in music related fields which would hurt the economy. When auto tune takes over the jobs of human musicians unemployment goes up. If we want to keep music a prevalent force in education and in the work force we need to have a mindset change in society. Luckily this may be a short term negative externality because in terms of music, certain music styles often change in popularity over a few years. If that is the case we would be able to revamp the music industry to what it was before this era of auto tune in order to increase competition between musicians and gain jobs for the industry.
ReplyDeleteI agree, auto tune is definitely something that has gotten out of hand. Listeners are so accustomed to hearing what is so called 'perfection', that they are putting their money into all the wrong things. I think it would be really cool if some more effort or a little money was put into endorsing singers to be as authentic as possible, and encouraging kids to take lessons if they want to become better, not just take the easy route and auto enhance it. As Austin said earlier, auto tune doesn't even sound good at all. People are pouring their money into garbage, and something definitely needs to happen to transition that.
ReplyDeleteAs a musician, I found this article very interesting to read. I love to listen to music, play guitar, sing, and play piano, but one thing I've started to dislike is listening to the radio. I've never thought of pursuing a career in music myself, but I imagine it would be a struggle because of the competitive nature of the music industry. I'm sure it's also quite discouraging for very talented musicians that they cannot "make it big" like they dream of because it's all about the technologically altered voices and computer-made instruments that clutter the radio these days. Artists on the radio today may not even write their music--they just sing and let autotune make them sound on pitch. I find this very sad, and also makes me like songs on the radio less. I prefer to listen to artists who have natural talent compared to those who sing the overplayed autotuned songs on the radio. I believe the music industry makes too much money, and does not share enough of the amazing musical talent that is out there.
ReplyDeleteOnce again computers doing the job of humans "better". Though one could argue that on a technical level, electronically generated music is superior, perfectly adhering to a beat and having pitches that are perfect down to the exact wavelength of the sound, not just the range that constitutes a note, I still lament the lack of actual effort and love that seems to go into some music I hear on the radio from time to time, where the beat is the same 2 measures repeated for an entire song and the lyrics are the worst attempt at rhyming I have ever heard. As to economics, people will buy what they find subjectively the best, so I feel as though the only effect this has on the economy is taking money from good musicians' pockets and putting it into good software technicians' pockets.
ReplyDeleteI believe that we rely so much on technology that we no longer realize what real talent is. We hear these bands and singers on the radio and there is a very heavy influence of things like auto tune and and synthesizers. With all of these technological advances it makes it difficult to be able to appreciate the singer/bands real talent. Yes I do believe most have talent but it is just not properly expressed due to the heavy influence of society.
ReplyDeleteI think that some of the people have talent but those who have just always been in the business don't have talent anymore. People who have overcame everything in order to get into music at first are doing what auto tune was originally made to do but after that the fame gets to their head and soon they are changing almost everything so that everything can be "perfect". I really hope that at some point someone will decide to change that and become someone who only uses auto-tune for the right reasons and puts pressure on everyone else to do the same.
ReplyDeleteThere are still many good singers in pop who have good voices and don't use auto-tune. People who have raw talent are still able to make it in the industry, however, it changes so much with different tastes in music that come and go. The problem is not that people are using auto-tune, but that you must give the listeners what they want. And someone who has been in bad or choir is not use to singing or playing more popular songs and stay mainly on classical pieces. Also I believe that the use of auto-tune should be embraced as a new tool to make music sound fun and interesting. The future is coming. And with the increase of popularity of eletronica, it isnt going anywhere.
ReplyDeleteDespite the artists now cheating their way to the top, they've only seen the consumers give them money for not having the talent. What we would need to do, if we want to have pure talent for music, is to ignore the catchy pop stuff they sing, eventually leading to their musical demise. It would be the only way to sanitize the music industry from this epidemic of auto-tuned artists.
ReplyDeleteI agree Christopher, but I don't know if we need to go as far as a Final Solution to rid the world of specific music. Many people may feel very strong about the "cheating" going on in music, but it's the public's fault. These artists make their music a certain way and many people listen to it and like it. That's why its always on the radio. The demand for this genre is high so the artists that do it will continue to supply it until they suck the demand dry. A revolt against specific music seems a tad unrealistic, but genre's die as generations go on; we just need to hope the "cheating" dies with it.
DeleteI would say that artist are very talented, from the person writing the lyrics, creating the background beat and the singer. For an example, Hip Hop artist write their own lyrics with multiple different rhyme schemes and similies/metaphors, this takes a lot of talent it isnt as easy as you think. Also, creating a beat on a computer is pretty hard. There is more to it than just putting a bunch of random instruments together to create a instrumental. To be part of the music industry you have to be talented. It all takes skills and if you have none than you wont make any money and are in the wrong lifestyle.
ReplyDeleteIt makes me incredibly sad to think we are losing so much talent because people with no talent simply use technology in order to produce "their" songs. I know I have a hard time listening to anything where no instruments are concerned. I think you could have mentioned how the technology that produces auto tunes takes away from the sales of real instruments used in music and other soundtracks. I don't actually know that much about music (I have a brother that's going to get his Ph.D. in music so I let him explain everything), but I can see how auto tune has started to corrupt the music industry.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the article and almost all the comments made about auto tune. It is ruining an industry. A person like myself who doesn't really have the right voice to sing, or the ability and time to become an expertise in music, can now go online and create beats within the dubstep/ electronic genre and make music. I could use the auto-tune tool to make my voice better perhaps. But that defeats the entire purpose of music. It is to take someone on a journey through the words of others. It is to help create a party-like atmosphere wherever you go. But most importantly, it allows those true musicians to escape reality and be one with music.
ReplyDeleteThe music that we listen to now has little to no talent (for the most part) due to people who sound like absolute garbage being able to use a computer and completely change how they sound. I also agree with what Sri said with being able to go online anytime of the day and making your own music and it may perhaps sound good if you know what you are doing. I believe that music should be original and if you aren't good at it, don't do it. The music industry today is also filled with songs that sound the same, have very similar lyrics, and have no meaning behind the song itself.
ReplyDeleteI absolutely love this topic because I completely agree with you and I love music. Nowadays, music barely ever uses the real voices of the the artists which is a shame because I for one believe the music is better when it is completely real. I hate how music now, is based upon a fake beat and auto-tune. But I guess that's how record companies make their money now. These companies can charge hundreds of dollars an hour and they will still get business. Which I think is amazing. Whether the artist wants the technical aspects of the computer or their own voice only, that record company will still be making a boat load of money with that artist just being there day after day.
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting topic. A lot of what your are saying is true but I do believe it is inevitable that music preference will progress with technology. Even though music now relies on Auto-tune, there is still an appreciation for sound and rhythm behind it. Auto-tune may be costing society their appreciation for true instrumentation and voice, but the pop music that is created through Auto-tune, satisfies consumers and brings a lot of joy. I guess it really depends how you look at it. I care about instrumentation and true talent but I also enjoy the dance music that is heard on the radio. I can see it from both sides. It aligns perfectly with the basic economic truth that consumer wants exceed economic means and it is impossible to please everyone.
ReplyDeleteI can’t believe I didn’t see this sooner. When I think of the music industry, I immediately think of the countless people who have become famous thanks to their singing voice. I didn’t know that so many talented musicians and singers are losing jobs because of this auto-tune. It’s funny that not many people know about this, which is why I think all of these pitches and sounds we hear in songs are really from the singer, when in reality they aren’t. It is obvious at times to notice when people are using auto-tune or not, but I don’t think that this will ever change. I think that the more technology is advancing, the more and more we will be listening to music with auto-tune. It very well could be a growing industry, and nobody said it was easy to do all of this technical work. In the end, I am against it because it does lower the chances of some talented people.
ReplyDeleteNowadays, I get really nervous going to a concert of an artist I like for the first time, because I am not sure how much they use auto-tune. Some artists really disappoint me in the heaviness of their use. If there is a very noticeable difference in the sounds it ruins the experience of seeing them live, which can be very sad. Bottom line is that the introduction of auto-tune has begun to ruin the music industry.
ReplyDeleteHey Scott! Nice post! I'd like to add that people with social skills or athletic skills make way more money than musicians with equal talent. Even though a musician and a businessman might have equal proficiency in their field, the businessman is going to make way more money. The musician might not even have a job. So when we measure human capital, we shouldn't just measure skill or talent - we should measure the specific skill or talent that they have, and how useful it is in our economy.
ReplyDeleteI never really thought about how the way music was made, and the amount of auto tune used, would effect the economy. However, there is the point that artist use auto tune to fit the demand for quality sound and rhythm. Even though it is not giving the rest of the people who do have true talent a chance, it is finding away to fit the needs, with what they already have, vs. going out and trying to find someone new to do it.
ReplyDeleteWhat an interesting topic -- I had never thought of the economic impact of auto-tune, but you have really pointed out some intriguing ideas. Although the songs that utilize auto-tune may not have any "real talent" it seems that the demand for these songs is growing, while the demand for the "real talent" seems to be declining. This would have to do with one of the determinants of demand: consumer tastes. It seems that consumers prefer the perfect auto-tuned music over real talent because technology is so prevalent in today's economy that consumers want upbeat, fast, perfect music that mimics the quick pace of today's society. The decreased demand for "real talent" drives the prices down for these artists' records which is why they are not making enough money to make it in the music industry. Although it is sad, it is simply part of the economic cycle. Great post!
ReplyDelete