The Official Sequential/Oberheim Forum
OTHER DISCUSSIONS => General Synthesis => Off Topic => Topic started by: cbx on June 21, 2017, 01:54:27 AM
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In the past I sometimes feel embarassed because of scrutiny I received for playing these instruments. Like I was some mad drug addict or something to play them. Now they are more common and I don't feel a stigma because I like them.
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It's nice to have people not look as me as a mental patient as often as used to happen when they say "so what do you play" and I reply "electronic instruments". Still there are a lot who'll make snide comments like "so you don't actually play an instrument" and my comfort around them changes. I could tell them all the other 'real' instruments I can play, but whatever, knowing that won't make them change their mind about 'real' music.
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It's nice to have people not look as me as a mental patient as often as used to happen when they say "so what do you play" and I reply "electronic instruments". Still there are a lot who'll make snide comments like "so you don't actually play an instrument" and my comfort around them changes. I could tell them all the other 'real' instruments I can play, but whatever, knowing that won't make them change their mind about 'real' music.
I'm classically trained, but I will tell you that I am a better-rounded musician as a consequence of having tinkered with electronic tunings / temperaments / timbres the majority of my life; the "real instrument" folks are merely jealous at the least, and, at the most, are under-equipped to contend with out-of-the-box, non-traditional alternatives that are now quite common.
Meanwhile, if I ever ended up incapacitated (or worse!), chances are that I could write some generative or algorithmic music that might truly outlast my physical form–try that with a French horn!
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My experience has been that with non-musician folks mentioning synthesizers as a hobby, or as your instrument, is akin to saying you play a hurdy gurdy or psaltry. They really can't picture it. Probably best off to just say you play keyboards and leave it at that. With the musician inclined folks, seems most get it, but some you can clearly sense dismiss it as cheating or something.
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Like cbx said, people are becoming more accepting of synths and such, with more and more people saying they too make electronic music when I mention my interest in it. Which bring me to the other side of the haters; the pure computer musicians who thing hardware is redundant due to plug-ins. I've more than once been called stupid for working without them. Some are confused and will quizzically ask "Not even for recording?" No, I have stand-alone recording boxes. One guy I was working with formed the idea that because I buy hardware that I must be rich and am part of the bourgeoisie that is ruining society. I tried to point out that I make the same money as him just I put my money towards synths and stuff, not Che Guevara teeshirts. A few years ago at the local music tech shop, I was scoffed at for buying a Volca Beats. Same guy served me the other week when I bought a MIO4 MIDI interface/router. He asked what it did, so I explain that it's an interface with stand-alone router functionality. The guy spun-out that such things exist, then started explaining he's only this year broken out of the DAW/VST world and is kicking himself he never did before! Nice that he's finally coming around, heheh.
I think we will always be seen as weirdos the same way computing nerds are seen by the casual user. I have to say though, I do like being seen as a bit of a loon for the instruments I prefer to play.
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Whatever people say about synthesizers, the fact is, they're everywhere. They listen to them all the time without realizing it. Radio, television, online, even the sounds our computers make as they're starting up and shutting down; not to mention purely musical environments. The synthesizer is likely to most omnipresent musical instrument in the world.
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Whatever people say about synthesizers, the fact is, they're everywhere. They listen to them all the time without realizing it. Radio, television, online, even the sounds our computers make as they're starting up and shutting down; not to mention purely musical environments. The synthesizer is likely to most omnipresent musical instrument in the world.
Oh for sure they are everywhere, just the 'real' music turkeys don't realise they are listening to one. What used to be fun was to point out that ZZ Top's "Legs" was all done with electronics. Synth bass line, drum machine percussion and sampled guitars. I say used to be fun because kids today, they don't know the song.....