What’s it worth?
A key issue facing musicians in the digital age is an ongoing shift in the relative values of recording and performance. Simon Jenkin’s take on old and new for the Guardian stands out for its resonance on this topic, cutting to the core of the contemporary relationship between taped and live:
Much of the power of enjoying music lies in being in the presence of its makers, in the intimacy of live. That a million people have visited [the Simón Bolívar Symphony Orchestra and Gustavo] Dudamel’s YouTube prom performance does not diminish the appeal of a concert but enhances it. The web is not a rival to live but an aid to it, a publicity tool. It is the medium but not the message.
This axiom applies to audio recordings as well [something I’ve highlighted before as it relates to digital media] and is a guiding principle of my efforts to share my own performances with you via the web.
From an independent performer’s perspective, a very valuable development indeed.
