Technology and Jazz Music

Technology and Jazz Music

“Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night and yet different every time”. The words of Ornette Collman are a genuine reflection of the impact that technology has had on Jazz music.  Ideally, technology has uplifted Jazz music to the point that it can adopt a variation of sounds, instrumentals and even incorporate aspects of poetry and yet still carry its original aesthetic component.  Before the introduction of technology, Jazz music was simply a form of music that relied heavily on improvisation.  Most of the Jazz of the period before the 1890s were selling mainly due to their originality and the emotional component that primarily addressed the culture of the African Americans.   As time went by, however, technological advancements were introduced into the world of music and as soon as it has begun incorporating instrument also that enhanced the production of Jazz to the incorporation of sophisticated equipment that has pushed Jazz music to the best of its form.  Through an in-depth analysis, this paper aims at showing the effects that technology has had on the composition, audience capacity, recording of the sound, new jazz music invention and finally the better use of jazz music.

Technology has impacted on the composition of Jazz music in various ways, some of which have been identified, while others have not yet been identified. The most obvious way that technology has affected the composition of Jazz music can be seen through the provision of rhythms that enhance the flow of the music and make it easy for an artist to arrange the lyrics and the musicals in the manner that fit in with the songs. Through this means of composition, Jazz music has improved in terms of the musicality that it yields. The structure of Jazz music has proven to be a hitch for some artist in that they are good with the lyrics but incorporating these words to fit into the tune and rhythm that enhances the musicality is the main problem. Reynolds supports that “They all compose, and they favour recording original compositions or arrangements of non-canonical pieces above the performance of jazz standards” (27). The incorporation of technology in the music industry, particularly Jazz music has aided in the provision of a better platform in which these people can get the rhythms and matching instrumentals to complement the lyrics of their songs. Arguably, technology has contributed to the betterment of jazz music. Through this, the music entertainment industry has grown to not only offer entertainment but also become a profession for many artists.

Additionally, technological advancements in Jazz music has provided an increased platform through which these artists can reach wider audiences. Unlike before, when Jazz music performer would perform on streets and in special events for them to reach an audience, the technologically advanced society has made it easier for the jazz songs to reach a wider audience. In attempts to reinforce this argument, Surber illustrates that “Instead of a stage or club, the music came from the phonograph, but the intent was still the same; the music was “re-performed” by the musicians each time an audience demanded” (67). Performance of jazz music was not something that was done by most people as the mediums for transmitting it was limited. Following this, jazz music was associated with immorality, and bad behaviour and many people did not listen. This explains the common stereotype that African American jazz music was composed of Violence. In contemporary society, jazz music is spread through a variety of mediums such as radio, television and even live performances that have improved the size of the audience that listen to Jazz music. Technological advancements, however, have contributed to the development of the larger audiences and even contributed to changing the common perceptions about Jazz music in society. Through the internet, youtube had offered a platform where people can listen to any music, regardless of the year when it was created. Through this, technology has contributed to changing the societal perception of Jazz music to the point that most people value and enjoy jazz music.

Moreover, technological advancements in music and entertainment have contributed to the enhanced recording capacity and quality.  Before the introduction of technology, jazz music was recorded using devices that did not have enormous capabilities for storage, and this meant that the recording would be limited to a specific number of music.  The traditional times employed the use of microphone diaphragm that was used to record music by applying the principle that sound travels through waves. This method was useful at that time, but it had several limitations such as capacity and the clarity of the voices. Additionally, it was plain as it did not offer additional effects that would be used for enhancing the performance of the music.   The introduction of technology, however, changed the recording systems and incorporated the technologically supported recording systems that enhance not only the musicality of the performance but also work towards the creation of beautiful aesthetically driven music.  Surber argues that “technology’s influence on modern art focused primarily on forms such as photography and film; his insights apply to recorded sound as well” (6).  Technological advancements contributed to the betterment of the society in the aspect that it made the production of music more enjoyable. Technology has improved the performance of Jazz music to the extends that music can be recorded without displaying the lyrics. The editing process of Jazz music has also grown in the aspect that people all over the world have gained more knowledge of Jazz music and listen to this music more than they used to before. The modern equipment that is used in the process of recording music has made it easier for controlling the pitch and the rhythm of the music, producing an output that is enticing to the ear.

Technology has contributed to the development of new forms of music that can be seen through advanced Jazz music. Unlike Jazz in the past years, modern Jazz following the introduction of technology has contributed to the formation of new jazz forms that incorporate contemporary styles of music. One typical style that has been included in Jazz music is the addition of classical music in jazz performance, to create a new form of music. Technology has created new types of composing music, and this has contributed to the development of music to meet the aesthetic need of people all over the world. In attempts to support, Kaliakatsos-Papakostas et. Al argues that “a large dataset of more than 400 harmonically annotated pieces from various diverse musical idioms are being constructed; the knowledge extracted by these annotated pieces”. The new styles that are incorporated in Jazz music are intended at finding common ground between the Jazz music and how other musical elements can be included in the music and identify the overall outcome that is got from the integration. A good example is the incorporation of Blue and R n Bs on hip hop to act as a chorus. Most of the music that is formed in this manner has proven to be beautiful and musical with or without the use of instrumentals. One of the most critical aspects of this music revolves around the interaction of the chords of the different artistic types and most importantly, the interlocking of the rhythms of the song. One crucial element of these types of new Jazz has been proven to be enjoyable as they bring together different kinds of audiences and people learn to 6enjoy, the performance. The formation of the new music is enhanced by the interlocking of the different sounds of the musicality that is enhanced by the music.  As such, technological developments have created a new form of Jazz music, which has contributed to the development of the musical world.

Furthermore, the invention of the technologically supported musical instruments that enhance the performance of Jazz music. Unlike before, when the tools that were used in the enhancements of Jazz music was mainly improvised from improvised devices such as the sound produced by pebbles and clapping and tapping feet. For the advanced ones, the common practice was the use of drums for enhancing the musical chords.  Technological advancements have contributed to the development of new instruments that enhance the musicality of different songs. Reynolds explains that “a rhythm section including drum set, bass, and a keyboard instrument (e.g., piano, analogue synthesizer) accompanying some combination of horns, guitar, voice, or another melodic instrument” (26). These instruments have contributed to the development of better musical performances. Jazz music in modern times has become more artistic and musical as opposed to the music that was created some years back. One crucial factor, however, that has remained the same is the emotional incorporation of the music, mainly hip hop. Even so, the new musical instruments that have been added in the Hip-hop music has contributed to the formation of better phrasing. Musical instruments have been used to enhance the rhythmic flow of most musical performances. Through the incorporation of modern technology, the performance of Hip-hop music has been made in such a manner that it has become more valuable in contemporary society. This is because music in modern times has become danceable since there are specific dancing styles that have been invented to complement the performance of Jazz music. The introduction of technology has contributed to constructing a new audience that demands a special kind of Jazz music. This audience is interested in some aspect such as high-pitched singing with the loud bass that enhances the beats of the music and by doing so, improve the performance of the music. Technology has also promoted musical performances by creating a platform through which music can be played either slow-paced or high passed to meet the requirements of the audience.

Conclusively, technological advancements that have been noted in modern technology have contributed to making the music better in the entertainment sectors. As much as the roots of music can be described using the aesthetic components that made the music, particularly jazz music exciting, it was an essential part of the music in that it contributed to making the music even more musical and compelling. Technological advancements have contributed to the growth of better composition of music. It has also contributed to the creation of a wider audience through creating devices such as radios and televisions that allow the music to reach several people. Additionally, technology has contributed to the development of the new invention of music in that new forms of Jazz that incorporate other musical styles. Technology in music has also led to the development of better equipment that enhance the performance of music. In other words, technology has contributed to making music better.

Works Cited