he
next logical step is nothing more than an extrapolation of the musical
Dream Machine concept to the next level. This in a sense brings us full circle. Beethoven had conceived of the concept
of the dream machine a few hundred years ago, and today it exists. We
can dream today of what will be tomorrow with the current technology pointing
the way. A simple analysis of the situation: this is to that, what that
is to blank. Yesterday's tools are to today what today's tools are to
tomorrow tools. A basic "if then" all mixed up with a little
guess work and a lot of dream work.
If I had to make the same prediction, or dream that same dream from
today's standpoint, I would say the next step would be some sort of
instant understanding. No need to practice and absorb and reinterpret.
Perhaps a smart pill for classical violin playing, or a dose of some
concoction that makes you absolutely wail on the tenor sax. There would
likely be a trade-off though. For example: You could play tenor like
mad but someone would have to feed you and bathe you. Something strange
like that. It would somehow take that ubiquitous "90% unused portion"
of the brain and chemically reconfigure it to think TENOR SAX absolutely
and totally. But along with it would go other stray parts of the intellect
that would leave the "subject" lacking in some basic functions.
Hopefully when the pill would wear off you would be left with some lasting
insight into the art of tenor sax playing. Hopefully Or maybe it would
just be fun for the moment. It might be like the Universal Studios tour
attraction where you get to put on some fake Spock ears and do a scene
from Star Trek on the actual sound stage on which the series was filmed.
You could get four or five friends together and take Grateful Dead pills
and for a few tunes you could actually be them. That would have to be
a very powerful, highly defined pill.
We will one day be able to figure out exactly what it is that makes
musical genius. What gene or chemical or combination thereof that makes
for very high level musical aptitude. Perhaps we could come to a point
where we would be able to duplicate the "gifted" who were
born with vast abilities simply waiting to come alive. Stevie Wonder
comes to mind as such a talent. But even he says he writes a song a
day and at the end of a year he's got a couple good ones that will make
a great record and maybe even a hit! Stevie is definitely special. Whenever
he plays the Grammy Awards show or something in that genre with an audience
filled with top artists, he's the only performer that gets a standing
ovation. That shows they all know they're witness to a truly gifted
musical genius. His is the mysterious power we must understand to achieve
the smart pill. Do we want to do that? Won't that cheapen Stevie's abilities?
This sounds like the fear expressed at inception of synthesized music
itself. It was speculated that music would go downhill at that point.
We all know that has not happened. We've all become richer for the synthesizers
existence. We've all learned to coexist and flourish despite the antagonisms.
We've all become the richer for it. That is what the smart pill will
do.
The advanced smart pill would even allow for the journey. The complete
learning experience which is what yields the richest treasure. It would
not only allow to play like the great Dizzy Gillespie, but you would
have to become him-and become his experiences. For it is the full scope
of the learning experience that one brings to one's music that gives
it any lifep;any lasting value. You bring your life to your music.
Your memories, your experiences, your sorrows and your elations. These
are the ingredients of valuable music, not simply a great riff or a
fine arrangement. It is the audio essence of life itself that is music.
The music smart pill will be remarkable. It not come about without
great debate however. But think of the rich outcome and think of the
music that will be born. Think of the music.
Would not a musical smart pill be lacking in some way? Could it ever
substitute the feeling of accomplishment at having achieved one's goal
of actually playing the sax for real? There is never an end point. There
is never a time at which you say to yourself "There. I've done
it. I've learned to play the cello." You're always growing-always
learning. Said a great artist nearing the end of his life, I think Picasso,
(or was it DaVinci?) "So sad I am going to die soon I'm just learning
to really paint".
So how could all this be reduced to a pill? I don't know. Did Beethoven
know about LCD's and sine waves and digital reverb and aural exciters?
Of course not. Well, probably not. The fact is progress is unstoppable
and man will, so long as he is breathing, continue to dream. Continue
to take that journey to more remote uncharted locations. Of this you
can be certain. There are those that will say such a "pill"
or such an experience has nothing whatsoever to do with music. There
were those that dissed the synthesizer at first too. Were they wrong?
Of course. Will they be wrong about the pill? Who knows.
Or maybe the next breakthrough in music would involve mind reading
or something along the lines of high level telepathy. Consider experiments
in biofeedback where a person fitted with the correct feedback gear
can control their heartbeat or pulse rate or certain alpha brain waves.
They can't explain how they're doing it, but once they learn how it
is said to be quite simple. This may be the first step of communicating
on this "silent" level. I know from experience the feeling
of communicating with other musicians. That feeling of knowing where
the other players are going, or the fact that you knew what they were
going to do or play and when, or that the direction they were taking
with the ending was going to lead you just right there or wherever,
or something like that. This already exists on a certain level. It's
that musical magic that anyone will tell you they've experienced at
a good concert. That's the ultimate musical trip- the ride that even
the audience goes along for. That's why music is called the universal
language. It speaks to all regardless of language or, to a certain extent,
musical understanding or level of appreciation.
When we begin to really understand that area of brain power and capability,
things will be REALLY take off! Until then we live in the present and
see ourselves as quite fortunate indeed to be able to savor the technology
of which hundreds of years ago people could only dream.
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