Has Music Software Gone Too Far?

Today I just watched Djtechtool's review of the new Native Instruments Komplete controller. And it looks beautiful! Giving a dedicated controller to the plethora of Komplete sounds and settings was definitely needed.

But what I want to talk about is the other features of this controller. Mainly the lighting feature that shows you what keys are in what scale and a mode where it turns every key to the correct note in a particular scale so when you are playing you are always in the correct key.

So to give a little background on myself so you can see where I'm coming from. I was taught how to read music and to play the recorder by my late Grandfather Raymond Brown Sr. And as time progressed in school I picked up the clarinet, bassoon, and tenor saxophone playing in regional concert bands and marching bands all throughout middle and high school. in college I went on to minor in music theory and played one semester for the marching band there. I say all that to say I know music, no professional but I know my way around a scale lol.

Even with all this musical training when I produce music I prefer to sample then to start my creations from scratch. It's something about taking different pieces of musical compositions and making them fit together that really intrigues me.

But are today's tools making it too easy to make music? This new controller from Native Instruments subtracts any need of classical training to make music. A jazz musician from 20 years ago would call this blasphemy .

But on the other hand kids and adults alike who have creative musical ideas but no training now  have an outlet to express themselves in ways unheard of not even 7 years ago. 

So whos right? Who's wrong? I don't know, you tell me.

Is This what it comes to?

DJ Ross One pokes fun at the DJ industry in a Hilarious way with some cameos by some big artists. Sad but true, BUT i have a feeling the tables will turn (pun intended lol) and we will come back to being about the music and not everything else... but Rant over, enjoy the Vid!!! 

Getting Your Song Played at the Party

How to NOT Get Your Song Played

1.Tell the DJ your about to leave in 3 minutes and he or she has to play your song right now

2. Just because its your friends birthday dosn't mean the DJ is going to now play I can show the world from Aladdin

3. Asking the DJ for songs while he is mixing

4. Asking the DJ to play a song 7 -10 times in a night, the more times you ask the less chance that he or she is going to play it

5. Asking for a song while waving your drink over their equipment... not only are you not getting your song you also might die

6. Touching the DJ's laptop without permission (refer to last part of # 5)

7. Cursing out the DJ

8. Asking for music that only you want to hear

9. Stand all night by the DJ booth and request songs that nobody knows about but you and your friends

I could go all day on another ways to not get your song played but it really comes down to one thing, treat the DJ with respect and you will get the same back. Alot of people dont seem to realize this fact but DJing is a job, it takes alot of time and energy to become a decent DJ and have the ability to entertain multiple groups of people at the same time.

How To Get Your Song Played

1. Ask for a song that fits in the same genre or vibe that DJ is currently playing in

2. When the DJ does play your song actually go dance, dont stand by the booth with the next song you want on your lips

3. Acknowledge that the DJ is a person, you can do this by saying hello, or how are you doing

4. Please and thank you are very powerful words... use them

5. Last and definitely not least enjoy yourself! Trust me the DJ is less likely to play your song if you are a downer

Thank you for reading my little tutorial on getting your song played at the party, this is all my honest opinion and while I cannot guarantee that these rules will get your song played every time your chances will mos def greatly improve.. try it!

This has been a PSA from B Rab Productions, more will be released when it is again deemed necessary

Thank you



The Curious Case of Creativity

"The reality is that it's easier to be inspired than it is to create an original idea and we are hardwired to take the path of least resistance. It's easier to jump onto a design inspiration gallery site than it is to sit down with a blank sheet of paper and a pencil. It's easier to follow a pattern than it is to test-drive new options. It's easier to copy a style or idea that works than try something that might miss the mark or outright fail. Above all, it's cheaper mentally for us to rally around what's already been done and emulate it.

When we over-saturate ourselves in other people's work it short-changes our own creative development. For example, so many of the design inspiration sites on the web today serve up content in bite-sized chunks, resulting in a form of visual junk food. While the work featured on these sites can be some of the best our industry has to offer, the way that it's displayed usually throws concept and story out the window in place or pure visual sugar.  The story of a design (the problem and solution) are stripped away so only the visual execution is left to absorb. This view of design rots away the core foundations of our profession."

 You can read the rest of this article HERE

I just read this article by Owen Shifflett of Viget.com, and it totally blew my mind hes so right, I dont know how many times I've seen something online or on TV and thought to myself thats cool and then did the exact same thing in my own way. Whether it be in djing, photography, or in producing, I can count the times on one hand that I have actually sat down with a clean slate and tried to create on my own, and that's most likely the reason why creatively I've been in a slump. I've been ingesting everyone else's work for years and years its time for me to do my own thing, I'm going to start by unplugging myself from the internet starting next week, this will only be a week trial but it'll be a start!

Wish me luck!

P.S. Obviously I will still be checking my email via my iphone but no facebook, Twitter, or Websites for a week!