Thread: Give It Up
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Old 09-04-2020, 01:22 AM   #5
Boupo
Human being with feelings
 
Join Date: Feb 2020
Posts: 142
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tspring View Post
You will hear wildly varying opinions on this topic. My own opinion is that any tool or material can be used to make wildly creative art. It is all about the mind, hard work, and execution. Back when I studied art, one of the most satisfying works I ever did was a collage of images cut from magazines that I was required to do as an exercise. It was more interesting and creative than 99% of the drawings and paintings that I labored over for years.

It is easy to make crappy music with loops and samples. But there is nothing to stop a genius from taking the same material and creating something miraculous. I suspect that with the capabilities that we now have to transform sounds, it would be possible to take a recording of water dripping in the sink and make into something akin to a symphony.

The human mind is a mystery. We do not know the limits of what we can imagine. And we cannot know what genius and hard work can yield, even when working with loops.

T
Many thanks for sharing your views, tspring. I fully agree that any artist could use any tool or material to create their art, whether painter, storyteller or musician. I agree that ultimately it is the final product that counts, and if that results in an original work that creates desireable emotions in the beholder, then indeed the artist would have achieved his/her goals.

The issue I struggle with, when talking about loops, is that these were conceived of by other artists, and it is they who exercised their industry and creativity to come up with something original.

Your example of the collage is a pertinent one, but I'll bet that none of the scraps that you used became a feature by which your work is identifiable. With loops, especially with melodic loops, these are often featured prominently (e.g. in the verse or chorus or main rhythm) of the final work - they shape the character of the music. They become a distinguishing aspect of the music, and they were 'borrowed'.

What if I were an author, and 'borrowed' a prominent character from another literary work (perhaps changing the name) because it fit in my story? Could I claim ownership or originality, and would it be acknowledged as such? So why in music?

Having said this, I fully understand what you mean, and tend to subscribe to your view. I am just trying to understand how such music is generally perceived.

Thanks again.
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