OT: Are we extinct already?

[aronnelson]

It seems that the radio is filled with DJ music (well DJ's that created the music). It's catchy etc....

But the thing is, they come here (to Hawaii) and debut their single and what irks me as a musician is that the lead singer on the recording doesn't even come. So their debut is to press the play button and dance around while the lead singer (and band and musicans) are not playing anything or not even around. So basically there are no musicians at all playing and just the DJ playing back his hit.

People are clamoring to pay up to $200 to see this.

So maybe this is it.

 

At least music acts used to try and "play" or have a "band". Now it's just hit play.

At weddings, the DJ's are super smart. They emcee the event, provide PA etc... Maybe even make the video. No need for a band.

[Ledbetter]

Actually playing music is HARD, so why do it? The easy way is fine for people who don't really care, and, sadly, there are more every year. Chart our extinction by the declining number of actual pianos purchased each year.

[Gary75]

If your only reason to pick up an instrument is to gig then yes, gigs are changing. There are many many players who don't want to gig. Not gigging doesn't make you any less able to pick up an instrument, become exceptionally good at it and be happy playing for yourself.

[fjzingo]

The only thing that is constant is change, so you better adapt.

[PianoMan51]

The only thing that is constant is change, so you better adapt.

Or accept that you're a dinosaur. Embrace your dino DNA. IIRC the last step of Kubler-Ross is acceptance. If you're not there yet, then shake your fist and scream to the gods. Let me know if it works.

[Song80s]

another catchy niche will push the DJ's aside.

 

Try to figure out what that is. Talk to 10-12 yr olds and young teens in your family

[ElmerJFudd]

I say piano/organ/keyboard players are an endangered species. But no, not extinct. But it is up to us to pass down. If we're not inspiring new players then someone else is. And yes, time to learn and practice is at a premium with young people. They're very focused on reading, writing, arithmetic, science, economics and finance. The majority of them also play organised sports in multiple seasons, travel teams in the summer.

 

However, some silver linings. There will always be kids that relate more to the arts and pursue it passionately. Some % of that will be instrumentalists, and some % of that will be keyboardists. The affordability of a keyboard instrument like the PX-160, P-45, ES100 has never been better. Although these digital instruments aren't as ideal as a baby grand, cheap digital pianos break class barriers in the US. Moms and Dads just need to be able to find good teachers, and that's really up to us to be willing.

 

Also, kids are overwhelmingly choosing guitar over piano despite the first few months of the guitar being more painful (red, finger tips). But there is an attraction to the instrument - the kids have a picture in their head of what success on the instrument looks like, good teachers have a massive library and history of songs to choose from. These kids want to rock and they graduate from Clapton, to Hendrix, Van Halen to Anastasio. Or whoever the teacher can turn them on to.

 

Even we know these guitar heroes names faster than keys players in popular music history. We need to throw our introspective, introverted nature aside and start fronting some acts or being known showmen and side kicks to the lead singer.

 

Also, there are many styles of music and it's important to share lots of them with young players. And foster an open mind about what can be done on the keys. Straight up classical or jazz is not the only way to teach them properly. Vary the repertoire so they can find what inspires them to practice.

 

 

[cphollis]

I prefer to use the word "boutique", not "extinct".

 

But it certainly is becoming a rarer skill. Lots of folks who could play piano well when I was a young'un, not so many now.

 

Example: people come over to visit, I sit down and rip off a few tunes on the acoustic piano, and it's like their head is gonna explode. They've never seen anything or heard anything like it up close.

 

No big deal for me, I know many folks who are much better than I. But the look on their faces is priceless. I do what I can to inspire and encourage the children in my life to get interested, but with limited success.

 

These days, you either have the bug or you don't. Just too many other distractions out there.

[burningbusch]

Hiphop and EDM are created using loops, samples, drum machines, VSTis, synths, DAW techniques, FXs. The rapper/vocalist (if there is a vocalist, a lot of EDM is instrumental) does their thing on top of it. Point is, the tracks weren't created by bringing a bunch of musicians (a band) into the studio playing their respective instruments, why should it be expected they be recreated live in that manner? It seems obvious to me.

 

Guitar players? Not in these genres. You'll hear a Minimoog in hiphop FAR more than you'll hear a Stratocaster. EDM is almost all synths.

 

Busch.

[CEB]

I see a lot of good young players. There may or may not be as many players. But the ones that play get good quickly. The access to information has been a game changer. But around here they tend to not play bars. A lot of really good young cats are coming out of Western churches.

 

When I was 13 I was trying to cop stuff off cassettes today YouTube shows you how to do everything.

[xKnuckles]

I gig therefore I am.

[ElmerJFudd]

I see a lot of good young players. There may or may not be as many players. But the ones that play get good quickly. The access to information has been a game changer. But around here they tend to not play bars. A lot of really good young cats are coming out of Western churches.

 

When I was 13 I was trying to cop stuff off cassettes today YouTube shows you how to do everything.

 

You ever get the impression that the fast answer sometimes doesn't sink in as deep? For example, you're not developing the ear when you learning by copying what you see with your eyes in a video?

[burningbusch]

If your only reason to pick up an instrument is to gig then yes, gigs are changing. There are many many players who don't want to gig. Not gigging doesn't make you any less able to pick up an instrument, become exceptionally good at it and be happy playing for yourself.

 

If I never gig again I'll die a very happy man.

 

Busch.

[Synthoid]

Hey, I took a shower. I'm not extinct.

[MAJUSCULE]

sup dawgs

[bennyray]

I see a lot of good young players. There may or may not be as many players. But the ones that play get good quickly. The access to information has been a game changer. But around here they tend to not play bars. A lot of really good young cats are coming out of Western churches.

 

When I was 13 I was trying to cop stuff off cassettes today YouTube shows you how to do everything.

 

Social Media is now what music was when i was growing up. I had 8 track tapes and vinyl records to figure out chord progressions, etc. Later came cassettes and made it a little easier. Now days with Utube kids have a huge advantage. Not sure kids can put down their phone long enough to form a band.

[CaptainUnderpant]

Society as we know it is Crumbling! How do I know? From a reliable source, a band member's friend set up sound and lights for the biggest boy bands, "One Direction". He said that there was.....

 

"Not one musical instrument on stage, nor were the mics live, except when they were talking"

 

When you can be one of the biggest "Musical?" acts out there with "Nothing", this does raise a few eyebrows.

[MAJUSCULE]

How dare they stomp on Milli Vanilli's grave like that.

[ElmerJFudd]

And yet, biggest summer acts 2015 include: Eagles, Luke Bryan, Kid Rock, Phish, Garth Brooks, Dave Matthews, Rush, AC/DC, Billy Joel, Rolling Stones, Foo Fighters, Ed Sheeran, U2, and Grateful Dead only second most popular to Taylor Swift at #1.

 

What's that say about appeal across age groups, who goes to concerts, and the death of live music. Annuals like the North Sea Jazz festival still very well attended - types of acts have expanded but very much live. Concerts are part of the human condition I think. There's always a scene that prefers canned music and other scenes that gag at that stuff.

 

 

 

[Sven Golly]

Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it... or at least doomed to start yet another one of these threads on KC.

 

Will it go 'round in circles.

 

The more things change...

 

Etc., etc., etc.

 

[Shamanczarek]

I have taught Piano for over 15 years. I was maintaining around 25 students until a little over a year ago. You always have a few that drop out but there was always plenty of new recruits every Fall. Even though I'm listed on several music teacher sites I haven't had a new applicant in over a year. I am down to 6 students and all have been with me for several years. Not sure what is up, if it's the economy or no interest in learning Piano anymore.

[Lindaru]

Sup, dudes and dudettes?

 

 

I have said it before and will reiterate. There is room for it all. We are not going extinct, we are just moving over to allow new stuff in as the current generation will have to do when it is their time and their off-spring come up with something even newer.

 

Keep in mind that our world population is continuing to grow, so more and more people means out of that more and more musicians, but perhaps not in the way we grew up and trained ourselves.

 

At 59-3/4 years of age, I enjoy exploring the new but do keep up with everything I have loved throughout those years whether playing it myself or just hearing it.

 

 

[CEB]

I have taught Piano for over 15 years. I was maintaining around 25 students until a little over a year ago. You always have a few that drop out but there was always plenty of new recruits every Fall. Even though I'm listed on several music teacher sites I haven't had a new applicant in over a year. I am down to 6 students and all have been with me for several years. Not sure what is up, if it's the economy or no interest in learning Piano anymore.

 

The last few years I have gotten calls to teach. I'm not a teacher. It is always the same thing. They don't want to learn piano, just how to play keyboards. They want to learn just what they need to know to play in a band. I guess it can be done. There are these School of Rock programs setup for kids but hell if I would know how to teach it. I tell them sorry but I learned the old fashioned way. 14 years of structured classical piano plus a bit of classical organ and a couple years of jazz when in my early 40s. I taught when I was working my way through college. I don't want to go there again. Everyone wants shortcuts but I don't know where to find the magic beans. Teaching is a whole set of skills in its own right.

[ElmerJFudd]

Did you say School of Crock, CEB?

Sorry, must be the wax build up in my ears.

 

I haven't done it myself but have 3 or 4 guys I gig with that gave it a try - as staff instructor. The curriculum is BS, everything is a rush to do a show. The kids learn a song, then another. No time for technique, harmony, improv other than a blues scale or lead to a tune they have to know.

[Marzzz]

When I was 13 I was trying to cop stuff off cassettes today YouTube shows you how to do everything.

Does it ever! I also play guitar, and I can usually find several videos on how to play any song I wish to learn. Even better, there are usually videos of the artist themselves playing the song, and you can cop their licks and tricks directly.

[timwat]

And still, at least in the circles I run, groove, feel, maturity, taste, real chops and great ears are the things that make the best players stand out from the larger collection of local musicians.

 

These things can't be downloaded from YouTube. It's still a result of a commitment to practice.

 

Are we extinct? I know I'm not. More gigs and more in demand than ever.

 

I figure at this rate, I'm not going to be extinct until I die.

[Song80s]

I see a lot of good young players. There may or may not be as many players. But the ones that play get good quickly. The access to information has been a game changer. But around here they tend to not play bars. A lot of really good young cats are coming out of Western churches.

 

When I was 13 I was trying to cop stuff off cassettes today YouTube shows you how to do everything.

 

You ever get the impression that the fast answer sometimes doesn't sink in as deep? For example, you're not developing the ear when you learning by copying what you see with your eyes in a video?

 

not true IMO. Watching a Rick Wakeman YT helps accelerate my learning of his very fast and fluid technique.

 

Same with learning guitar parts for my Kronos. The YT guitar tutorial gives me a solid context to learn the guitar part ( on keys).

 

And when i see other keyboardists perform a 60's/70's tune, I often observe ' thats not the way I am going to approach it. ". And they frequently skip the intros, mangle the verse/chorus structure.

 

With YT I can better master other instruments for my SEQ songs.

 

Plus there is not ' 1 way to learn'. I am more of a ' need the picture ' learner.

[ElmerJFudd]

There is value in video of course when learning, it's just another view or insight into what's happening. It lets you review time with a teacher over and over without needing to pay for his/her time. And if you're learning about techniques on other instruments like guitar for example - definitely, seeing what they do helps you copy their habits.

 

However, assuming you already have a developed technique... if you have a developed ear you're not dependent on anyone else to learn songs, pieces, tunes, leads, chord changes, etc. You can hear the melodies, changes, bass lines and voicings upon hearing them. If you learn to notate and read notation, you can rapidly save your transcriptions and call on them later. If you get really good at reading notation you can play anything thrown in front of you, note for note, rhythm for rhythm, fingering for fingering, fluidly right now. No waiting until after you've watched the video over and over until you get it down.

 

I would be really surprised to hear the musicians on this forum place watching video over developing your ear as the most important of musical skills. The eye to ear notation and/vs/read or not debate has been beaten to death. So I guess we just started the watch video to listen to music debate?

 

[Song80s]

There is value in video of course when learning, it's just another view or insight into what's happening. It lets you review time with a teacher over and over without needing to pay for his/her time. And if you're learning about techniques on other instruments like guitar for example - definitely, seeing what they do helps you copy their habits.

 

However, assuming you already have a developed technique... if you have a developed ear you're not dependent on anyone else to learn songs, pieces, tunes, leads, chord changes, etc. You can hear the melodies, changes, bass lines and voicings upon hearing them. If you learn to notate and read notation, you can rapidly save your transcriptions and call on them later. If you get really good at reading notation you can play anything thrown in front of you, note for note, rhythm for rhythm, fingering for fingering, fluidly right now. No waiting until after you've watched the video over and over until you get it down.

 

I would be really surprised to hear the musicians on this forum place watching video over developing your ear as the most important of musical skills. The eye to ear notation and/vs/read or not debate has been beaten to death. So I guess we just started the watch video to listen to music debate?

 

Actually, my ear is quite good. Its a gift. I am self taught. I practice scales, to develop dexterity and decent technique. I am weak at notation.

 

I see YT as a good tool. It does save me time. There is nothing ' incorrect' about using a good resource. I am also self motivated. I am more excited about playing and recording then ever before. I record my tunes to keep a record. They are all fairly different.

 

I think its fair to point out that we don't have to learn the same, or closely be the same.

[ElmerJFudd]

Fair enough. Different strokes, different folks. But here's a great activity for our musical minds. Try doing it by ear, then go to YouTube and compare to see how your interpretation/transcription matches up. Do it often, you'll get better at it. Do it really often, you don't need a video. That's all I'm saying.