It's been here in India for a couple of decades now. We've gone from Facebook and Twitter to Instagram reels. Musicians have done their best to adapt. Some have thrived, others have shelved. We should not forget the impact on future torchbearers and musical students. Let us touch upon a few positives and negatives so we better understand this game. My time and efforts at Arvi School of Music, arvischool.com shall come in handy. Read on.
The positives
Learning Opportunities: Platforms like YouTube, Instagram and Coursera are a learning heaven. You can learn everything from instruments to theory, from beginner to advanced concepts. I proudly proclaim that 60% of everything I know comes from the Internet. The rest are my teachers, books, and some creative fluke.
Promotion and Exposure: Your peers will notice if you're musically gifted. But, you might not perform for them at school as often. Instead, social media could be a stage, and they can see you perform in the comfort of their home and time.
Community Building: To date, my band forms part of the wonderful friends I've made in life. Music has led me to them. Imagine using the power of media to find your tribe of musicians.
The negatives:
Distraction: There is no doubt about that. Social media is evil in many shades. It can take away precious things from us. It will take away time, empathy, joy and sometimes, even creativity.
Comparison and Pressure: In the past, you would have been the only musician in your neighbourhood. Maybe there were more, but you wouldn't know. There was some competition, but that was invisible. Fast forward to today, every musician is plugged into the Internet. It can get exhausting.
Shortened Attention Spans: Some bands used to write 8-minute songs. We do not seem to have time to take in the entire creative expression of an artist anymore. What's more? It seems to be getting more about numbers and strategy than music itself.
It'll take some time for one to wield media. But, in case you don't like media at all, do not pressure yourself. Some musicians excel for themselves, and a few away from the starry lights. Maybe under the stars, though?
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