Technology is actively involved in the performing arts. Technology is present in every musical activity, from composition to performance, from structure, stage arrangement, sound, light, screen to the music program presented to the public.
Inevitable trend
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has come a long way in music production. The work of creating, replicating, turning musical themes, even just titles or ideas written in words, into a complete work with just a few operations, in a few seconds. Tech songs can be performed by a voice, an "orchestra" and sound on the recording.
AI has also been researched and implemented by many musicians on some free software to create music products. AI has become a means for many "amateur musicians" to have complete songs with full recordings of the arrangement, including the singer's performance.
The performance "Drum Rice" with strong Vietnamese culture in the program "Anh trai vu ngan cong gai" 2024 attracts the audience (Photo: DUC THANH)
Musicians can now skip the writing or arranging of instruments for an orchestra on paper; skip the rehearsal of musicians, and don’t need performers with artistic creativity and emotion. Many musicians only need an electronic keyboard connected to a laptop and know how to use computer software to produce a few recordings of accompaniment for songs, background music for dance performances or sound - music for an entire performance program.
Many pieces of music have been created on computers, but the composers themselves have no way of getting a copy of the music, because these pieces are created by machines and produced as recordings. Many parts of the electronic recordings are very attractive and appealing, but in reality, such melodies cannot be performed.
Advances in digital technology also include studio technology, audio editing software, sound adjustment art, lighting effects, LED screens, virtual lights, rotating stages, background effects, sound... helping to meet all practical needs of artistic activities and upgrade the art appreciation trends of the Vietnamese public.
The work of art lost its soul.
In addition to the above advantages, public concerns, when it is easy to see that the artistic and cultural content, including the nature of traditional customs and traditions, can now be pushed to the secondary level by technology. Many articles and pages speak out about the fact that today's public watches music instead of listening to music, lip-syncing technology, promotion, etc. have become painful issues. To the point that the art of Cai Luong stage has also been turned away by fans because of lip-syncing, the orchestra is a pre-recorded disc, forcing Cai Luong artists to follow the sound of the pre-recorded part to "lip-sync" to match.
Technology can fake art, can transform an ordinary voice into something extraordinary and extraordinary. Many software can make the voice thicker and more colorful; artists in the studio can rest assured because technology can help correct pitch and rhythm errors; can successfully combine, cut and paste any piece of music, create multiple voices, sing backing vocals, layer sounds... Not to mention, it is also possible to separate the sound, the beat (background music, accompaniment) of someone else, layer on top of it the sound of your own singing and turn it into your own product.
Technology can help singers in their 60s and 70s restore their own voices when they were in their prime. The singer only needs to lip-synch to the new harmony played by the orchestra. The artist’s artistic talent, artistic emotion, and virtuosity become less necessary, and the work of art loses its soul because the artist does not have to think or express anything but relies on technology to do it.
Technological means such as sound effects, lighting effects, visual effects on the backdrop, in the auditorium space, water - air - wind effects... controlled by technological software have now become indispensable parts of the art performance program. This contains many shortcomings, the audience gradually forgets that they are being fooled, they are buying tickets to see the high technology of audio-visual technology, not to enjoy art.
Audience needs emotion, creativity
For music composition, AI is an irresistible trend, but it is also just a mass-produced product of technology. No matter what, a musical work is a product created by humans, bearing the identity of Vietnamese people, bearing the characteristics of the individual artist, still has its own value and is still loved and chosen by a large audience.
In the field of performing and enjoying music with cultural identity, reality shows that technology has become an effective and indispensable means. Without a well-prepared sound system, modern visual technology, lighting, and stage, it is difficult to have an attractive music program for thousands of enthusiastic viewers, burning out in the stadium like today. The things that bring success to music festivals ("Hozo festival", "Anh trai vu ngan cong gai", "Anh trai say hi" ...) must include modern technology. But performing arts in general, music performance in particular, for the audience's perception, what they need is emotion, creativity and art.
Developing art in a sustainable way to move towards a cultural industry with Vietnamese identity of course does not deny the application of scientific and technological achievements, but in the end, music must still be a creative product with artistic value from humans. Audiences in any era need a musical product with human nature, a creative artistic product of humans. Therefore, do not let and do not use technology to decide everything.
(To be continued)
* Human resources for developing cultural industry: See Lao Dong Newspaper from issue dated June 7
The application of science and technology to music activities is an inevitable trend today. However, the application of science and technology to performances, entertainment programs, music products... cannot be the only and decisive factor. To achieve the goal of developing the cultural industry in the whole country in general, in Ho Chi Minh City in particular, to be successful in terms of music, the most important factor is still the soul that makes listeners vibrate and the soul of Vietnamese cultural identity.
Source: https://nld.com.vn/phat-trien-cong-nghiep-van-hoa-dung-lay-cong-nghe-chi-phoi-toan-dien-nghe-thuat-196250607203957109.htm
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