New Means of Creation

In the past, musical creation relied on a special set of performative and theoretical skills. Today, software adds a new dimension to the ways in which music can be created. Software can provide musicians and even nonmusicians with easier access to music making. It can offer a friendly workspace, one that requires no lifelong expertise to use. In this way, many more individuals are able to create meaningful music without musical knowledge or instrumental skills. Technology is gradually turning musical creativity into a globally accessible act of self-expression. This new accessibility may open the door to a universal art, where traditional training becomes obsolete and the concept of a specialist outdated. Anyone, anywhere, at any time can use software to become a composer, performer, or artist. However, much as when the invention of cheap cameras brought photography to the public, true artistry may lie beyond software’s grasp. For this reason, it is important that we understand the mechanisms by which such technology produces music. In this chapter, we examine a few of the many ways in which music can be produced in a digital environment.