David Pogue writes about digital musical orchestras this week.
I mean, a digital accompaniment can certainly boost a production’s professionalism, especially when the only alternative is some beleaguered piano player stumbling through the songs, or a middle-school band honking, out of tune, through a score.
But my own musical career began as precisely that overwhelmed piano player, and, later, precisely that amateur orchestra member. And I knew that every professional musician was once, at some distant past age, a squeaky, honky amateur.
He goes on to describe how this moved him towards MIDI to fill in gaps or even to take the place of a whole orchestra.
Playing in a pit orchestra is without a doubt one of the funnest experiences of my life, and I can’t imagine technology completely taking the place of the amateurs (for community shows at least). Despite squeaks and honks, live musicians will bring a quality of sound that won’t be replaced for some time. I’m reminded of a ballet I saw with canned music. Every jump -SMACK- thudded on the stage. A real orchestra would have covered that up.